Ask the expert

Surfer
Surfer Forum Participant Posts: 1,302
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edited December 2016 in How to use Club Together #1

What is the point of an Ask the Expert forum if only Admin are allowed to post?  Seems ridiculous!

Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited December 2016 #2

    Particularly as there seems to be a lack of 'expert' input. Never did understand this concept on CC site

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #3

    Surfer

    Just to explain. The Ask the Expert heading is used by site admin to invite "Experts" in their relative fields to answer questions from members. Once those discussions have finished, ie the Expert no longer being available to answer more questions those discussions are closed and archived and moved the the archive section below. If you have any questions regarding the functionality of the forum How to Use Club Together is the place to post them.

    David

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #4

    I think it's time management acknowledged that Ask The Expert simply isn't working in its current format. 

    The purpose of the section has not been adequately explained - 'on a given topic' is not clarity enough - and the result is confusion. Even a moderator's pleas to read guidance before posting have fallen on deaf ears in many cases.

    In addition to the confusion the section causes, the number of threads legitimately hosted has been minimal so it seems to me that the intended and proper use for the section simply isn't worth the hassle being caused. It must be a moderator's nightmare.

    At the very least, I feel the section should be read only between live Q&A sessions but, honestly, is there really and truly a need for it? Other avenues could be, and should be, explored. Time to reconsider, I think.

     

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited December 2016 #5

    Can't say that I have seen much in the way of meaningful responses other than by members. Are he members intended to provide expertise or do CC have experts that respond? Not seen any evidence of this.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #6

    Easy, you have clearly demonstrated the points I was making in my previous post. Confusion reigns, mainly due to lack of clarity, and it is surely time for CC to consider the future of Ask The Expert.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #7

    Incidentally, there is a duplicate of this thread also in this section.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #8

    Given that this caused problems on the old forum, it seems strange that the capability of only allowing posts within threads created by admin was not inbuilt. In other words if you tried to create a thread in either of the ask the expert sections, you would get a message explaining why you could not and directing you towards an appropriate section.

  • RochelleCC
    RochelleCC Forum Participant Posts: 337
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    edited December 2016 #9

    Hi Surfer,

    The Ask the Expert section was intended to host special Q&A features by experts from within The Club and its partners. We have held an Ask the Expert feature once a month so far, and intend to hold more in the New Year.

    In response to SteveL, we have not disabled regular users ability to post in this section, as it would then restrict people from asking questions, which is a vital part of the Ask the Expert feature.

    Hope this helps.

  • Surfer
    Surfer Forum Participant Posts: 1,302
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    edited December 2016 #10

    Does this mean that the questions will be tailored to the answer that the expert can offer.  Is the expert truely an expert in their field or just a staff member having a quick read up before answering the tailored question put to them by a member of the Admin staff?

    Apologies for being so cynical, but it appears that members are being treated as if they do not have the intelligence to ask the expert the correct sort of question.

    As for once a month, surely that is a joke?  Maybe the forum should be re-titled to Admin asks expert a tailored question?  LOL!

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #11

    I think you are missing the point Surfer. Taylored questions is exactly what the ask the expert section is supposed to be about. The CC pick a topic and line up an expert(s) on that subject. You are then free to ask questions about that topic. What it is not for is general questions on any old subject. Which is why the CC should have made it impossible for any of us to start threads within that section. You would have thought when designing a new forum this should have been possible, whilst maintaining the ability to post in threads admin had created.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #12

    You could unlock the section if and when a session is identified which would allow people to ask questions in the run up to an event. Keeping it locked at other times will save a lot of hassle.

    I understand exactly what the section is for but the explanation at the head of it needs to be clearer to avoid confusion. See my post of 12.37 30.12.16.

  • Surfer
    Surfer Forum Participant Posts: 1,302
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    edited January 2017 #13

    As the "Ask the expert" only happens once a month and it may take years before your question comes up if ever, it is probably better and easier to post on a forum and hope you get the correct answer fromn a "non-expert".

    Another failed mind blowing experimental exercise inflicted on the poor paying members by the CC IT team?

    What I find strange is that there are numberous caravans forums on the Internet, but this CT forum is the only one where there are constant complaints about the failings of the website? 

    In addition, on a number of occasions during the day, the website is down for maintenance?  I don't recall come across this on any other caravan forum or car website and they are not funded by a multi million pound organisation?

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #14

    Yes, the 'Experts' section should be locked until such time Admin invites questions on a designated subject, then it's unlocked.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #15

    Just what I've been saying, Dave.

    The message about it being for nominated subjects only simply isn't getting through due to lack of adequate guidance at the head of the section.