Guidelines for posting (updated 22 Nov 2006)

[Von Pookie]

Posting Rules

1. Read the FAQ.
2. Read: http://www.excelguru.ca/node/7 The information at this link applies to both (intentional) duplicate posts AND cross-posting.
3. Remember, EVERYONE here is a volunteer. That means that the more you push the board for help, it is less likely that you'll get it... be nice, be patient, and be clear.
4. Please, don't type your entire message in all caps.
5. Before you post a question, have you tried:
6. ...using Excel's online help feature? (press F1 to activate)
7. ...searching the Microsoft Knowledge Base?
8. ...searching the MrExcel board?
9. Make sure you are in the correct forum for the question you are asking.
10. State your questions clearly.
11. Always remember to state what version of Excel and Windows you are using (i.e., Excel 97, Windows XP, etc.)
12. Do not use a subject line such as HELP ME! or EXCEL question. Be informative with the subject, so people can easily see what the issue is. An example of a "good" subject line would be something like Trouble With Pivot Tables In XL97. And remember, saying URGENT does not mean anything to the users on the board and does not get your question answered any faster.
13. Provide background information for your question. Include sample data and formulas in your post. The more you tell us up front, the easier it is for us to answer your questions. If your formulas aren't giving the results you want, include the results you want as well as the results you are currently getting. Your post should include at least:
    
    1. some sample data
    2. your current formula
    3. your current results
    4. an explanation of why your current results are not what you want
    5. the result you want
    
    
14. Try to be specific when reporting error messages. Don't simply say I get an error when I do this. Tell us:
15. the exact text of the error message
16. What you were doing when the error occured
17. If the error was generated by Excel, VBA, or Windows
    
    1. If it came from VBA, was it a compiler error, or a run-time error?
    2. What line of code caused the error?
    
    
18. Do not e-mail or private message your questions (or links to questions) directly to board members. Many people here could have the answer to your question and by posting you may also be helping others who are having the same problem. If you post to the board you'll likely have an answer within a few hours (sometimes even within a few minutes!).
19. Do not post your question and request that you be e-mailed directly. It defeats the purpose of the board entirely (see above point). Openly posted e-mail addresses are regularly reported and removed by a moderator or administrator. Also, SPAMMERS routinely search and harvest e-mail addresses posted on public forums such as this one. So posting an openly unedited e-mail address on this forum can lead to an increase in the amount of SPAM sent to that e-mail address.
20. Do not post asking for help with getting around ANY form of password/security protection. Be it Excel or Access or even website security measures such as "captchas"--any such posts will be locked or deleted when found. Any replies to such a question which contain links or macro code will be edited to remove the links/code or even deleted entirely as seen fit by the moderators and administrators. If you come across a post asking to break password protection or affect security settings in some way, please use the report function on the thread and a moderator or admin will take care of it.
    
    1. To clarify: while we realize that there could be "innocent" cases such as an ex-employee being the only person to know a workbook password or a person simply forgetting the password to their own file, the bottom line is that we have no way to verify the claims of the person asking about the password. We're not saying that it is not possible to break passwords, quite the contrary. There are a ton of sites out there where the information exists. We simply are not going to actively help in finding them. That's what search engines are for.
    
    
21. Avoid multiple questions of a similar nature. Duplicate posts by the same user will be locked and/or deleted when found.
22. If the answer you receive is inadequate for some reason, post a reply stating why the answer does not work and/or with more information (if needed) in the same thread. Do not start a new topic.
23. If your question has not received any replies, do not start a new thread (seeing a pattern yet?). At the top of every forum index is a link labeled "View Your posts in this forum." Use this link to find your posts. You can "bump" posts back up to the top by posting a reply in the thread. Please do not "bump" threads that were posted only minutes before or do this multiple times during the course of a day.
    
    1. Read: http://www.excelguru.ca/node/7
    
    
24. Cross-posting is the term we use when a person has posted the same question to multiple online forums. While there is nothing actually "wrong" with this, it is asked that you at least mention that the question has been posted elsewhere, including a link to the thread on the other forum. There are many people who post at several different forums; threads are cross-posted without stating it are easily identified and pointed out as such.
    
    1. Read: http://www.excelguru.ca/node/7
    
    
25. Be responsible for the questions you post. If you don't reply to answered questions, be it just a simple "yes, that worked," or even "thanks," the time someone took to help you goes unrewarded.

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Posting Code:

1. Use the available tools to make it easier to read. The BB "Code" tag works very well and the VB HTML Maker add-in is also available to download and use.
2. If your code is extremely long, try to include the relevant/important lines (where the code is breaking, what you don't know how to reference or use, etc.) instead of posting the entire macro.

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