I agree that there is a list of very frequently asked questions in these forums which don't need to be. One feature that would come in handy is a "sticky post" or a forum dedicated to frequently-asked questions. That way the number of posts would drasticly decrease, and put less work on the volunteers in the forums. Unfortunately the forums software doesn't support sticky posts and such a "specialized" forum doesn't exist.
On the bright side, some of the moderators, particularly Grif, have done the next best thing by creating threads full of tips, such as this one. Although it does get bogged down with people asking related questions (making it a little more difficult to find the tips), and gets knocked off the front page due to more recent posts, it has helped a lot of people out and reduced the number of times some of those questions are asked.
Another useful feature, which Bob often reminds users of, is the forums search. Aside from posting detailed information about their computer and problem, it's the best way users can help themselves answer their own questions (such as "what's the best antivirus" or "how do I defragment my hard drive") and decrease the amount of work that has to be put forth by the responders. Unfortunately a lot of people don't bother to read the forum policies or FAQs and don't want to take the time/effort to search for a solution themselves. Thus, you'll find that the phrases "forum policy violation," "google it," and "see this thread" are quite prevelant.
John
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