For Newbies: The HitchHiker’s Guide To The Pagalguy.com superway ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This primer is primarily meant for the newbies,old-but-still-not-comfortable,very-old…
For Newbies: The HitchHiker's Guide To The Pagalguy.com superway
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This primer is primarily meant for the newbies,old-but-still-not-comfortable,very-old-but-as-good-as-dead and the lost souls who come to this thread for salvation. ok maybe I am kidding about the last kind but hey one never knows....I have divided into three sections for easy perusal and the primer is more of the catechism kind.
Disclaimer: The views and suggestions in this primer are purely personal and is not necessarily endorsed by the administrator and mods of this forum!(yet!) So follow them at your own risk!
Section 1: This is for the I-have-no-idea-about-the-site-so-start-from-the-beginning junta
Section 2: This is for the cut-the-jazz-and-lead-me-to-the-mba-related-threads junta
Section 3: This is for the what-else-is-there-to-do-here-other-than-mba junta
Section 1:
Target: Junta who have absolutely no idea about this site and want to get started...
"Hey what is the big deal about this site with such a strange name anyway?"
Two years down the line I am still wondering too...but as Calvin says in his last strip "Let's Go Exploring!" 
It's irresistable and A D D I C T I V E! 😃 Which would be vouchsafed by the number of hits and regular members of this forum. It
was primarily meant to be a "cat discussion forum" but has grown beyond that now. To know more read on....
"mmm...so where should I start? There are way too many threads and it is kinda confusing to navigate thro' this labyrinth!"
Well if you havent registered yet you could do so by going here !
(Note: As of now there is no provision to change your login name once you have registered. So think of an innovative one if you havent registered yet. )Only members are allowed to post and we do frown upon ppl who merely use the resources and do not contribute in any way towards the betterment of the forum! If you have already registered you could go to this thread Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself.
If your idea of introduction is something on the lines of "Hi I am new to this forum. Hope to have a great time where we can help each other in our pursuit of MBA from IIM's"! well just dont bother posting there and save the server space....remember before you actually start posting in threads that is one thread where you can get a good launchpad for yourself. So make the most of it. :)
"Tnx for the unsolicted gyaan but what next? I am still confused with the various buttons and the subforums....would you throw some light on that?"
when you click here you go to the main page of the forum and there you see the various sub forums. I guess the purpose of the sub forums are self evident. If not a brief idea about what the subforum "contains" and "might contain" is given below the subforum heading.
Caveat: Under "Chit Chat" Subforum there is clause which goes "..You don't even have to make sense." That does not translate to carte blanche for spamming! What you say have to be relevant to the topic atleast!
Also peruse thro' the thread NEW at PG ... and Confused/Lost ? Check
this post out! thoroughly. Most of the queries would have been answered if not you can ask there and be rest assured pretty soon someone will answer it if it is a genuine doubt.
" oh really... cant I just start a new thread with my doubt?"
Nopes!! Starting a new thread involves quite a bit of ritual. Thou shalt read this properly as it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT !
STEP 1: Thou shalt first formulate the exact qn in mind before jumping into starting a new thread.
STEP 2: Thou shalt see whether such a thread already exists. For that thou shalt religiously use the self evident SEARCH function. Try all the combinations of the query you have in mind
and see if it can "fit" in any of the threads thrown up by the search. If you master the art of searching you are in for a smooth ride out here else you will keep getting your threads locked and simply lose you way out here :)
STEP 3: After STEP 2 and ensuring that absolutely no way the query you have in mind(or the topic on which you have to discuss) is already present you can open a new thread in the relevant sub forum.
STEP 4: Remember it is a "discussion" forum so your job doesnt end up merely starting the thread. So thou shalt given your view first on the topic at hand and then further the discussion.
" I guess that's fair enough...so what about naming of the threads?"
"HELP needed", "Attention plz!" ," I am Eligible and Single!" are NOT the way new threads should be named! Thou shalt use your common sense and name the thread which gives someone more than an idea about what the thread might contain. Only then you can expect your thread not to be locked and get meaningful and swift responses. As the cliched phrase goes "Help Us To Help You"! Peruse thro' the forum first to get an idea about how threads should be named.
"Any thing to be kept in mind while posting in threads?"
