Category talk:FAQ

Re-organizing - move to non-category page needed

The FAQ should really be a single page, with longer answers to questions going under the Solutions category and linked to (as in the Adding Items to Vendors question). As such, this content should be moved to a new FAQ page and this page re-directed there.
I've made edits to questions where the info already existed and put links there instead. Almost every FAQ question should link to a reference article. If the info in the FAQ isn't in the relevant article, add it to that article, and link to it, otherwise info just gets hidden here.
--Quetzilla 22:43, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

In the eyes of the casual wiki user unlike yourselves, you're hiding/burying the info in articles which may be hard to find. You find it easy to find the info coz you organized it, you're not thinking as a person new to the GECK or wiki, which is who this FAQ was trying to help. This is counter productive imo: do with the FAQ as you will. --Felic 01:49, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

If you had looked at the discussion page I pointed you to in my message on your user page, you would realize that 'thinking of the casual wiki user' is exactly what I am doing. I have not 'hidden' anything in the FAQ page, simply linked to where the data already exists. I didn't organize anything here until recently, all the organization was done by BGS.

--Quetzilla 02:34, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Did look at your link, not interested in debating (too much like work), just want to selfishly help people make mods so I can enjoy playing the game more. --Felic 03:29, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Formatting

Hey Qzilla, could we discuss the format before hand so I don't have to change everything after I discover you edited what I've already put up please? --Felic 02:54, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, didn't realize you were still editing.

--Quetzilla 03:43, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Lots to add, will be doing this for a while during breaks while playing. Any recommendations for formatting? Tbh, I'm not too thrilled with your change as it will get confusing if somethign bolded starts at or overlaps the left margin. Maybe making the questions numbered? --Felic 03:57, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

You could try something like this:

small header

--Quetzilla 04:13, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Please post information in their relevant location

While I'm glad this information is on the wiki, please, please, please post it in the relevant location (i.e., the "How do I dupe an item in the Object Window?..." information should be added to Object_Window) before adding it to the FAQ. Felic, I know you in particular found the CS wiki unusable because "I just have a hard time finding what I need there." (from the Mod Food thread). Please don't let this wiki become the same way - the information needs to be everywhere it will be useful (or at least a link), and if that's too much then perhaps the FAQ isn't a good idea.

Similarly, but not quite so seriously, should this be a category or page? For longer answers, I think a link would do. We also already have a Category:Solutions, Category:Tips and Tricks, and Category:Tutorials. Also, consider that articles in the category will appear at the bottom of the page which really won't help as the link needs to follow the question.
--Haama 04:38, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Edit, I had the same thoughts, but there is something to be said for a FAQ. When the average user thinks, 'How do I duplicate an item?' They may not think to look in the object window page, or even know there is a page for that (I didn't until your post). So I think a FAQ page is merited as it's where people will look for their... frequently asked questions. That said, info in this page should then be included into other relevant pages as well.

--Quetzilla 04:46, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

While I appreciate your concerns Haama, my main goal here is to make the FAQ a quick place to lookup information that is often asked. It is meant for people like me who find sifting through the rest of the wiki tedious, or just can't find the information. It is also meant for using as a link to post as an answer to new threads asking the same questions over and over again. If it's not in the Wiki somewhere, that is not really my concern, as I have neither the energy nor desire to maintain the Wiki as a whole. You are welcome to copy any information from the FAQ to somewhere else on the Wiki as you deem appropriate. If this is against the Wiki policies, then I will simply create my own webpage (which I did for Oblivion) that I can refer people to in the forum threads, as I do not want to get involved with Wiki maintenance or politics (I saw that crap on UESP and it made me leave). I like helping out, but want to limit my efforts to the forums and a FAQ. Depriving people of a FAQ because I don't feel like editing the rest of the Wiki seems counter productive.

Regarding the appropriateness of a category, it only adds another method for people to find the information they need, one they are quite familiar with as FAQs are ubiquitous on the web. I do see your point about the separate pages being linked at the bottom rather than in the FAQ TOC, but the category does not prevent the separate pages from being added to the TOC as well. Also, some of these separate pages can easily be put in multiple categories such as Tutorials and Solutions. There are quite a few things on this page which would not really fit elsewhere on the Wiki, like the question about modding for consoles.

--Felic 05:12, 17 December 2008 (UTC)