Beginners catagory

[perryp]

I'm still pushing for this...
A bigginers tab...or newb area will avoid a lot of posting in other questions from new PDS users.
This catagory would encompass all newb questions...
Once answered,..we could transfer to other appropriate areas on the site.

The newb area has several advantages..
Nuclear scientists don't require explaining how a molicule works....
A newb may ask what an electron is,..and what it's pupose is in nature,...so all laugh ( ok,..what is an eletrons pupose??)..

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The newb area would bring would be programers up to speed...
Heres the fuel for my arguement...

Imagination is more important than knowledge...(A.Einstein)

Now imagine feeding an imaginative mind,..with your knowledge...
Hows that for food for thought?
Heres a link to better explain my intentions...link attached for the not so web savy... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_engineering

Regards..
Perry

[captainslarty]

Hi Perry
I dont actually understand what you are trying to achieve? -
How would you define a 'newb' or a 'beginner' in the first place, and would the said 'newb / beginner' actually define themselves as that, so post there ?

You often see replies that are on the lines of - please read the manual, search the forums, read the datasheet, look at, and experiment with, the sample programs included with the product.

There are threads (sticky) dedicated to this already -
I am also unusre as to IF this is the place to 'teach' people to understand, for instance, Binary, Hex etc, or even the basics of the PICtm Micro ? but -? that is just imho -

An interesting concept, but I think already covered -
What sort of questions are you thinking about that may be asked ? can you give a few examples ?

[perryp]

The objective is to have a starting point for new programmers.
As you well pointed out, most other catagories are always replied by experienced members by stating " DID you read the data sheet"?
The point is very good, I'm sure more often than not, new programers probably do read, but don't fully understand what their reading.

Part of the purpose of the Beginners area would be to act as a repository of information with a logical process during the learning curve, which the wiki cannot do.
Kinna like one stop shopping.
To your point of identifying beginners,..nobody needs to feel offended by this,...having a place where simple questions could be replied would be nice.
In other words, If I'm asking for the time, I may not need to know how the watch works...
At other times, knowing how the watch works explains why watches don't keep perfect time.

Having a beginners area would also help new site members from having to google information other beginners are already sharing as information.
The basic concept behind having a specific area is, keeping simple and elementary questions in a simple and elementary area.
This avoids members with Phd's in computer science politely answering a new member...did you AT LEAST read the manual?...
The premis is that the person with the Phd,...probably didn't start their education at Oxford, but rather an elementary school.

The idea behind the basic/new PDS user area is that the site is divided by concepts of product,..not by knowledge level.
Before using the sites full potential. I think it would be to everybodys benefit to point a member to the new user area, rather than shake them off by telling them to read the data sheets.
My intent is not to offend or flame anybody ..not at all,...just to bring to witness a shortcoming of the sites full potential and how we could avoid some finger pointing. (essentially saying, did you research basic stuff first in the beginers area?)...
Simple answers to most new programers ....
PIC won't flash a LED,....(voltage gets ti pins)...now what?...is it a bad chip,...is it the programmer,..or is it the code?....
I've found this link on the web,..it makes for excellent reading for the new PIC user... http://www.gooligum.com.au/tut_baseline.html
This is an example of what I'm discussing...not links, but rather the information presented on this fellows site.