An excellent idea!!!
I too have been wondering how to implement such a thing in this Forum structure. Here is one possibility:
Forum tiitle:
jv16 PowerTools 2006 Tips
Topic titles:
PrefixSearchAidText (explained in Forum "Sticky" below)
Forum "Sticky":
*** Defines the Prefixes
They are a list of suggested abbreviations. Why?
1. So people know how to start their titles.
2. So people can get a list of topics on the same subject with a simple search.
Examples:
RC::: for Registry Cleaner tips
RCCF::: for Registry Cleaner Custom Fix tips
RCR::: for Registry Compactor
... and so forth.
The three colons are the "SearchAid" (explained below).
Why abbreviations? To allow more room for Text in the topic title.
Why suggested? So a person with a fresh idea can add it to the "Sticky" (and explain it) with a normal Reply. An administrator or moderator could periodically add these to the main "Sticky."
*** Defines the SearchAid.
It is a short string, like three consecutive colons, unlikely to be found in the body of a Post or Reply.
Why? So a forum search for PrefixSearchAid will yield mainly topic titles. Examples above.
*** Describes the Text size limit.
It is a freeform description (necessarily short because of phpBB limits on title size)
*** States the Forum's Practices: a definition of what sort of thing belongs in the Forum, and what sort of thing should post elsewhere.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Startup suggestions: after the Forum "Sticky" is authored and posted, writers of tips posted elsewhere could copy them to this forum and revise to conform to the Tips Forum practices. That other rule on "almost duplicate posts" could be temporarily suspended for this forum, or maybe, the original post/reply could be replaced with a link to the item in the Tips Forum.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .