Forum Post 'Ettikett' - Etiquette !

422

I am sure I posted this a while back, but anyhoo here goes.

1. post a descriptive title. Not just xyz - does not work
2. post as much information relating to the issue, and demonstrate the issue you are encountering.
3. add additional information, such as the vanilla version you are running.

To expand. Titles.

Try and use the title as the neon sign to grab attention, not the opportunity to be as brief a possible. Example:

1. Bad: header wrong

2. Good: Help needed with positioning header banner on "sunshine" theme

3. Bad: forum doesnt work

4. Good: Bonk after I installed "kiss me quick" plugin

To expand. Description.

Express the exact issue you have. Example.

1. Bad: Installed "sunshine" theme and its broken.
2. Good: I am running 2.0.18.4 vanilla forum, I installed "sunshine" theme and I am having alignment issues, please see screenshot below. Here is a link to the site etc etc, any help appreciated.

Common Courtesy.

Use please and thankyou. Be helpful with questions asked by repliers to your threads and posts. Click like, awesome whatever to show additional gratitude.

Expectations of you and repliers.

1. dont ask a question then disappear without a trace.
2. if you ask a question, check back regularly to see replies.
3. be prepared to get your hands dirty, and show some code and or give additional information.

Above all be patient, theres no wrong way to ask a question. But seemingly theres a billion ways of not answering it correctly, you can mitigate and minimise those proportions, for everyone.

By being detailed in your requests, problems or issues.

Oh and ...

If you fix something you asked about, be a good boy or girl, and post HOW you did it, so that others venturing onto your thread, can see how you achieved it.

Lastly, 99.99999999% of members posting on the forums, do so for free, and get NO recompense from Vanilla Inc. So be aware that helping ppl is a community initiative, that we all enjoy and support ... including you

have fun, apologies for any spieling messtikes as I am on a bloody iPad.

vrijvlinder

Maybe if we post this stuff once a week people will read it and follow directions, no?

I mean sometimes it's like pulling teeth !! Just to get a bit of info of their problem lol...

hgtonight

I know I am relatively new here, but I will be sure to keep this in mind.

Shadowdare

Not related to posts specifically, but just going to throw this out there: if someone is joining a forum, please check for an email! It only takes a minute or two nowadays. I see many people join and never check their emails, so they forget to activate their accounts and don't receive any updates from the forum.

peregrine

bump

GaryFunk

@peregrine I think I am seeing a common theme here.

422

its not my default ( groan ) lol

vrijvlinder

Yea Gary we need to revive all the infomercials so they are at the top every week !

peregrine

Yea, but how do you get people who don't understand english, and people who don't read to read them.

vrijvlinder

Draw a picture ? I will work on that, an animation maybe ...

Shadowdare

@peregrine said:
Yea, but how do you get people who don't understand english, and people who don't read to read them.

@vrijvlinder ¿Quieres escribir esto en español? No está mal para comenzar!

vrijvlinder

@Shadowdare good idea ! I will work on that for sure.

peregrine

One more Etiquette item

If you ask a question!!!

and you got a few reasonable answers.

at least respond that your testing the answer - or that it answered your question (within a few days or so).

or you might not get future answers to other questions - be forewarned.

peregrine

One more Etiquette item

If you ask a question!!!

What version of vanilla are you referring to in your question??

Another piece of advice

learn how to identify the version of vanilla you are using and post the version in your question.

How to find version number

look in index.php in your forum directory
or go to dashboard and look on the right hand side of the footer - the version is clearly displayed for you.

vrijvlinder

How to find version number of any installation :

Open a web inspector like firebug , and look at the source code in particular the head section at the top, look at the links to the files and notice applications end with the vanilla version number ..

for example :

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/applications/dashboard/design/style.css?v=2.2.3.4" media="all">

also if you click the file list to see what files are being called , when you inspect the location of the files

Scheme    http
Host        vanillaforums.org
Path        /applications/dashboard/design/style.css
Query String    v=2.2.3.4
Filename    style.css

Also if you look at the js files they have the number too

jquery.gardenhandleajaxform.js?v=2.2.3.4

jquery.autogrow.js?v=2.2.3.4

Shadowdare

Quotes:

If you're quoting another post, make sure you write your message under the quote block with a new line in between them to ensure your words don't end up in the quote block.

If it does, edit the post right away to fix it so that it's easier to read and help you.

peregrine

when posting a question about a specific plugin

• go to the addons section select the plugin you are asking a question about.

• Post your question from the addons section.

  The question will then be tied to the plugin and it will be easier to find when other people have the same question.

@underdog - perhaps a move to the Tutorials category?

UnderDog

underdog - perhaps a move to the Tutorials category?

Done... I need a bot too for these tasks, lol

WPL

Hi All, new to the Vanilla Forum world found this very helpful, will do my best to follow.

x00

Please don't PM people for things that relate to discussions/questions, or could reasonably be put in a discussion / question.

It is just plain irritating. I have had a handful of people do that lately. Why???

Just becuase I post in a discussion / question isn't a green light to PM me for answers.

For one it is the wrong medium, for that and the whole point of public discussions to to benefit everyone. PM doesn't do that. I'm not providing private consultation unless you pay me, and don't think I'm just going to drop everything just becuase you asked.

There are obviously exceptions, but only if it something that needs to be in confidence. Anything unsolicited you need consider if it something that is reasonable and a well considered request. If people want to contact me regarding work and do so in a well thought out way that is fine.

Another thing which is a bit worse, is on a conversation/PM with lot of participants posting messages that should really be directed at one person in confidence. Start a new one. Hello...

rbrahmson

I've asked several questions and tried to provide the relevant info, and indeed received wonderful community support. Alas, if asked to swear whether I ever forgot to offer full info, I'd hesitate to say I didn't.

Which brings me to think that omission may be part of being human and perhaps a form-like discussion for questions would help everyone. I'm thinking of a form that would ask for the very things the good advice mentioned above asked for: Vanilla Version, Theme name, name of plugin in question, and any other input you may think is useful. It would remind those who post the questions and would probably allow better search based on these form fields.

Just an idea...