Proposal to webmaster.

[Lazer1234]

Every time a new member shows up here so must old members tell the new registering their cpap and mask and stuff. I myself have installed this kind of forum (phpBB3) and know that you can force the user when registering to set some selected data, one option could be that the new user not yet get his cpap delivered. Maybe min and max pressure to.

[Julie]

Many people don't yet have their machines when they first post so there's not much point in 'forcing' them to list them.

[Lazer1234]

Many people don't yet have their machines when they first post so there's not much point in 'forcing' them to list them.

"Every time a new member shows up here so must old members tell the new registering their cpap and mask and stuff. I myself have installed this kind of forum (phpBB3) and know that you can force the user when registering to set some selected data, one option could be that the new user not yet get his cpap delivered. Maybe min and max pressure to. "

[JDS74]

lazer1234 your idea is helpful.

It's been some time since I registered. So my memory may be incorrect.

However, it would be a useful thing to include in the welcome message ( the board sends one??? ) the details of registering of equipment, etc.

Then each time they sign on, if the registration fields are completely blank, just a gentle reminder in the logged-in message to fill in the details.

just a thought since we do have members without details of their diagnosis, or without equipment that still find the board useful.

[herefishy]

I agree, Jds74, that suggestions often work better than forcing.

[ReadyforRest]

Many people don't yet have their machines when they first post so there's not much point in 'forcing' them to list them.

"Every time a new member shows up here so must old members tell the new registering their cpap and mask and stuff. I myself have installed this kind of forum (phpBB3) and know that you can force the user when registering to set some selected data, one option could be that the new user not yet get his cpap delivered. Maybe min and max pressure to. "

Maybe your suggestion would be understood better if you wrote it so we CAN understand it. I have read it over and over, and I still don't know what you are trying to say. Can you please restate it ( instead of saying the exact same thing in red )?

[robysue]

I'll apologize in advance for the curmudgeonly tone in this post.

But .....

The folks who run this forum has intentionally set up the registration process to be as easy as possible by not requiring any real information on the equipment a person has for the same reason they have intentionally allowed posting by non-registered posters: Many of the people who stumble across this forum are still dealing with significant brain fog issues and not all of them may be long time internet forum users. And the folks who run cpap.com and set up the (lack of) rules here at cpaptalk.com don't want any newbie to get so frustrated trying to make their first post that they never come back.

Yes, this choice by the forum administrator increases the chances of trolls coming through. And yes this choice means that we have a lot of posts that we, the old hands, have to gently guide the most lost newbies through the process of selecting the equipment links. But the lack of rules on providing additional information just to register and post to the forum means that a truly desperate newbie can be welcomed and find out some useful information even if they haven't figured out how to post their equipment---or don't want to because they're leery of sharing too much personal information too quickly.

In my humble opinion, fixing the links to older equipment is much more important that trying to make "fill in your equipment" part of the registration process.

And then there's also this: For the last several months, the links to equipment that is no longer sold by cpap.com have NOT been working. So if you are using a PR System One Series 50 machine, you can select the link correctly, but the equipment simply does not show up. And add to that the confusion that many newbies have about the real name and model of the equipment that they've been set up with. There seem to be a lot newbies who are using PR System One Series 60 machines, but go looking for their equipment under "Respironics" and can't find it OR they select an older, incorrect machine and the older, incorrect humidifier to go with it. Or they know enough to look under "PR" but have no idea that they need to select the Series 60 machine instead of the one that just says "System One"

[ReadyforRest]

And ... to add to what Robysue said, there are newbies who sign up here who DON'T HAVE equipment yet. Under the OP's suggestion (if I'm reading it correctly) there would be no way for them to sign up here, because they wouldn't have a machine to list, or a mask, or anything else, YET.

I like the way it's set up here, even though it makes a bit more work for the long-timers. JMO though.

[teleute]

And ... to add to what Robysue said, there are newbies who sign up here who DON'T HAVE equipment yet. Under the OP's suggestion (if I'm reading it correctly) there would be no way for them to sign up here, because they wouldn't have a machine to list, or a mask, or anything else, YET.

The OP's suggestion would allow for that, via the part they later highlighted in red: "one option could be that the new user not yet get his cpap delivered. "

Basically, having a "No equipment yet" option on the list.

Not saying it's a good or bad idea, merely that that eventuality was covered...

[Kiralynx]

Of course, another issue is the person who comes here to learn how to assist a spouse, partner, or other family member. THEY are not going to have equipment, although they could, I suppose, list the equipment of the family member.

I heartily agree with RobySue about fixing the "reference only machine" links for those of us who have older equipment.

[Goofproof]

I didn't see it as broken, so I don't see it as needed fixed. If the old timers are getting too feeble to suggest new people fill in their equiptment IN TEXT, not Iconny. (The Iconny option should be removed as a option, Period). The answer to the problem is simple to deal with. We need to make a boiler plate post we can copy into a reply once an for all explaining how to fill in your equiptment profile and why its needed, the instructinons need to be easy to follow and bullet proof.

The only downside for me is I now use a Android Table, and it's not as easy to cut and paste with, as Windozes. Most important KILL THE ICONNY OPTION... ¿ Jim

[robysue]

Most important KILL THE ICONNY OPTION... ¿ Jim

Number 1 is Fix the Links to Older Equipment.

Number 2 is Kill the ICONNY OPTION.

[chunkyfrog]

Just a thought; but when we help show noobs "the ropes", does it not establish a more personal experience?
Maybe not; so I'm all wet--as are most of my people.

[DoriC]

I'll apologize in advance for the curmudgeonly tone in this post.

But .....

The folks who run this forum has intentionally set up the registration process to be as easy as possible by not requiring any real information on the equipment a person has for the same reason they have intentionally allowed posting by non-registered posters: Many of the people who stumble across this forum are still dealing with significant brain fog issues and not all of them may be long time internet forum users. And the folks who run cpap.com and set up the (lack of) rules here at cpaptalk.com don't want any newbie to get so frustrated trying to make their first post that they never come back.

This happened to me when I wanted to post to a specific thread I was interested in on another forum. The registration process was so complicated(at least for me!) and asked so many questions that I just clicked off.

[Lazer1234]

Ok, I'll buy all the arguments above.
And for those who do not understand what I meant, read my signature at the bottom in red. Remember, I write everything understandable, it is Google translate which is not good enough to translate so you understand. Cheers.