FAQ thread..work in progress...need some input

[Pugsy]

Great idea Pugsy

This way when someone asks a FAQ instead of doing a search, a link can be posted as a reply. But.... does this take the personal effectiveness of an answer away from the one seeking advice. I still don't know how the main people here have the patience to answer the same question even multiple times a day, I have to give you and the other regulars kudos for supplying this service

Rob

Replies don't have to lose their personal nature at all.

Just a quick reply something along the lines of

"a common question and we have a list of common questions and answers here....number so and so for your question
If you need further clarification just ask."

Or something similar.

For the very quick replies probably will be faster to just answer but sometimes the explanation takes me 5 minutes to type.

The idea is to save time.....my time or whomever is replying to the question.

Like the explanation as to why SleepyHead/OSCAR shows excessive time over the red line threshold for Respironics users....and there's no large leak flagging happening. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have typed my usual response to that.
That's not a quick 5 seconds of typing reply.

[palerider]

short and sweet easily.

I can offer short and sour... hmm that sounds like a drink.. just add wiskey.
I'm sure we'll all come up with something go help stream line things

"I have (37th time asked this week three of the still ON THE FRONT PAGE"?

"Go read faq 7
"but who's going to READ IT TO ME WHILE FEEDING ME MY BREAKFAST AND SHOWING ME HOW TO PUT ON SHOES?"

[Geer1]

A FAQ thread/section would be great.

The current FAQ section (app.php/help/faq) is a pretty good setup but is just forum related stuff not CPAP/sleep apnea stuff.

If it were me I would set up the CPAP/sleep apnea FAQ thread in a similar manner. Create a thread that is a table of contents with all the FAQs listed under subgroups (CPAP Basics, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, UARS, Cleaning and Maintenance, OSCAR etc) then have a list of all the applicable questions under each section. Each question being a hotlink to its own thread in a FAQ subforum with the applicable information and in some cases links to good threads on the topic or other resources (studies, youtube videos etc).

[Pugsy]

A FAQ thread/section would be great.

The current FAQ section (app.php/help/faq) is a pretty good setup but is just forum related stuff not CPAP/sleep apnea stuff.

If it were me I would set up the CPAP/sleep apnea FAQ thread in a similar manner. Create a thread that is a table of contents with all the FAQs listed under subgroups (CPAP Basics, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, UARS, Cleaning and Maintenance, OSCAR etc) then have a list of all the applicable questions under each section. Each question being a hotlink to its own thread in a FAQ subforum with the applicable information and in some cases links to good threads on the topic or other resources (studies, youtube videos etc).

The people who set up the forum FAQs.....wanna bet that was their job and they got paid for all that work.

Guess who gets paid here???? I will give you a hint....the number is less than 1.

I am going to do the basics and that's it. I simply don't have the time, energy or inclination to do more than that.
Like I said earlier....I can't even get newbies to read the top thread in the announcements section as it is now.
Now maybe if I get some proof that the basic FAQs are actually making a difference...I might expand it a bit but most people won't read it unless we tell them to go here to this and look at number so and so.

People seem to want/need to be spoon fed information.

All I want to do is make it easier for us to spoon feed them and take less time doing it.

[Geer1]

The people who set up the forum FAQs.....wanna bet that was their job and they got paid for all that work.

Guess who gets paid here???? I will give you a hint....the number is less than 1.

I am going to do the basics and that's it. I simply don't have the time, energy or inclination to do more than that.
Like I said earlier....I can't even get newbies to read the top thread in the announcements section as it is now.
Now maybe if I get some proof that the basic FAQs are actually making a difference...I might expand it a bit but most people won't read it unless we tell them to go here to this and look at number so and so.

People seem to want/need to be spoon fed information.

All I want to do is make it easier for us to spoon feed them and take less time doing it.

I know its a bunch of work but like you said you post this information time and time again. Next time instead of responding to a thread, make a FAQ thread and link to it then you just killed two birds with one stone.

To be honest the newbie thread is hard to read/follow especially if your new to either CPAP or forums.

Just an example, point # 1 asking members to enter their machine data.

1....Put your equipment in your profile so we can see at a glance what you are using.
Please use text instead of icony option to make it easier to see which model machine...they all look the same in the pictures.
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile
If unsure as to brand/model...tell us the model number or reference number and we can help you find the right choice in the menu. Note...discontinued model choices ..those links are broken so you have to add them to the comments section like I have my back up machines noted. Model is very important...each brand has many different models in a model line.
Again the more specific information we have...the better we can help you.

Please note...if you have the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet...that model is down in the R section of the equipment menu choices...it not up in the A section with the other AirSense models.

Please tell us where you live...often the advice we will give people is based on how things are done here in the USA where most members are. That advice doesn't always work so great in other areas of the world where health care options are different.
There's a setting in the profile where you can tell us where you live.

Something like the following is a bit more concise and tells them how to do this.

1... Put your equipment and location in your profile. This helps us give you advice based on your equipment and location.

To do this go to the top right corner of the screen and click on your username then click on "User Control Panel". Click on the profile tab then about halfway down you will see a spot where you can enter your location (feel free to enter other details if you would like). Then click on the edit equipment tab, on this screen select your machine and mask and then change "Allow other users to view your CPAP equipment" to Yes and "How would you like your equipment displayed" to Text.

Please note that if you use a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset you will find it under Resmed (not Airsense like the other models).

Also if your machine and mask are not available then you can add them to your signature manually by clicking on the "Edit Signature" tab and entering your machine and mask details on that screen.



