Open letter to the newbies...

[tkent02]

OK, I've just read all the posts on this thread AND done a search and I still don't know...why IS there air? (Even Wikipedia didn't help!)

Because all that nitrogen has to go somewhere.

Still waiting for an answer...

Topics that come up all the time...

What tires to get?

Why is my battery running down?

My bike that was parked for 10+ years doesn't run. Could it be the carbs?

How do I adjust my valves and does it need to be done?

Why is there air?

OK, I've just read all the posts on this thread AND done a search and I still don't know...why IS there air? (Even Wikipedia didn't help!)

[tkent02]

Knowledge is free, but education is not. Thanks for giving your knowledge to those who can't afford the education.

Those too lazy to learn cannot often be helped.

Honestly I have felt welcome and have already started repairing a few items on my bike thanks to the knowledge base here.

But I have read a few threads and not all questions are well received. There IS a stuped question after all...

Not trying to change the world, just giving a different point of view.

Knowledge is free, but education is not. Thanks for giving your knowledge to those who can't afford the education.

[posplayr]

There are several issues, and maybe the first one is that the posting formats and search function don't work very well. I have grown accustomed to that and if I have the time still sift through stuff because I always find interesting things. If required i will direct a specific PM question to a person that had been posting.

I asked Cliff if some posting and search guidelines could be developed. That might make it easier.

However, lack of using search and lack of clarity in posts are two different things.

If you are asking for free advice, please consider those people answering you need to get something out of the interchange. They either:
1.) want a challenge to solve a problem, or
2.) to help someone, or
3.) to learn something.
4.) Fill in your own reasons.

While you may not know what you are asking about, being as clear as possible about what you are asking about with description or even better pictures is simple courtesy and not a matter of "stay out of my old boys club".

Not listening, not reading, not pay attention is frustrating when you are trying to explain something. Oh well you get what you can get.

Pos

Mark, I am a newbee here to. All I can say it that I was welcomed with open arms. I asked the questions i had to ask, and I got plenty of answers. Moreover, I got my bike running as it was intended to run. But i do look for an answer in the archives first, get some knowledge of what the problem is, and then ask a specific question. And I have to say this: I would have never done it without this site!!!

[Larry D]

I am not offended by this thread and I hope no one is offended by this post.

As a "Noob" to this forum I get the feeling that it is the old boys club and "noobs" are not really welcome.

If we already knew the answer then the search function would be much easier to use. And to that point, sometimes I don't even know what the thing I am asking a question about is called. These bikes are close to 30 years old, very few are still completely stock, therefore they we could do the exact same thing on two bikes and have completely different questions. A new thread addresses my problem specifically. It is all about me after all.

In closing, if I am not welcome as a noob, ban me for life and make the forum by invitation only. If that is not the case, lighten up. The forum is not going to run out of room for new posts.

No offence intended and none taken on my part. Just standing up for all the noobs out there.

Flame on.

No offence taken...by me anyway.

When I first started on this forum, I didn't know a regulator from a starter. I did know however, not to question anyone with alot of posts. I always tried to look up my answer first. And I did ALOT of reading. After awhile you get to know who is who and that most of these guys are very, very well versed in all things GS. And some of them drink to much caffeine or perhaps not enough....

I've only ever worked on one bike....mine. Alot of these guys and gals have worked on many bikes of all kinds. I got my feather ruffled a couple times, but took in stride and kept refining my questioning technique. Having the subject your asking about in your posting title helps greatly. I can answer some questions, but just skip the ones I have no clue about. I go back later and read them hoping to learn a thing or two.

[tkent02]

There are other forums using this same format that used a search linked to a google search of the forum's database, anyone know how to set this up?
It worked really well over there.

[Nessism]

The Advance Search function works well. Use the Search Title Only detail to focus the search and avoid wasting as much time getting the info you need.

[tkent02]

I am not offended by this thread and I hope no one is offended by this post.

As a "Noob" to this forum I get the feeling that it is the old boys club and "noobs" are not really welcome.

If we already knew the answer then the search function would be much easier to use. And to that point, sometimes I don't even know what the thing I am asking a question about is called. These bikes are close to 30 years old, very few are still completely stock, therefore they we could do the exact same thing on two bikes and have completely different questions. A new thread addresses my problem specifically. It is all about me after all.

In closing, if I am not welcome as a noob, ban me for life and make the forum by invitation only. If that is not the case, lighten up. The forum is not going to run out of room for new posts.

No offence intended and none taken on my part. Just standing up for all the noobs out there.

Flame on.

That's not it, you are all welcome here.
Just that some posts won't get an answer.
Again.

I am not offended by this thread and I hope no one is offended by this post.

As a "Noob" to this forum I get the feeling that it is the old boys club and "noobs" are not really welcome.

If we already knew the answer then the search function would be much easier to use. And to that point, sometimes I don't even know what the thing I am asking a question about is called. These bikes are close to 30 years old, very few are still completely stock, therefore they we could do the exact same thing on two bikes and have completely different questions. A new thread addresses my problem specifically. It is all about me after all.

In closing, if I am not welcome as a noob, ban me for life and make the forum by invitation only. If that is not the case, lighten up. The forum is not going to run out of room for new posts.

No offence intended and none taken on my part. Just standing up for all the noobs out there.

Flame on.

[earlfor]

I guess the one that most frequently causes me to move on is when someone is having a problem and I list the possible causes in the order they should be checked and although the person doesnt know enough to fix the problem, they do know enough to tell me why everything I suggest is wrong.

Earl

[Larry D]

This happens every time I search, page after page of hits, then sifting through 1-8 pages for each thread, after about an hour of this my eyes start crossing and I post a new topic.

I have to have my bike running each morning for work, have a 9 month old and a wife that is not into doing all the housework and a bunch of other chores, so I tend to be rushed ALL the time. Not recommended but that is my situation...

That's exactly why I asked this a few days ago....

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=141035

I understand why some newbies don't use the search function to dig out the answer to their problems. If they're like me, the search show up 8-10 pages of threads, with each thread taking up 4-5 pages of posts, with 25% of the posts being some wiseass hijack of the thread topic (although I must admit that the wiseass hijacks are often funnier than the jokes in the OT joke thread). If you haven't tracked down a manual yet, are unfamiliar with the GS's, and are trying to get a bike running in between having some kind of life, it can be very time consuming to find some of the answers. It does amuse me a little to see the number of people who don't bother saying what bike they are having a problem with. I guess if it says GS on it, it has to be exactly the same as any bike with GS on it.

This happens every time I search, page after page of hits, then sifting through 1-8 pages for each thread, after about an hour of this my eyes start crossing and I post a new topic.

I have to have my bike running each morning for work, have a 9 month old and a wife that is not into doing all the housework and a bunch of other chores, so I tend to be rushed ALL the time. Not recommended but that is my situation...

[tkent02]

I want to modify the frame of my beautiful new GS1000S.
What kind of hacksaw blade should I buy?