We hate to say it but there are some rules you got to follow while posting too.
Rule 1: Thou shalt not copy/paste stuff from somewhere and pass off as your own. In other words thou shalt not plagiarize.
Rule 2: *if* you post something from the net thou shalt mention the Source. If you dont have the source thou shalt mention the same as "Anonymous". But if you do a google search it is very much possible that you will get the source. Anyway you are solely responsible for the contents you put up here and needless to say you have got to ensure that it is not copyrighted .
Rule 3: Strictly no personal phone numbers allowed on the forum. Except in certain threads thou shalt not display your e-mail id either unnecessarily. You can use the Personal Messaging facility for those purposes.
Rule 4: Needless to say it would be in the best interest of you to avoid extremely sexist,racist and risque comments. We are not exactly "prudish" but it doesnt reflect well on your personality if you indulge in it.(Common decency and public
etiquette) Suffice it to say you will be booted before you can say "Pagal guy"!
Rule 5: To the best of possibility avoid using vernacular language while posting if your target audience spans more than one state. The reason I guess is obvious and self evident.
Rule 6: Avoid CAPSLOCK and using bold fonts and colors for general posts.
Rule 7: Try to make sense in your posts cos' in an online community one is judged by his/her posts.(Again obvious!)
Rule 8: No surrogate or Direct Advertising of any kind!
Rule 9: No posting of results link before they are officially released!
Rule 10: No Ranking of MBA institutes(other words no mudslinging!)
Rule 11: Thou shalt not violate any of the above rules! :P
"Boy! you ppl sound quite draconian....so tell me when and how did this forum into existence"?
In the best interests of everyone the rules are inevitable. But hey they are hardly draconian if you think about it logically:) As for the second part of your question you might want to go thro' this thread History of PaGaLGuY.com !
"Wow! That was something....so who are the people behind all these?"
Well you could go thro' Who is Pagalguy ????! to get an idea(?) abt the person behind it. And dont forget the Forum Moderators who are doing a stellar job and the least but not the least the members themselves 😃 You could also try PaGaLGuY's Interview on CNBC - Young Turks - Thursday
"Now That is something! Though am new here is there anyway I can contribute to the forum?"
Well you could take your own sweet time to get to know the forum well and see how useful it is to you ( and we hope vice versa too!:)). Since the monetary aspect of running this is borne by one man a.k.a Allwin there is an initiative taken by Zango here Contributors invited - read thread starter for any doubts. And remember if you have a chronic habit of saying "Aye Aye" just for everything without actually meaning it just dont bother about the thread...:) We can sympathisize with the habit...unfortunately quite a number of our forum members is afflicted with it as you will realize if you go thro' that thread.
good work Oxy
even khotahimachali had made a FAQ for interested folks..so adding on to what girish has posted here..so posting for him (i did some edit stuff)
This is intended as a FAQ for all the users on PG. for convenience, it has been divided into parts for PG n00bies, CAT enthu junta and frequent posters if u believe that u have outgrown any/each of these categories, plz feel free to neglect reading any/all sections that follow. 😃 :)
category A : I am a happy n00b 
:
(i) Of threads
Q) what are threads/posts/forums?????????plzzz help :)
A) Thread, in the context of a discussion forum, refers to a set of posts that go under a common original post.....As in,
example of post: All i wanted to speak about CAT
example of thread : Contributors invited
Example of forum : CAT and related discussion
Example of bunch of related forums tied together : MBA exams and institutes
Example of virtual insanity : PaGaLGuY.com
Q) I am very much new to PG.
What shd I do if I wanna post a new thread
A) U should try clicking "New Thread" and post your thread.
but remember DONT CREATE a new thread first.....use the SEARCH option provided on the top.
You'll find everything out there...get used to the forum & everything will fall in place
Q) Can someone tell me how the links given in old posts (when it referred to the old PG server), can be viewed now? Any kind of mapping is available?
A) But no mapping is available. You will need to search for the thread if you have any idea what it contained. The chances are that the thread number has reduced from what it was.. so that could be another clue to help during the search process.
