Please make the "already suggested" list more clear and verbose

[Dunbaratu]

There are items in the "already suggested" list that cause threads to get locked when they come up, and yet, if you weren't around for the previous discussions then the simple two-word shorthand descriptions in the list are not enough to make it clear what it is that's been suggested before. For example there is a bullet point in the list "robotics/mechanics". Someone suggested hinged parts. The thread got locked for it being "already" on the list, except that there's no way for someone who wasn't there beforehand to work out that "mechanics", which could mean just about anything really, meant hinged parts. I'd never have guessed that a simple hinge so you can fold a payload during launch and unfold it in orbit is what "mechanics" means.

A couple of words on a bullet-point list often doesn't adequately narrow down what it was that was previously suggested to help new users see if their potential suggestion is on the list or not.

[DMagic]

Are you talking about the "do not suggest" list? That's where the robotics/mechanics feature is listed. Anything on the "already suggested" list has a link to the original (or one of several original) thread, so you can go there and talk about it.

I agree about that specific suggestion though, there should probably be a thread about that somewhere that can be added to the "already suggested list" so that we can discuss it further.

[Nachtwind]

Sorry, but i dont see what could be more clearer than the current list? Its a bare minimum yet clear enough list of what was already siggested and what shoudlnt be suggested.

[OdinYggd]

For reference:

What not to suggest list (WNTS): http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/36863-What-not-to-suggest

Already Suggested List: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/44952-Already-Suggested-List

In a way they both cover the same topics, just the already suggested list fleshes it out further with descriptions of what each entry covers. Probably wouldn't hurt to update them both with additional links to example threads where an entry was discussed.

[allmappedout]

I still think my idea of a review system is best, but that's just me

[Dunbaratu]

For reference:

What not to suggest list (WNTS): http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/36863-What-not-to-suggest

Already Suggested List: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/44952-Already-Suggested-List

In a way they both cover the same topics, just the already suggested list fleshes it out further with descriptions of what each entry covers. Probably wouldn't hurt to update them both with additional links to example threads where an entry was discussed.

Sorry, I meant the do-not-suggest list. And I don't mean it has to be really wordy like an entire paragraph per thing, but the current style of having just one or two words per thing on a bullet list is only clear to the people who were around when the longer discussion was happening, to know what they are a shorthand for. A one line-phrase is fine. In the example I gave, "hinged movable part connections" would be a big improvement over just saying "robotics/mechanics" and thinking that is clear. Someone thinking about hinged parts for payloads isn't thinking about robots or about other mechanisms that are related to robots. For one thing, robots implies automation and a person thinking about hinged payloads is thinking, "yeah but that's not what I was talking about. I don't mean the hinges on robot arms. That's different." That's the mental impression from the phrase "robotics/mechanics" that the new poster will get, which is why that suggesting keeps being repeated. It's not because people are being too rude to check the list. It's because the list isn't clear.

[chaos_forge]

Hello, I'm the person who's supposed to maintain the already suggested list, but I'm not sure what exactly you mean by " example threads where an entry was discussed". Do you mean adding links to topics on the do-not-suggest list?

[OdinYggd]

What not to suggest should have links to threads where it was discussed showing some common approaches to the idea.

Already Suggested would be good to have its own paragraph or so for each item explaining what was suggested before for this approach directly in that thread.

Or something like that anyway. Both threads kind of do have the same dataset to work with, and it would be easiest if one was a quick reference while the other gave good reasons.

[chaos_forge]

I think the long descriptions would make more sense for the do-not-suggest, as that is used as justification for locking threads