Stickies

Question

Please let me know if there is a better way to organize the links.

riverripper · Answer

I think they are great for new people but get annoying once we have so many that they fill half the screen. The only issue is by getting rid of them we are going to get a lot of new people asking repeat questions. Maybe make a new forum that we can move extremely useful threads into, like application best practices or something. Don't allow new threads to be created by just anyone though or it will fill up with junk overtime. 

If you give the area a name that attracts attention then people will check it out. Put an announcement at the top of this forum telling people to look in there before asking questions.

kidderek · Answer

Actually, I like the sticky's. They make things easier to find. I also like the idea of having a separate forum for n00b questions. Maybe we can create a comprehensive FAQ. 

The biggest problem is that most people just want answers now and don't bother searching or reading posts that are right under their nose.

kidderek · Answer

Can you add the function of searching within a thread?

riverripper · Answer

My biggest complaint around here. Obviously its hard to find random stuff that has been talked about but we have been pretty good about consolidating. How many times do people create threads about schools right above another thread about the school.

Maybe an announcement should be titled SEARCH BEFORE YOU POST.

kidderek · Answer

If someone asks a question or requests something, I usually check the number of their posts and when they joined. If they're a n00b, I usually answer or find it for him/her, however repetitive it may be. 

The problem with writing "do a search" and locking the thread as many other forums do is that it sends a negative/hostile tone to the n00b and of course, that's not what we're all about here.

So, I think it's kind of a touchy thing. Also doing a search might bring up some dated information, which is never good.

kryzak · Answer

was panicking when all the stickies disappeared.

but yes, a separate forum that has the name of "comprehensive guide to all parts of the application" or "FAQ" or something like that with a big "READ THIS FIRST IF YOU'RE A N00B" will probably be the best method.

gmatclb · Answer

At least be consistent.

One day, all the stickies disappear. And then the next day, I see 7-8 new stickies with 4 new pages of discussion I've never read before.

I'd rather see it cluttered with stickies than see it clean and empty.

kryzak · Answer

the question now is... where did the other stickied posts go?

riverripper · Answer

Kry they are around they just went back to whenever they were last updated.

A lot of that info could be captured in the wiki somewhere.

kryzak · Answer

oh I see. I thought Praet was going to put a sub-forum (maybe in B-School Apps) to put those stickies in.

The issue now is a lot of the good info is "lost" if we don't capture it somewhere. The wiki idea is great and I will definitely help work on it, but until R2's are over, I doubt many of us have the time or energy to do so.

Just my 2 cents

EDIT: For now, I edited this link with the original "stickied" posts:

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/p364105#364105

Praetorian · Answer

Thanks for your comments. 

You can find all your favorite stickies in the two announcements: "The Pants Pooping.." and "2008 Applicants -- Read this..."

a) I dont think we can expect perfection as far as duplication is concerned. Also, I dont think that we have too many duplicate threads. 

Its hard to beat the temptation of posting a new thread. It is easy, does not involve a lot of searching and the worst that can happen is someone will point you to an earlier discussion anyway. 

b) I will have to give the sub-forum idea more thought. I struggle with the idea of a sub-forum because it decentralizes the information. My thinking is that the set of links serve a similar function and keeps all the relevant information together. 

There are at least two ways to keep track of threads that are 'live':

1) Select an option to watch for replies.
2) Bookmark the thread

c) We can have stickies. No question of consistency. They serve an important function. But too many stickies for too long affects the browsing experience. 

d) The Wiki is something we are eagerly looking forward to getting jump started. I am sure it is the best way to archive the excellent information that all of you have assembled on this forum.

Finally, my intent is not to dismiss any of your suggestions. In the spirit of community, we try to build a better place for the future applicants as we go along. The 2007's did it for the 2008's and they left all of you a much much more useful GMAT Club. If we stick together, it will ultimately help us all. 

Thanks again for your comments.

kryzak · Answer

Hi Praetorian,

Thank you for your comments. I think the link collections in those two threads you mentioned should be good enough for now. I went ahead and updated both threads with some links that were missing. 

As for stickies, I think they can be used for certain important threads that pop up and we want to give it prominent attention. Maybe after the discussions die down, we'll add the link into the "Master Link Lists" and unsticky the old threads. What do you think of that idea?

I would probably sticky Rhyme's Interview Guide for the time being, since most of us are getting into the interview season.

kidderek · Answer

I don't know whether it's possible or not, but a "temporary" sticky might work. Something that will remain a sticky for a week maybe a week and a half, then converts to a regular post which will be 'bump'ed up by people replying to it, if they so wanted to keep the thread alive.

aaudetat · Answer

As an 07-er, I thought about this a lot. On the one hand, we really covered a lot of stuff last year....what classes to take before applying, how long your tie should be, what to do about an unbalanced GMAT, etc. And you all could just spend your time reading those. But what I liked so much about gmatclub was the sense of community and support. I enjoyed the blather about wines and ties and all the rest. Why should you all be deprived of that? So in my mind, duplication is ok. It's what makes the forum alive. We 07ers didn't write a static book; we founded a community. Communities rest on the interactions of their diverse membership, not on a reference manual.

As a newcomer, searching can be tough. I was so clueless when I started this process that I didn't even know what I didn't know. I think in the spirit of creating a welcoming atmosphere, we should all just reply with something helpful like, "hey, welcome. I think you'll find some answers to get you started at ___________." 

Just my 2 cents.

Praetorian · Answer

very well said.

lepium · Answer

Great idea. A welcome + link to the basic threads always work very well. To give some additional info to the 08ers, it took Aau about 15 seconds to understand G'Club's community and get everyone's attention. A few weeks after she joined she was already calling us her b*tches... :lol:

L.

aaudetat · Answer

that's harsh. i thought i said "wee minions."

Stickies

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards