For Best Results: How to get the most out of an online forum
#1
11-30-2009, 10:05 AM
For Best Results: How to get the most out of an online forum
Online forums have been around for a while now (read: 1981), but as the population of the Internet grows, there are always people who haven't used one before showing up on them, and I've written this post to try and help y'all new folks get the most out of your visit here. Everyone who reads this will probably think that at least some part of it is obvious -- to them. I suspect it will be different parts to different people, though, which is why I've written all of it.
===
The social contract for getting online help from members of a forum is roughly this:
1) We expect you to do some homework yourself first, and it's a good idea if you tell us in your first posting what you thought you were looking for, what you've done already, what you've ruled out *and why* (cause, who knows, you might be wrong).
2) If you're basing your work or your opinion on any assumptions, you should say what they are. Don't make everyone guess (incorrectly).
3) And when you solve it, you should let us know what it actually was -- this is the most important part; it's your payback for being helped.
Importantly (though not always obviously), you should avoid private messages to people either asking for help, or offering it; privacy is rarely necessary in this environment, and the real long-term goal of user-to-user help forums like this one is accumulating problems and solutions in the searchable archives.
Forums like this are a reputation meritocracy -- the only real payment you get for helping (aside from that warm feeling :-) is the fact that people can see (and judge) your contributions, so they can evaulate your advice in the future.
Once you've reached the point of actually posting, there are several steps that will make your posting more effective:
1) Search first.
Someone may have already had -- and fixed -- your problem. Some forums have a checkbox which a thread-starter can check to mark a problem solved; on others, you can edit the original post and add "[SOLVED]" to the beginning of the subject line (something in "Advanced" mode, as here).
2) One thing at a time.
(Yeah, sport; that must be nice - to just have one thing at a time...) If you're working on multiple issues, you'll find that it's much easier for both you and contributors to keep each item -- or at least each subsystem (brakes, cooling, for example) -- in separate postings with their own ...
3) Good Subject Line.
If your subject line is less than 4 words, or includes "please help", then you probably need to reword it. :-) Try to make it a statement, not a question; mention symptoms, not just your trial diagnosis; and if your profile signature doesn't include your year and model, put them in there too (remember: there are two models covered by the Disco forum, and probably 3 or 4 by the Range).
Additionally, if you have a Service Engine Soon light, go to a local autoparts store, and have them read the codes for you. *Write down the exact codes*, and post them in your message.
And don't forget: Webforums are worldwide, and the UK is between 4 and 8 hours ahead of CONUS, and we have Alaska and Hawaii visitors as well. If you're in the midst of a fast moving thread, take note of where the participants are.
4) Don't thread-jack.
If you need to start a new thread, do so; sometimes there's a fine line about whether a problem you're having is similar to one someone else is, but often it's perfectly clear to all readers that your problem is separate, and it should be clear to you too. A large part of the reason for this and Rule 2, above, is the forum's email notification feature. If you subscribe to threads, you have even more reason to want people not to muddy them up with unrelated topics you're not interested in.
This is especially important if you're posting a reply on one of the Sticky threads on special topics which have been left open -- it's useful for people wandering in later to be able to see conversation which is specifically on the topic of the sticky, but there's even less room for other material there than on "normal" threads.
And, finally, a couple of suggestions for readers (as opposed to posters)...
To make your time on the forum most effective, you might want to approach things the way I do:
1) Private Messages
Read those first, but remember: even moreso than in public forum threads, think before you hit send. It can be really hard to fit emotions and nuances through the wires. If someone's comment pisses you off, whether in a PM or in public... put the mouse down, and back away from the keyboard. Have a coffee (or whatever) break, and come back to it.
2) Subscribed Threads
One of the settings you can choose in setting up your user profile is auto-subscribe, and I recommend it.
It's labeled Default Thread Subscription Mode under Edit Options, and you can choose how often to be notified. Instant and Daily seem the only really useful frequencies to me, and I use Instant, cause I carry a Blackberry, and that's where my notification emails go. If you're not using Instant, you'll likely make it back to the forum before you actually get a notification, but auto-subscribe is useful anyway...
because you can go to Subscribed Threads under the Quick Links menu, and keep up on all the threads you're participating in.
3) New Posts
That's another link on the forum's menu bar, and it's the next place I go, if I have time. It really is new posts, not new threads: it will list any thread that has received new comments, not only newly created discussion threads. This will let you catch up on active discussions that you're *not* already participating in.
Remember that if you're interested in thread, you can subscribe to it without having to post, as well.
4) Topic Forums
Finally, if you're *still* not out of free time, you can then go spelunking in the forums for your particular model or interest, and check out the older, less active threads, where you might still find something you want to read or talk about.
