Posting Format

Nimrod

MrExcel MVP
Joined
Apr 29, 2002
Messages
6,259
Has there been any thought of having a specific form for new postings asking for excel help. A form that would help the person in constucting a question that is easier to understand.
 
That's a dern good idea, Nimrod. I know a guy who has information on the etiquette of using newsgroups, but free technical support forums aren't nearly as rigid. However, there are definite guidelines that will assist you in getting the best response in the quickest manner.

I'll look around here and if I don't find one, I'll write one up and submit it to Bill to see if we can get a link to it.

:)
 
I'd prefer something like that to be optional rather than mandatory if possible

having to "fill in a form" is a pain and I haven't experienced any problems with my questions not being understood

there's 33,000 posts on this forum.... lets assume an average of 10 replies - that's 3,000 questions : an awful lot of potential catagories with which to populate a form with (see the help index !)

You can have a form which has catagories, error messages etc but you still need a user explanation.... this is always goign to be as good or as bad as they are now

OPTIONAL ONLY PLEASE, MVPs - don't bog us down with "paperwork"
 
On 2002-05-05 17:48, Chris Davison wrote:
I'd prefer something like that to be optional rather than mandatory if possible

having to "fill in a form" is a pain and I haven't experienced any problems with my questions not being understood

there's 33,000 posts on this forum.... lets assume an average of 10 replies - that's 3,000 questions : an awful lot of potential catagories with which to populate a form with (see the help index !)

You can have a form which has catagories, error messages etc but you still need a user explanation.... this is always goign to be as good or as bad as they are now

OPTIONAL ONLY PLEASE, MVPs - don't bog us down with "paperwork"

I agree. Even optional is too much.

Aladin
 
Okay, guys. Another *expert* named Starl, who does not frequent MrExcel, and I have written a *document* called FREE TECH SUPPORT SITE ETIQUETTE or "How to get the most out of free tech support sites"

Feel free to download and give feedback to me via email at Dreamboat@TheWordExpert.com Your help is greatly appreciated! Be picky!

Once it's all done, I plan to use it on my own site, and will offer it to MrExcel to edit/use as he chooses. :)

It's here:

http://www.thewordexpert.com/downloads/free.doc
 
nr im not intrested if its this way or that i see it as a pain, sure posts are shocking and dreadfully worded and spelt worng and poor and all the rest we already know.

remember this board is domonated by english, and as such every poor guys from the non english speak word needs to struggle and convert his ideas into readably english, hats off good stuff by them.

also they guys never ask the full story, so it like a game help best we can.

i will say yup help guys have a construct fill in form linked if you like, so guys can use it, but thats a bit restrictive and wolly chat to me.

im not behind it, i have more issue with the answers than the questions if im honest..
 
On 2002-05-05 19:22, Dreamboat wrote:
Okay, guys. Another *expert* named Starl, who does not frequent MrExcel, and I have written a *document* called FREE TECH SUPPORT SITE ETIQUETTE or "How to get the most out of free tech support sites"

Feel free to download and give feedback to me via email at Dreamboat@TheWordExpert.com Your help is greatly appreciated! Be picky!

Once it's all done, I plan to use it on my own site, and will offer it to MrExcel to edit/use as he chooses. :)

It's here:

http://www.thewordexpert.com/downloads/free.doc

It's a good document. I like it. It covers just about all cases where you end up cursing at the person who asked the question. Nice work.

One strong observation though : in my mind, this Excel forum is not a "technical support site."

It is an online Excel forum.

I doubt that the majority of people who use it are technical support staff, we are just regular excel users.

I doubt very much whether commercial technical support sites offer their clients the luxory of having their problems actually *thought* over, or replicated onscreen, or worked on at home in people's spare time.

I would strongly recommend that if there's some sort of desire to have this forum labelled as a "free technical support site" that it be dropped.

That's not the spirit of what we are all participating in.

We are Excel users, not tecchies.
 
Chris

In which case can i charge for my help and techi advice and the endless hours i put .

also will i be MVP techi! or just a jerk thats posting in the sprit of things as i guessed and hopped this was, or am i wrong.

Also i am brassed of enough or the answers people post that in no way what so ever help the issue and slam the post and many thing techi in this case we talk, oh i dont know thats solved and move on but in many cases that needs to be solved further.

does any one know what chk files really are?

I do!

But more its a world wide open foorum to help ANY level, Chris every time you speak with me we say yes i should post me and answer more, hang on mate...

is this form going to help...

Techi support or forum is make the best we all can and read as the post reads, i say red you say green, thats the fun, but some know better than others.

who is going to control the forms..

THIS WILL NOT WORK, let the guys post in any way they feel comfortable and us the answers or solvers can worry about the fall out.

only a real fool needs this level of support ..

or send the guy a map with the keyboard letter on it from him?

Makes me laugh..
 
I am a techi.....

have i come to the wrong place.

and i use excel.. does that rule me out?

Erm!
 
Jack,

go and ring up a technical support site.

it's nothing like the environment of this forum.
 

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