Q) I am pretty confused. Few days back I was into some thread called CAT classics and today when I tried to search it failed to retrieve it. And also I want to know where I look for all the threads that have been posted till date
A) Regarding the SEARCH feature.....Make use of the advanced functions to find the threads you need....For example for this particular thread.....Since you knew the thread title.....You needed to use the "Search In Thread titles only" option.......this would have given you fewer and specific thread links.
For threads u have already visited try the subscriptions option in your usercp..u can even access subscriptions through a link in the quick links button at top of your screen..
(ii) I am very very new
Q) hey ppl. am ankeeta ..19yrs old....doin ma grad. ...I hav started ours prep for CAT.. lukin forward to make sum new frds here :wink:
A) make intros like the above example on the following thread..
remember..For intros there is ony one thread!!!
Intorductions here -----> Introduce yourself
Q) I am new to this forum. I have absolutely no idea how to make the best possible use of this. If possible can you help me to figure this out.
I have hundereds of doubts regarding GD/PI in IIMS but I have no idea as to where to post all of them.
A)--keep browsing - you will learn. Just traverse the various links - read as many announcements as you can find (there are links marked "Sticky", etc - check those).
There are ppl here who have made posts with details about their GD/PI experiences, tips on how to take these examinations, how to prep for them, etc. You can find all that by simply browsing - also remember to use search for anything specific you may be looking for. (there is a "Search" link at the top of the page).
Q) wanna knw one thing like wt if I want to go to one particular topic for example in CAT related discussion then is it possible to do a name search kinda stuff or some other way by which I can directly go to that topic n I need not to go thru all pages...............
A) seen the set of links at the top ? FAQ, Search, Memberlist, Usergroups....... ??!! use search!!
Q) iam new to pg ... 5 posts old...iam really confused ...so many threads 
and I honestly don't understand few posts ,I mean the idea behind ... :tellme: so can u plzz help me out
A) if you have problem in comprehending some thread post the url at New at PG and confused thread . and someone will help you. If you have problem understanding BulletinBoard culture and ways, well, stay cool. It will go away in a couple of weeks.
Q) New to PG and new MBA aspirant...
where do I start from, need some serious plans for the 2005 MBA exams.
A) u cud start off by introducing urself here :
introduce yourself
a thread for CAT 2005 preps
All those who are aiming for CAT 2005
now..u believe that u r one heck of a pagal..and u need some serious info about ur future here at pagalguy.com welcome to the PG.com community.u r the...
category C wannabe PaGaL
Of specific topic queries
Q1) hi...
can anyone tell me if there is a thread on Business GK..
or
Is there ANYONE interested in IAS preparation..yes I mean Indian Civil Services Examination.
A)-Well, start a thread in chit-chat and welcome all the Enthu janta. there mite be some ppl in the forum interested in that.but before doing that ensure that u have searched properly using the search tools!!
But remember that this is first and foremost a forum for CAT junta. dont get disheartened if you dont get any replies at all.
Q) Is there any thread where there is a comprehensive
A) links for GDPI experiences have been compiled together in a "sticky" post..i.e. it wont ever go away from the top of your forum page
look here
Q) Well I would like to know wt are the various Areas of specialization in MBA... the known ones are HR... Systems... Finance... etc... can I get a complete list and as to which schools are leading in wt Area of splzation??
A) Advice for MBA specializations
please use the search button on top to find more relevant threads
Q) this is my first post on PG. am an aspiring FPM/PhD candidate. Need some gyaan on the fpm courses offered by the iims. Which is a better option , phd here in india ( say at the iims, ) or abroad? Also of the IIM's offering FPM, which is a better option, A, B,C or L for economics or org behaviour?
A) plz feel free to use the search function 😃 ....a few that I found relevant
FP calls from IIMs
FPS @ IIMs anyone
FPM of IIMs
Q)
Ive been visiting PG off n on for quite some time now and nothing constructive seems to have come out of it. Seems like it's just a place for 'bored CAT enthusiasts'
A) Given that I have 20k+ members, you would find yourself rather heavily outnumbered. Quite obviously you haven't been part of our Community Service initiatives. You haven't been around when I discuss mock CATs to death, discuss the tests I take at home, compare scores, clarify doubts. Nor do you seem to have gained anything from the numerous interview experiences, or have faced any problems with admissions etc, where you've needed the help of students of virtually any Indian management institute. (Make that Global in a few months)
Discussion of everything under the sun... quizzes, the budget, and baby names - jjust the thing for 'bored CAT enthusiasts' eh ?
