Perennial Technical Queries FAQs

[gerrym]

Do we need a section of Technical FAQs for those perenial questions which seem to arise:-

Topics (for at least the Plus 2) could include:-

Sills, Rotoflex Replacement, Handbrake adjustments, desirable upgrades, earthing issues, headlight vacuum malfunction, tyre choice... etc. Linked off course to historic postings with divergent views and solutions.

Regards

Gerry

[Elanintheforest]

I know where you?re coming from Gerry, but I think there may be a couple of issues against the ?FAQs? or ?technical know how? section.

The main one for me is that a forum should be interactive and lively, which this one clearly is. If we were to have a ?knowledge base? (extending your request a bit further!) then most topics may stop at one response?look at the knowledge base. Many of the questions asked already have answers in the workshop manual, parts manual, Brian Buckland?s Book, Ross and Robinshaw and of course all the contemporary brochures and road tests of Elans.

Brian?s book definitely needs a Plus 2 Section though!!

Every time a common question arises (regarding rotoflex couplings being a good example), there is often a different slant on the issue from somebody who has another perspective or experience, and I think that is very healthy. Amongst the active members of this forum we have engineers, collectors, racers, endurance rally participants, modifiers, originality nuts, restorers, polishers, drivers and many more types of focus. It?s very hard to capture the different perspectives in a knowledge base or FAQs section, and it just may be that there isn?t one answer to a question.

There?s also the issue of the individual?s experience, and again we have a vast range, from 40 plus years with Elans to guys wanting to buy one for the first time. I?m always happy to respond to a prospective buyer regarding what to look out for buying an Elan, as are many others, even though it?s been asked many times. It brings a newbie into the forum, provides a varied yet ?personalised? response, and it?s always interesting to see what?s important to others.

On balance, I can see the value of a FAQ section, but I fear that it could only provide one perspective, could make the forum less active and be less encouraging to new members. But there will be many other views I?m sure.

Mark

[Robbie693]

I agree with Mark. After all, one can always search the archives and find the posts that would theoretically be linked to in the FAQ

Robbie

[Bruce Crowthorne]

There is always another route!
In the Elise world we have a "Wiki" see http://wiki.seloc.org/a/SELOC_TechWiki

The advantage of a Wiki is that it is editable by anyone, so there can be contributions for questions where there are alternative answers.

It also means that when half way through a job and you need an answer on a Sunday morning then you have a MUCH better chance of finding it.

[Elanintheforest]

That does look very good Bruce. It's got me thinking.

I guess that the ultimate start point for this sort of knowledge base for Elans would be to convert the workshop manual, parts manual, Brian Buckland's book and Ross / Robinshaw into a structured, linked and searchable database. Then be able to supplement with additional ideas, experience, latest mods etc. using the wiki structures.

It would undoubtedly provide the ultimate knowledge base, but I do think that it would also kill the forum. But perhaps that's an inevitability once knowledge is available to all....the knowledge base is the expert and has all the experience.

This is of course a long way from Gerry's original FAQ question! But an interesting concept.

So, a bit of a philosophical question...is a Forum just a stepping stone on the way to shared knowledge? In 20 years time when everything is available and accessible on line, will we need to discuss anything? When we get together at shows or pub meets and somebody asks a question, will we just reach for the 5g comms device and get the answer?

Certainly if I look back 30 years to when I was running a local Club Lotus group, we 'knowledgeables' knew very little, compared to today. And the increase in knowledge has been largely down to individuals like Brian Buckland, and this forum, sharing their knowledge and ideas.

And that's got to be a good thing. I Think.

I need a lie down now!!

Mark

[paddy]

I definitely think there is a role for both.

If you search the forum for specific things (eg a current thread, which tyre sizes will fit with which car) you find dozens of threads in which the issue is discussed, and you have to read all through all of them to see if there was a conclusion. This kind of information, if distilled onto a wiki page, would make the information more accessible, but would also add value to the forum because the wiki page can still contain links to the discussion for those who want to read it.

Sometimes (often) the previous discussions have been inclusive, so someone asks the question again, and they get told, in effect "don't waste our time, please check the archives before asking the question, we've discussed this to death". This is very frustrating for newcomers. They are told the answer is there somewhere, but we're unable to point them at it.

Many people here have a bit of an obsession with the cars and will want to talk about them with anyone who's prepared to listen. I don't think having certain "consolidated wisdom" online will stop that at all.

Paddy