===
Hopefully, this will be helpful to new folks wandering in, and who knows, those people who've been here for 10 or 15 thousand postings might find something helpful in it as well...
===
The social contract for getting online help from members of a forum is roughly this:
1) We expect you to do some homework yourself first, and it's a good idea if you tell us in your first posting what you thought you were looking for, what you've done already, what you've ruled out *and why* (cause, who knows, you might be wrong).
2) If you're basing your work or your opinion on any assumptions, you should say what they are. Don't make everyone guess (incorrectly).
3) And when you solve it, you should let us know what it actually was -- this is the most important part; it's your payback for being helped.
Importantly (though not always obviously), you should avoid private messages to people either asking for help, or offering it; privacy is rarely necessary in this environment, and the real long-term goal of user-to-user help forums like this one is accumulating problems and solutions in the searchable archives.
Forums like this are a reputation meritocracy -- the only real payment you get for helping (aside from that warm feeling :-) is the fact that people can see (and judge) your contributions, so they can evaulate your advice in the future.
Once you've reached the point of actually posting, there are several steps that will make your posting more effective:
1) Search first.
Someone may have already had -- and fixed -- your problem. Some forums have a checkbox which a thread-starter can check to mark a problem solved; on others, you can edit the original post and add "[SOLVED]" to the beginning of the subject line (something in "Advanced" mode, as here).
2) One thing at a time.
(Yeah, sport; that must be nice - to just have one thing at a time...) If you're working on multiple issues, you'll find that it's much easier for both you and contributors to keep each item -- or at least each subsystem (brakes, cooling, for example) -- in separate postings with their own ...
3) Good Subject Line.
If your subject line is less than 4 words, or includes "please help", then you probably need to reword it. :-) Try to make it a statement, not a question; mention symptoms, not just your trial diagnosis; and if your profile signature doesn't include your year and model, put them in there too (remember: there are two models covered by the Disco forum, and probably 3 or 4 by the Range).
Additionally, if you have a Service Engine Soon light, go to a local autoparts store, and have them read the codes for you. *Write down the exact codes*, and post them in your message.
And don't forget: Webforums are worldwide, and the UK is between 4 and 8 hours ahead of CONUS, and we have Alaska and Hawaii visitors as well. If you're in the midst of a fast moving thread, take note of where the participants are.
4) Don't thread-jack.
If you need to start a new thread, do so; sometimes there's a fine line about whether a problem you're having is similar to one someone else is, but often it's perfectly clear to all readers that your problem is separate, and it should be clear to you too. A large part of the reason for this and Rule 2, above, is the forum's email notification feature. If you subscribe to threads, you have even more reason to want people not to muddy them up with unrelated topics you're not interested in.
This is especially important if you're posting a reply on one of the Sticky threads on special topics which have been left open -- it's useful for people wandering in later to be able to see conversation which is specifically on the topic of the sticky, but there's even less room for other material there than on "normal" threads.
And, finally, a couple of suggestions for readers (as opposed to posters)...
To make your time on the forum most effective, you might want to approach things the way I do:
1) Private Messages
Read those first, but remember: even moreso than in public forum threads, think before you hit send. It can be really hard to fit emotions and nuances through the wires. If someone's comment pisses you off, whether in a PM or in public... put the mouse down, and back away from the keyboard. Have a coffee (or whatever) break, and come back to it.
2) Subscribed Threads
One of the settings you can choose in setting up your user profile is auto-subscribe, and I recommend it.
It's labeled Default Thread Subscription Mode under Edit Options, and you can choose how often to be notified. Instant and Daily seem the only really useful frequencies to me, and I use Instant, cause I carry a Blackberry, and that's where my notification emails go. If you're not using Instant, you'll likely make it back to the forum before you actually get a notification, but auto-subscribe is useful anyway...
because you can go to Subscribed Threads under the Quick Links menu, and keep up on all the threads you're participating in.
3) New Posts
That's another link on the forum's menu bar, and it's the next place I go, if I have time. It really is new posts, not new threads: it will list any thread that has received new comments, not only newly created discussion threads. This will let you catch up on active discussions that you're *not* already participating in.
Remember that if you're interested in thread, you can subscribe to it without having to post, as well.
4) Topic Forums
Finally, if you're *still* not out of free time, you can then go spelunking in the forums for your particular model or interest, and check out the older, less active threads, where you might still find something you want to read or talk about.
===
Hopefully, this will be helpful to new folks wandering in, and who knows, those people who've been here for 10 or 15 thousand postings might find something helpful in it as well...
Last edited by Baylink; 12-06-2009 at 03:36 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Alex_M
Tires
3
09-17-2014 09:11 PM
hilltoppersx
ROAMING WITH FRIENDS
1
12-07-2010 05:48 PM