A Plea to the Community - 'ddowiki.com' as an answer

[Cendaer]

As a community, can we please try to actually answer questions in a more helpful manner?

Too often lately, I'm seeing very specific questions all being answered with the same 11 characters: ddowiki.com, and nothing more.

Don't get me wrong here, IMO, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and people who play DDO should know about it. It's densely packed with information and rich with detail.

However, by it's very nature, ddowiki.com is easy to get lost in. There is sooooo much to see when you get there, it's difficult to not feel like a kid in a candy store.

Sure, there's a search that really functions quite nicely, but if I'm a new player, I probably won't even know the terminology needed to get meaningful results.


So, my plea is:
As a community, could we please try to be better about linking directly to relevant pages at ddowiki.com, rather than simply slapping up "ddowiki.com" as an answer to so many questions? (This applies to both the forums, and in-game chat.)


The 11-character "ddowiki.com" as an answer to everything, is starting to feel a bit...cold.

[jjflanigan]

As a community, can we please try to actually answer questions in a more helpful manner?

Too often lately, I'm seeing very specific questions all being answered with the same 11 characters: ddowiki.com, and nothing more.

Don't get me wrong here, IMO, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and people who play DDO should know about it. It's densely packed with information and rich with detail.

However, by it's very nature, ddowiki.com is easy to get lost in. There is sooooo much to see when you get there, it's difficult to not feel like a kid in a candy store.

Sure, there's a search that really functions quite nicely, but if I'm a new player, I probably won't even know the terminology needed to get meaningful results.


So, my plea is:
As a community, could we please try to be better about linking directly to relevant pages at ddowiki.com, rather than simply slapping up "ddowiki.com" as an answer to so many questions? (This applies to both the forums, and in-game chat.)


The 11-character "ddowiki.com" as an answer to everything, is starting to feel a bit...cold.


hmmmm.... "ddowiki.com" = 11 characters, "hi, welcome" == 11 characters. I'm sensing a nefarious plot!

[Milfeulle]

There's a time when I was a noob, I'm confused with all the terminology, then I remembered there's this amazing searching engine called Google, so I typed ddo and see some results from auto-complete field: ddo wiki, ddo forums, ddo crafting, ddo character planner, so I took a day, wrote some notes, and explored about 90% of the content from ddowiki. After that, I know pretty much every aspect of DDO. I often help players indirectly, improving their ability of self-learning.

[Zaviticus]

hmmmm.... "ddowiki.com" = 11 characters, "hi, welcome" == 11 characters. I'm sensing a nefarious plot!

LOL...ruh roh!!!!

I can see the point of the OP, but I also believe that folks should at least try to do some research before asking a plethora of questions. Use the "Empower Thyself" ability and take a look at the wiki before asking where Delera's is.

Everyone can (and should) certainly ask questions. We were all once new at onee point in time. All I assk is that you at least try and find out the answer before spamming general or advice. If you put in some effort, you'll be rewarded.

[IBCROOTBEER]

There's a time when I was a noob, I'm confused with all the terminology, then I remembered there's this amazing searching engine called Google, so I typed ddo and see some results from auto-complete field: ddo wiki, ddo forums, ddo crafting, ddo character planner, so I took a day, wrote some notes, and explored about 90% of the content from ddowiki. After that, I know pretty much every aspect of DDO. I often help players indirectly, improving their ability of self-learning.

Woot ! +1 for you! Yay for self-learning. Sometimes it would be nice if a lot mroe people would take this kind of initiative.

[sigtrent]

Answering questions is great but really the wiki is awesome, everyone should know about it, and it can answer many questions that others cannot.

Perhaps a dismissive attitude some have when the offer it is not so good, but offering it in lieu of a complicated answer is not necessarily doing anyone a disservice.

[karnokvolrath]

I think the use of ddowiki sould increase, i dont know how many times ive told people about it that didnt know it was there.

Almost everytime i meet a new player the 1st two things i do is tell them to download the ddo game guide and bookmark the wiki....

I cant remember the old saying but its something like

"give a man a fish, he will be full for dinner, teach a man how to fish he will never go hungry again."

[Letrii]

I think the use of ddowiki sould increase, i dont know how many times ive told people about it that didnt know it was there.

