FAQ

From ArticleWorld

FAQ is an abbreviation for "Frequently Asked Questions. This is normally a series of questions that have been preset by a website or a company. These are preset to the topic of the website or for technical matters of the related topic.

Origins

FAQ is a term that originated over the course of time for two major reasons: Laziness and To save space.

In 1982, NASA used a set or preanswered questions to help eliminate the need for the same questions being answered, back then they were limited on space and it was expensive to have a large volume dedicated to answering numerous questions. This was to minimize the need to have to send the same information over FTP’s as well (File Transfer Protocol). The irony of this is that the need to have to repeat the same questions and answers never occurred.

Many webmasters and SysOps (Back in the days of BBS), used the FAQ as a means of answering a question once and not having to answer the same thing over and over. This was a form of laziness to eliminate answering the same question multiple times.

Many places would send en E-Mail with FAQ’s to all the members of the list, this was prior to websites and is still used to some extent today.

Modern Usage

Many sites use this as means of eliminating all questions of a common nature and for helping the users of the site.

Some sites use the FAQ as a needed item when it isn’t needed. This is a waste of time and space, ironically they are defeating the purpose that the FAQ was created for.

The FAQ is still in use, and is also utilized in games as well. These use this as a help menu. FAQ is being used more and more. Almost to the point of abusing the whole concept.