# Threads by newbies



## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

I haven't had a chance to visit the forum for 3-4 days and find that the number of unread threads goes into the 5th page for me.

At the same time, I see that there are a number of threads dealing with the same topic (e.g. young people meetups - multiple threads, CD/DVDs allowed in - multiple threads... you gte the drift). I think there were a couple of threads I could have shared information in, but there were just too many threads for me to bother reading. I am sure that the world is not a poorer place for having missed my "wisdom", but having lived in Dubai for 2 years I would think that I have a bit more info to share than a newbie who is here for 2 weeks.

Just a food for thought for the Mods - shouldn't newbies be allowed to post threads only if they have say 20 useful posts? (Just like the PM facility gets activated after 5 posts)

People otherwise are just too inconsiderate or don't know how to use the search function and start a new thread for every single thing (or themselves start multiple threads on the same topic). Also, now if I were to search the forum for say what to do on a visa run, there are at least 20 threads which are thrown up as search results - in short there is too much of a clutter.

Just a food for thought, and unfortunately I had to start a new thread to post this


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

rsinner said:


> I haven't had a chance to visit the forum for 3-4 days and find that the number of unread threads goes into the 5th page for me.
> 
> At the same time, I see that there are a number of threads dealing with the same topic (e.g. young people meetups - multiple threads, CD/DVDs allowed in - multiple threads... you gte the drift). I think there were a couple of threads I could have shared information in, but there were just too many threads for me to bother reading. I am sure that the world is not a poorer place for having missed my "wisdom", but having lived in Dubai for 2 years I would think that I have a bit more info to share than a newbie who is here for 2 weeks.
> 
> ...


Welcome to my world and my daily rants 

Is incredibly frustrating to see how new threads get opened over and over again on topics that have been covered ad-nauseum... if only people were more familiarised with the search function...!! really, is not that hard!! 

When multiple threads get opened on the same topic we usually merge them but this depends on whoever is around at the time (and if we have the time to do so).

As for your suggestion although is a good one to tackle this problem is also very restrictive and could affect new forum users who have genuine questions and have already used the search function (posters who need advice on their job offers come to mind).


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Or...you could make rsinner a mod and have him do the merging threads bit every Sunday morning before we get annoyed by the multiple threads ....just a suggestion


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Actually i`ve been thinking of starting a new thread about salary offers because you just can`t find enough of them on here lol!


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

I agree there's plenty of them  but would be rather unhelpful to not allow newbies to ask if their salary and package is enough to bring their family, etc


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

The search function is quite poor. I end up just putting a search term in google followed by *site:http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/*


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## md000 (Dec 16, 2008)

I second the search function being quite poor. Why?

1) All search/tag functionalities. Site-wide, rather than forum specific

2) The search functionality. Results are pushed out on the most recent thread or post, but not the most relevant. 

3) Tag functionality. Should be required and have a set of common tags to be used for the forum.

I know that the advanced search function can accomplish certain things, but the site has not been configured for the basic search to include forum-based. Try searching for a "visa" after you go to the homepage of the dubai expat forum. It just doesn't work as intended.

meh. i'm not slagging the site, the options are kind of limited though.

-mike/md000


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

zin said:


> The search function is quite poor. I end up just putting a search term in google followed by *site:Dubai Expat Forum for Expats Living in Dubai - Expat Forum For Expats, For Moving Overseas And For Jobs Abroad*


I agree. I use the same method to search.



pamela0810 said:


> Or...you could make rsinner a mod and have him do the merging threads bit every Sunday morning before we get annoyed by the multiple threads ....just a suggestion


Well, then I will have to be nice which is not my forte  And it is such a thankless job !



dizzyizzy said:


> I agree there's plenty of them  but would be rather unhelpful to not allow newbies to ask if their salary and package is enough to bring their family, etc


People can still post on older threads ? for example, There is a salary thread every day. So people can post there. In fact, in some utopian world, it may end up having so many data points that no more salary threads would be required. 

But it is unfair that there are so many threads about 18-21 year old meet ups (i) which have the same set of 3-4 people posting and trying to get hold of each other, (ii) make dinosaurs like me feel old


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

rsinner said:


> People can still post on older threads ? for example, There is a salary thread every day. So people can post there. In fact, in some utopian world, it may end up having so many data points that no more salary threads would be required.
> 
> But it is unfair that there are so many threads about 18-21 year old meet ups (i) which have the same set of 3-4 people posting and trying to get hold of each other, (ii) make dinosaurs like me feel old



Alright guys, thanks for the feedback - I've passed it on to the forum admin 

Rsinner - yes people can reply to old threads but only up to +2 years old.

I like your idea of 1 thread for all salary discussions, and in the ideal world it would be perfect, however that still won't stop newbies from opening new threads to ask advice re. salary, I can bet you that  Is just such a complex topic and all situations are different. People want to know if X salary/package will be ok for THEIR circumstances. Even if there is a thread on that, they will still ask if X salary is ok for their family of X kids, etc. 

See, we opened the 'New to Dubai and looking for friends' sticky and I'm sure you've noticed that pretty much every week we have to move there posts of new members who are, guess what...? new to Dubai and looking for friends!!  

Oh well


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## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

I've moaned at times, but I've also been the newbie too. All of us look for specific information to our questions or problems.

In some instances a newbie can pose an interesting question or new benefit in a package that is well worth starting a new thread.

I find it interesting in a place where there is censorship of certain things that many of us have access to elsewhere that we are now looking to impose that censorship on others here because our little fiefdom is being intruded upon.

Or it can be thought of in this way: If the newbies are censored and not allowed to post, start a thread, etc they may not return and their knowledge/insight will be lost, as well as their clikcs on ads and the selling of space here.

Best wishes and here's to hoping that all of us, including me, stop complaining about trivial things such as posting on a message board.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Iron Horse said:


> I've moaned at times, but I've also been the newbie too. All of us look for specific information to our questions or problems.
> 
> In some instances a newbie can pose an interesting question or new benefit in a package that is well worth starting a new thread.
> 
> ...


I agree, we all have been newbies at some stage and made newbie mistakes 

Definitely we do not want to restrict new members from posting and asking questions as that is what the forum is all about, exchanging information. 

However it does help to keep things tidy to organise the same topics/similar questions in one thread, hence the "New to Dubai" thread, and on that note, I just created a new thread for people to post all their salary/job offer related questions, thanks to rsinner's suggestion. 

So let's see how that works, and thanks everyone for your inputs and suggestions, keep them coming


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