And you haven't got out of this forum, what quite a few of us cherish most... some gems among people, as friends for all time.
Q) gave CAT last year..with 0% preparation and got 88.5 percentile 
... I am going for CAT05 all out.... so I want u guys to help me out
A) There aint no structured action plan... check out the CAT section... get in touch with CAT 2005 aspirants from your place.
See if this helps ya -->weekly preparation for CAT 2005
Plenty of threads on coaching insty's etc. Get your quant doubts cleared in the Quant Section, run thru Exam Resources for other areas.
Q) 1. What is a good time to start preparing for CAT?
2. Which Coaching Institute is the best and when do they start their courses? (In chennai)
3. Is there a group for 2006 CAT aspirants?
A) remember that we dont promote coaching institutes/forums..unless ofcourse they are paying us or if we start in the business ourselves.
till that time u can try the following threads:
for info abt coaching instis in chennai:
Coaching institutes in Chennai
CAT 2006? meaning the one to be held in 2006? thats a long way off. see here for the cat 2005 thread:
cat 2005 thread for chennai
All those who are aiming for CAT 2005
Tips for CAT 2005
as for the best time to start I think it depends entirely on u and there is no fixed best time as such
LATEST EDIT: B-school batch threads
these are the various "class of 2007" threads that we have currently
IIM A
IIM B
IIM K
IIM I
IIM C
IIM L
IMT Ghaziabad
IMT Nagpur
NIRMA
IMI Delhi
TAPMI Manipal
FORE Delhi
MDI Gurgaon
UBS Chandigarh
SPJMIR Mumbai
IIFM
FMS Delhi
XLRI Jamshedpur
SIBM Pune
SCIT
GIM
SITM
IRMA Anand
IIT Kanpur
VGSoM Kharagpur
TISS
IIFT Delhi
SCMHRD Pune
SJSoM Mumbai
DSE Delhi
i would gladly add more batches, if i have missed a few colleges..
PREVIOUS
folks, i would like to remind you all that it was khotahimachali who originally made the FAQ..i only edited it and made it 'postable'.
so..equal and more credit should go to khota as well. :)
P.S. it might be the only sensible post that khota has made on PG
P.S.2 Oxymoron boss..u forgot to add the words "Dont Panic" at the beginning of the thread
LATER EDIT: post edited..thread names hyperlinked for ease of search
these are the various "class of 2007" threads that we have currently
IIM A
IIM B
IIM K
IIM I
IIM C
IIM L
IMT Ghaziabad
IMT Nagpur
NIRMA
IMI Delhi
TAPMI Manipal
FORE Delhi
MDI Gurgaon
UBS Chandigarh
SPJMIR Mumbai
IIFM
FMS Delhi
XLRI Jamshedpur
SIBM Pune
SCIT
GIM
SITM
IRMA Anand
IIT Kanpur
VGSoM Kharagpur
TISS
IIFT Delhi
SCMHRD Pune
SJSoM Mumbai
DSE Delhi
i would gladly add more batches, if i have missed a few colleges..
PREVIOUS
folks, i would like to remind you all that it was khotahimachali who originally made the FAQ..i only edited it and made it 'postable'.
so..equal and more credit should go to khota as well. :)
P.S. it might be the only sensible post that khota has made on PG
P.S.2 Oxymoron boss..u forgot to add the words "Dont Panic" at the beginning of the thread
LATER EDIT: post edited..thread names hyperlinked for ease of search
zango SaysWe will. however, i request people not to post "Good work" messages to this thread. Please keep this thread for the new users.
This and this show how ppl care a damn to read what the person above has posted!
Edit (zango adds): if anyone wishes to contribute to this thread, please contact the moderators.
This thread has been re-opened as the thread starter asked me to. He is hoping for constructive feedback regarding this thread.
I REPEAT: NO messages saying "Good Work" will be tolerated, unless they are accompanied with suggestions.
QE: can you please add names of the threads along with the links. On forum upgrades, the links may change, in which case folks here may use the search option along with the title to search for the thread.