If you want I could help on a few of the threads(stuff like that newbies post, OSCAR setup etc) and imagine others would too.

[Kiralynx]

For a group I run, I use AzzCardFile.

I have a card for every common question, with my boilerplate answer.

When Question 16B comes up, I go to Card 16B, copy the boiler plate, paste it into my reply and then take a couple minutes to personalize it.

Saves a LOT of typing.

[palerider]

I think this might be really helpful, but I also worry that it will allow the forum to grow Nazis who will be nasty to any newbie who doesn't check the FAQ's first. I think one of the strengths of this group is we let newbies come and ask the same questions over and over again, so that they get individual help. Sometimes they don't even know what to ask, and I hate to see them get a nastygram because they didn't check the faq first

The point is to have preset answers to refer people to quickly wheny they ask common questions, instead of wasting x minutes each time someone can't remember that their hose didn't come with that piece of plastic stuck in it originally.

Hopefully no "READ THE FAQ, IDIOT" posts, rather "that's #35 in the faq"

[palerider]

A FAQ thread/section would be great.

The current FAQ section (app.php/help/faq) is a pretty good setup but is just forum related stuff

Because that FAQ is part of the forum software install.

[prodigyplace]

FAQ; What should I know about Soclean and other similar machines?

Never ever ask that question on this forum. Ever.

Now left click on the little pencil icon on the upper right corner of your post and remove this question before anyone else notices it.

This is probably the only warning you will receive.

Good luck.

In the answer include some of the helpful links on the dangers of ozone.

[prodigyplace]

How about an entry about rainout and gurgling sound?

[Cruiser1234]

Please add one about Bilevel vs Bipap! I have seen the explanation post no less than 100000000 times (slight exageration)

[Pugsy]

To be honest the newbie thread is hard to read/follow especially if your new to either CPAP or forums.

I know, I know....I wish I was a better composer or people could read my mind. It's clear as a bell in my mind but where I run into trouble is putting it into words.
But it is better than nothing and I am doing the best I can when I do it. I know my composition skills just plain suck.
I wish RobySue was still hanging around.....she was go good at composition and her novels were an easier read than mine.

There was a reason I avoided every English composition class I possible could in college....I hate, hate, hate it.
So I know I am not very good at it. I tend to ramble way too much. I tend to over complicate things by trying to over explain things.

I will probably plagiarize what you just offered about the newbie thread and I need to fix that wiki link anyway. Last time I checked it was broken. You put it out there and it is good stuff and I am not above stealing it.

I have a card for every common question, with my boilerplate answer.

I actually have something sort of similar. I call it my cheat sheet of notes where I have my canned responses to common questions that take a bit of typing and I just copy/paste what I have already typed out.
Problem is I don't have enough on the cheat sheet. I need to be better about using it but it takes time, effort, energy and just doesn't get done like it should.

Hopefully no "READ THE FAQ, IDIOT" posts, rather "that's #35 in the faq"

I have already decided that there will be no "read the FAQ, idiot" type of responses. When I see them (or if someone else sees one let me know) I will do a bit of editing to take the barbs away.

How about an entry about rainout and gurgling sound?

Most definitely.

[Pugsy]

Please add one about Bilevel vs Bipap! I have seen the explanation post no less than 100000000 times (slight exageration)

A little exaggeration there but it's close.

Will see what we can come up with but it's going to be difficult because the medical profession as a whole has adopted the term bipap as a generic term for all bilevels.
It's myself and a few others here that don't like it being a generic term as we happen to think it causes confusion.
I prefer to call a spade...a spade...and not "the other black card" and stick to factual nomenclature whenever possible.
That's funny coming from someone who uses the terms doodads and thingies often.

[jnk...]

run into trouble is putting it into words. . . . doing the best I can . . . I know my composition skills just plain suck.

Don't sell yourself short. You are very good at what you do. You are clear and on point. You may not like reading what you write, but the rest of us do. We like it because your personality gets mixed in with the info. Please don't suck your personality out of what you write. Just do you. We're all fans here. There will always be one or two who don't get you. They can go elsewhere. Roby Sue is amazing. But so are you.

Rested Gal used to keep threads made up mostly of links to other threads where she thought a common question had been addressed well. That way the rest of us could help with common questions by saying something like "here is a link that may help you" and then we'd just link to the same earlier conversations she had linked to, as a way to get newbies help quickly while still being personable.

Your concept of a good FAQ would, of course, be better than that in practice, but I mention that old method as way to suggest that maybe an FAQ could be made up of very short, broad responses followed by a link to a good thread, if that saves you time and gets things up and running quickly. Then, any time you saw a better thread come along, you could just quickly go change a link to a link to that newer thread instead of constantly rewriting FAQ entries.

Maybe that's a stupid idea. (I'm known for those.) I'm only trying to think of ways that it could be less work for you, keeping you available here for your amazing one-on-one direct help.

[palerider]

Please add one about Bilevel vs Bipap! I have seen the explanation post no less than 100000000 times (slight exageration)

A little exaggeration there but it's close.

Will see what we can come up with but it's going to be difficult because the medical profession as a whole has adopted the term bipap as a generic term for all bilevels.
It's myself and a few others here that don't like it being a generic term as we happen to think it causes confusion.
I prefer to call a spade...a spade...and not "the other black card" and stick to factual nomenclature whenever possible.
That's funny coming from someone who uses the terms doodads and thingies often.

but the issue is, that you're not trying to find information about the doodads and thingies... and while google will *sometimes* guess what you mean, you are most likely to get poorer search results by asking the wrong questions... like asking for info on your "reslex bipap"