Almost everytime i meet a new player the 1st two things i do is tell them to download the ddo game guide and bookmark the wiki....

I cant remember the old saying but its something like

"give a man a fish, he will be full for dinner, teach a man how to fish he will never go hungry again."

What game guide you talking about?

[karnokvolrath]

What game guide you talking about?

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=137347

It includes a shroud crafter, epic crafter, walkthoughs, puzzler solvers, amoung many other things, a must have IMO.

[Cendaer]

Yeah, like I said, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and should be used by DDO players, both as a research tool AND as a means of answering FAQ's, but answering every single one with the same 11-character response really is starting to feel cold.

Links within ddowiki.com are fairly simple, and easy to cut & paste. If we're going to answer questions, can't we all try to give more helpful answers and links in response to specific questions?

[7-day_Trial_Monkey]

As a community, can we please try to actually answer questions in a more helpful manner?

Too often lately, I'm seeing very specific questions all being answered with the same 11 characters: ddowiki.com, and nothing more.

Don't get me wrong here, IMO, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and people who play DDO should know about it. It's densely packed with information and rich with detail.

However, by it's very nature, ddowiki.com is easy to get lost in. There is sooooo much to see when you get there, it's difficult to not feel like a kid in a candy store.

Sure, there's a search that really functions quite nicely, but if I'm a new player, I probably won't even know the terminology needed to get meaningful results.


So, my plea is:
As a community, could we please try to be better about linking directly to relevant pages at ddowiki.com, rather than simply slapping up "ddowiki.com" as an answer to so many questions? (This applies to both the forums, and in-game chat.)


The 11-character "ddowiki.com" as an answer to everything, is starting to feel a bit...cold.


People do need to be just dropped on DDOWIKI.COM and left to swim. It is entirely likely that there are questions that they need answered that they don't know enough to ask yet.

It is advantageous to all players to develop a desire to explore the site and discover what answers they need.

[KraahgDaAxe]

An even better resource then Google is ...

LMGTFY!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=DDO

Kraahg

[Letrii]

If this thread is result of my saying ddowiki.com to person asking aobut how to tell if a quest is p2p or not. If VIP, this is the only way I know to check.

[Battery]

If this thread is result of my saying ddowiki.com to person asking aobut how to tell if a quest is p2p or not. If VIP, this is the only way I know to check.

I think the OP is referring to people who answer questions in the advice channel with things like "stop asking stupid questions and look it up on ddowiki". There's nothing wrong with turning new players on to the wiki, it's a great resource, but discouraging people from asking questions in the advice channel is plain dumb.

[QuantumFX]

People are more likely to retain information that they were forced to look up. That’s why I prefer to hit people with “Do the following search in your web browser DDOwiki <Subject>” Also, the DDOwiki answer also covers the inevitable followup questions.

[DoctorWhofan]

I try to answer the questions in game, in game. For locations of rares or builds or very complicated stuff, i refer to the forums. after all, I am playing a game, too.

[thegreatneil]

Usually telling someone "ddowiki.com" is faster than explaining something long-winded.
And it is a little more polite sounding then "F%#^ Off, I'm too busy to care about want you want, but i still want to sound elitist."

See by stating something as simple as "ddowiki.com" :

1. you can find your answer.
2. you will stop bothering / boring me with you lack of knowledge.

[littlewing]

i'll try to help but new people are so full of questions, with VERY LITTLE knowledge, that i dont have time to explain every little thing, i want to play too.

getting "lost" in ddowiki is a good thing, it will help them immensely

[Beld]

once it goes beyond that down the rabbit hole, I tend to give them the wiki address to get the rest.

On the flip side, and since I know these folks do not frequent the forums, I guess this is more of a 'what if', I really do wish the people that don't know the answer would just use 'ddowiki.com' :p

[callmeRand]

Yeah, like I said, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and should be used by DDO players, both as a research tool AND as a means of answering FAQ's, but answering every single one with the same 11-character response really is starting to feel cold.

It's not just that. As great as the wiki is, many parts of it are incomplete, and some are out of date. Compared to the compendium, it's the encyclopaedia Britannica of DDO, but it can't be used as a sole resource.