Cheers!
guys.. is there a way by which u can make every new member to go thru this thread, n the other threads such as introduce yourself etc etc before they can actually start postin? cos no matter how many times v tell them not to post their mail ids, they end up doin that.. i'm assumin that they dont read these must read threads.. is there a way by which they can b lead to these threads b4 they can star posting?
I have a small suggestion. This thread and along with many threads that are targeted for all the new joinees should also be put in FAQ section. They can be asked to go thru them so as to understand what this forum is all about.
Also if possible i would like to see this thread as Sticky in ALL sections
Gr8 work Oxy,QE and Khota
ILLUMINATUS Saysguys.. is there a way by which u can make every new member to go thru this thread, n the other threads such as introduce yourself etc etc before they can actually start postin? cos no matter how many times v tell them not to post their mail ids, they end up doin that.. i'm assumin that they dont read these must read threads.. is there a way by which they can b lead to these threads b4 they can star posting?
Well each time a member joins, we used to send them a mail regarding the forum and lots of FAQs. And lookin at the way most of the n00bs behave once they join the forum, Its pretty obvious that no one goes through such intro mails. So I dont see any point in teaching them how to use the forum, when they are not interested to learn.
"mavericK" SaysWell each time a member joins, we used to send them a mail regarding the forum and lots of FAQs. And lookin at the way most of the n00bs behave once they join the forum, Its pretty obvious that no one goes through such intro mails. So I dont see any point in teaching them how to use the forum, when they are not interested to learn
oh come on! Tell me the last time you actually went thro' a manual or "Rules" whenever you got a hardware or joined a community? Well I confess I dont do it voluntarily and it is safe enough to assume so doesnt almost 90% of the junta who join this forum. so the best we can do is guide them and ppl who wanna stay on will eventually pick it up. So let us think abt ways of making the newbies read this thread and keep adding to this to make it as user friendly as possible for someone who comes to this site for the first time.
So any additiosn to be made? was the "flow" coherent enough? Any particular link which you think a newbie might be interested in? and anyway of spreading the message to the newbies? For starters if you could allocate some space in your signature.....
@Khota and QE : Great work! good compilation! Perhaps we could add a bit more on CAT related threads cos threads directing to pertinent threads is woefully inadequate in the above FAQS compiled. We have to start thinking in the minds of a newbie who is a CAT apsirant....
oh come on! Tell me the last time you actually went thro' a manual or "Rules" whenever you got a hardware or joined a community? Well I confess I dont do it voluntarily and it is safe enough to assume so doesnt almost 90% of the junta who join this forum. so the best we can do is guide them and ppl who wanna stay on will eventually pick it up. So let us think abt ways of making the newbies read this thread and keep adding to this to make it as user friendly as possible for someone who comes to this site for the first time.
So any additiosn to be made? was the "flow" coherent enough? Any particular link which you think a newbie might be interested in? and anyway of spreading the message to the newbies? For starters if you could allocate some space in your signature.....
@Khota and QE : Great work! good compilation! Perhaps we could add a bit more on CAT related threads cos threads directing to pertinent threads is woefully inadequate in the above FAQS compiled. We have to start thinking in the minds of a newbie who is a CAT apsirant....
thanks oxy..for that kinda understanding for the newbies..sincere apologies to the all the moderators..but trust us(the lot of the ignorant newbies that is..)we not despo to start a thread only to see it closed with a few weirdo comments..juz sheer enthusiasm..the site rox..so ppl wanna plunge right in..n they mk hasty posts..u guys doin a grrreeeaaat job..but sm kinda link with the registration itself..or sm other way for the new user acccess al this gyan wud save u n the new user lot of trouble..
this threadz rocking..n it also mks me feel quite stupid for the random thread i started..obviously it ws lockd within minutes of its posting...
now i dunno if i was supposed to post this or even this is a waste of the precious space on the site..but this thread was due..alas..only if it was posted before i registered!!
da information u guys gave here was fantastic..!! i couldnt imagine.. someone actually posted all da info so dat ppl like me can read it n make use of it..! it was great help..! Why ppl dont go thru dis "guide" , i cannot imagine.. jus one thing i couldnt get was how to go bout dis avtar business... :whatthat: n how are PGites differed ...? (newbe...hardcore..certified..).. Iam a bit confused..:new-alie: So if anyone of u could jus help me on dis regrad...:)
...A.G.
