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Do any Newbies read the FAQ ?
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Felsir:

--- Quote from: Dave_K. on August 20, 2004, 12:02:04 pm ---I think some newbies link directly to the forums (through a google search) and don't even know the rest of the site exists!  If you don't have a list of FAQ's on the left hand side of the page with arcade buttons of all colors, then go back to the homepage to load that frame http://www.arcadecontrols.com

--- End quote ---

Very true! I found the boards using Google. I thought I had remembered the URL correctly but when I typed 'arcadecontrols.com' (instead of '.org') I accidently stumbled on the BOYAC site which had all my newbie questions answered. I managed to build my cab using mainly those resources and links from the .com site.
I was wondering why the BOYAC boards and the site seem like two complete seperate entities. The "look" of the board doesn't really match the site and there is no obvious way to go from the board to the main site. If we could draw more attention to the main site as a resource it might help a lot of people who are just starting in the arcade cab building/restoring hobby.
MiKman:

--- Quote from: Felsir on August 20, 2004, 04:09:49 pm ---
--- Quote from: Dave_K. on August 20, 2004, 12:02:04 pm ---I think some newbies link directly to the forums (through a google search) and don't even know the rest of the site exists!  If you don't have a list of FAQ's on the left hand side of the page with arcade buttons of all colors, then go back to the homepage to load that frame http://www.arcadecontrols.com

--- End quote ---

Very true! I found the boards using Google. I thought I had remembered the URL correctly but when I typed 'arcadecontrols.com' (instead of '.org') I accidently stumbled on the BOYAC site which had all my newbie questions answered. I managed to build my cab using mainly those resources and links from the .com site.
I was wondering why the BOYAC boards and the site seem like two complete seperate entities. The "look" of the board doesn't really match the site and there is no obvious way to go from the board to the main site. If we could draw more attention to the main site as a resource it might help a lot of people who are just starting in the arcade cab building/restoring hobby.

--- End quote ---

Yep I linked directly into the forums when I first found the site as well, added it to my list of favorites and never looked back. So in the end I never read the faq or anything else on the main page.  I never knew it existed really until a few months ago I accidently clicked on the title at the top and I was like wow! a whole new site with stuff to explore :-)
spidermonkey:
When I started here I found that *alot* of info and ideas can be found by sifting through everyones projects on the examples page. Most of the examples are backed up by entire websites about their cabs and there is TONS of valuable info all the way back to the days of keyboard hacking (pre i-pac) to recent cab examples that have all the new cutting edge arcade componants such as Oscars brilliant video card to the very latest encoders. By using the examples section you get tons of perspectives on project componants and tons of different ways to achieve any given task. If one really digs in the examples they will find a hundred different ways to interface controls to a pc. Although the faq is awesome it can't show you fifty ways to build a presentable looking control panel. The examples section most certainly can. And on top of that, most builders have links on their sites that will lead you to tons of more info and resources.Be prepared to read for weeks on end which if you're really interested in this hobby you'll enjoy all the reading. If you don't want to be bothered with all the reading and instead want all the answers handed to you on a platter then you're probably not as commited to building a cab as you think you are. There are three outcomes as a result of this. 1-you'll start the cab and never finish it, 2-you'll finish the cab but the results will be sub par at best or 3- you'll buy all of your controls and componants but when it comes down to build time you'll loose what little interest you thought you had and end up selling off your collection of parts and move on to another hobby. I'm not trying to be mean but I see it happen all the time. Bottom line, if you're not willing to read a wealth of information in the beginning then the finished product will suffer as a result. Newbies should read the faqs but also check out the examples section on the home page. Not to be confused with the "project announcements" forum.  You'll find alternatives and answers to questions that you haven't even thought of asking yet. If you still have unanswered questions (and you will)  then by all means ASK AWAY. I am by no means a know it all as there are cab builders lurking around here who can build circles around me. I'm just passing on search methods that really helped me with my projects as I don't want new builders to cheat themselves out of valuable info just because they don't know quite where to look.
P.S No need to dig up my first 20 posts as you can trust me when I say they were all absolutely brilliant questions. Maybe even genius caliber!! ::)  If you believe that then I have a  *wireless* keyboard encoder I'd love to sell you. 8)

Happy building ! :)
Knoxximus:
Nope....never read it.  Not that I ever needed to either....lots of nice friendly MAME'rs in here.

neuromancer:
I don't know how many people read the faq, but I know that a lot of people read old posts, so they're either searching or scrolling through.

I know this, btw, because my avatar (the dog on the pink background) lives on my website, and my webserver keeps good logs.

Some of the posts that generate hits on my image haven't been posted to in over 2 years.

Bob
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