There's a time when I was a noob, I'm confused with all the terminology, then I remembered there's this amazing searching engine called Google, so I typed ddo and see some results from auto-complete field: ddo wiki, ddo forums, ddo crafting, ddo character planner, so I took a day, wrote some notes, and explored about 90% of the content from ddowiki. After that, I know pretty much every aspect of DDO. I often help players indirectly, improving their ability of self-learning.

Absolutely.

Then make sure to refine your search to the last 18 months, and in some cases the last six months or even less, because google doesn't care how old and, now, incorrect the results are, it's just giving you the results. I remember finding a board thread through google which informed me that a F2P player was capped at level 4 until he got a copper sigal (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.ddo.com%2Fshowthread.php%3 Ft%3D199298&rct=j&q=ddo%20level%20cap%204%20-raised&ei=2cAgTtb_NIrY0QH86OmtAw&usg=AFQjCNGLXGl-kiRcb8RqWxeW167YjodZEw&cad=rja) that allowed him to get past that level. Freaked me out until I dug deeply enough to find out that this limit doesn't exist anymore.

Nothing ever gets deleted, no matter how old or incorrect it now is.

That's why people like me will eventually come here to ask for information from people who know about what's current and what isn't. I've been lucky to have some very helpful people answer my questions, so I'm not complaining, but I've also seen what Cendaer brought up when looking at threads with questions which other people asked.

[gloopygloop]

I try to answer specific questions with specific answers, but when someone asks, "How do I craft?" then I just tell them to go to www.ddowiki.com (http://www.ddowiki.com), click on the Crafting page link at the top and then click on Cannith crafting.

When someone asks, "Which is better for a Ranger, a Falchion or a pair of Light Hammers", I try to give an appropriate answer. When someone asks, "Which class should I take if I want to be awesoem?", I tell them to go to www.ddowiki.com (http://www.ddowiki.com) and click on the Class link at the top of the page.

[Bodic]

As a general rule I provide a link ot the direct page of the wiki, and by extention the wiki itself.

[Phidius]

...
As a community, could we please try to be better about linking directly to relevant pages at ddowiki.com, rather than simply slapping up "ddowiki.com" as an answer to so many questions? ...

ddowiki.com

[Lost_Leader]

I will often give a short answer to a question, and then follow it up with a ddowiki link, and encourage the person seeking answers to look at the wiki for more detailed information.

I will admit when it came to crafting questions I simply gave the link to cannith crafting page and told people to look it up. I figure if you are going to take the time to craft, then you are better off knowing the details. Usually people actually thanked me for the link.

Someone already said the analogy, but I am all about teaching a dude to fish rather than handing him a can of sardines.

[Letrii]

ddowiki.com

I see what you did there.

[JakLee7]

The 11-character "ddowiki.com" as an answer to everything, is starting to feel a bit...cold.

well, it also tends to be a bit more accurate then "go ask on the forums" (and shorter too).

I literally had a guy get bent outta shape at me again for opening the chest because he had a loot gem going & he thought I ruined a +1 for the whole party....

[Sleepsalot]

Not hard use the search function. If you want to give better answers then I say you are welcome to and thank you...:)



As a community, can we please try to actually answer questions in a more helpful manner?

Too often lately, I'm seeing very specific questions all being answered with the same 11 characters: ddowiki.com, and nothing more.

Don't get me wrong here, IMO, ddowiki.com is an AMAZING resource, and people who play DDO should know about it. It's densely packed with information and rich with detail.

However, by it's very nature, ddowiki.com is easy to get lost in. There is sooooo much to see when you get there, it's difficult to not feel like a kid in a candy store.

Sure, there's a search that really functions quite nicely, but if I'm a new player, I probably won't even know the terminology needed to get meaningful results.


So, my plea is:
As a community, could we please try to be better about linking directly to relevant pages at ddowiki.com, rather than simply slapping up "ddowiki.com" as an answer to so many questions? (This applies to both the forums, and in-game chat.)


The 11-character "ddowiki.com" as an answer to everything, is starting to feel a bit...cold.

[Sleepsalot]

Nice I didn't know about this one +1 to rep.


http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=137347

It includes a shroud crafter, epic crafter, walkthoughs, puzzler solvers, amoung many other things, a must have IMO.