jus one thing i couldnt get was how to go bout dis avtar business... :whatthat: n how are PGites differed ...? (newbe...hardcore..certified..).. Iam a bit confused..:new-alie: So if anyone of u could jus help me on dis regrad...:)
...A.G.
u can load ne avatar of ur choice by going to the user cp on the top left corner of the page or rather HERE
regarding rang thingie.....c it depends on the no. of posts u make
if its 30 u get promoted 4m newbie to expert
again above 100 u get promoted 4m expert to hardcore....and so on......nt sure exactly about no. of posts but it works in the same way
but that does'nt mean u shud go on a posting spree.......rather post sm relevant and useful stuffs 😃
hope it makes sm sense
....enjoy ur stay here cheers !!!
vishu
hey.. thanx for ur help.. but i still dont seem to be able to get it right.. how am i supposed to be downloading an image.. or when it asks for da URL.. wat r u supposed to right...
well to be honest tis a bit embarrassing to admit dat i cant get it right.. but well dats da truth.. hope u would be kind enuf to help me once more... ?? :huh: Thankyou really....
Know wat.. tis nice to see ppl r ready to help ppl out here.. it really gives me pleasure to see dis..:)
..A.G..
hey.. thanx for ur help.. but i still dont seem to be able to get it right.. how am i supposed to be downloading an image.. or when it asks for da URL.. wat r u supposed to right...
well to be honest tis a bit embarrassing to admit dat i cant get it right.. but well dats da truth.. hope u would be kind enuf to help me once more... ?? :huh: Thankyou really....
Know wat.. tis nice to see ppl r ready to help ppl out here.. it really gives me pleasure to see dis..:)
..A.G..
i m myself nt clear bout url thingie ......may be u hv to specify the url of ur avatar
but instead u can right click on the image which u want to keep as avatar, save it on ur computer and there directly upload the avatar from ur pc ...and yes b careful bout its resolution otherwise it will nt upload .....hopefully it will solve ur prob.......if nt then there r many studs here to help u out 😃
and yes ur journey on PG has jst begun .....enjoy this and in due course u wud c a countless examples of peeps helping out each other .......this is vat which makes PG the best
cheers !!!
vishu.
hey.. thanx for ur help.. but i still dont seem to be able to get it right.. how am i supposed to be downloading an image.. or when it asks for da URL.. wat r u supposed to right...
well to be honest tis a bit embarrassing to admit dat i cant get it right.. but well dats da truth.. hope u would be kind enuf to help me once more... ?? :huh: Thankyou really....
Know wat.. tis nice to see ppl r ready to help ppl out here.. it really gives me pleasure to see dis..:)
..A.G..
hi radiance...listen - even i went made trying to fig out where to get my avataar pix from before i did this:
1. opened paintbrush and reduced the board size to abt a tenth of what it was.
2. drew the stuff u now see against my name - i wont get into describing it - use ur illusions!
3. open your SNAGIT software and capture the image and save it on ur desktop
4. upload the image onto ur avataar.
simple? or complicated?? feel free to bug the living daylights out of us if u cant get it right! 😃
hope2 see ur avataar image soon!!
cheerio!
great job
but i want to know few things 1) why it is so as to any thread default option is of instant email notification it really creates problem my suggestion is default shud be no email notifiacation if someone wants one ll change accordingly.
2) other thing is what is life of any thread .
why smillie :popcorn: doesnt work sometimes
I am trying to add a thread to my signature as a hyperlink but everytime I use the it doesn't work and the link gets snapped. I noticed that the code "OFF" message appears on the "edit signature" page. Could this be the problem ? How do I turn it "ON"?
Couldn't find anything under the FAQs section so I thought I would check here.
great job
but i want to know few things 1) why it is so as to any thread default option is of instant email notification it really creates problem my suggestion is default shud be no email notifiacation if someone wants one ll change accordingly.
2) other thing is what is life of any thread .
why smillie :popcorn: doesnt work sometimes
u can change the setting whenever u want... but where did u see the default setting as "instant email"... it is set as "no email".. check again.
the life of any thread is until it serves gud purpose. If ppl start crapping it 😁 then mods will close it...