I thought this Forum was made to help others

[Guest]

hi every body.

 

its nearly crimbo and I hope all and everyone is going to have a great time. And as christmas is a time for giving. Shouldnt we give a bit more to our fellow collegues.

 

I am rather new to this OSC and i have struggled through, and its been hardwork, but im getting to grips with osc slowly. And im still learning... and by no means am i a master, I wish I new more, so I could help those that are strugling in this forum to install contributions - setup osc - or simple design for the osc shop.

 

Why because I see many posts in the forum, including my own, that go unanswered. or where there was some one kind enough they have suggested something. In mu case what has been sugested probably has not worked.

 

So the only thing left is to try and solve th issue yourself, which maybe extremely difficult especially when you have know idea of what your actually doing.

 

Some people find things easy and some of you are masters at PHP/OSC and for the life of me why is that people post but get NO HELP.

 

Is it that they post in the wrong place or ask the wrong questions..maybe we should start a new section in the forum for Unaswered questions.

 

where do the people go if they need help. I thought they came here.

 

I know in the forum there is alot of hardwork gone into tips etc and manuals and knowledge base but there is still alot of information desperatley required for the novice, like myself.

[Mediajuggle]

Hey Dap,

!. Remember that the people posting answers to the forums are doing so as a courtesy. They're doing it on their own time and not everyone is on the forums everyday, so they answer when they can. I know if you've posted a problem you're having, its really important to YOU to receive a speedy answer but people will answer when they can.

 

2. People respond to what they can actually help with. I'm on here and I answer what I can which is usually about contributions that I've used, graphics, etc. But when it comes to the really tough PHP and MYSQL questions I leave that to people who are alot more knowledgable.

 

3. Too many newbies ask the same questions over and over without even searching through the forums. I even saw one new post asking a question that was asked and answered on the very next page. Sure people want help, but some people should take alittle time to try and help themselves as well.

[Guest]

I appreciate what you say and I agree with it.

 

its just i see alot of topics, NOT just my own go unanswered. and if you are new and you have looked in the forum and cant find what you need, then what are you suposed to do. :-"

[KaiAnimation]

I like to answer posts.

 

I find I don't answer new threads that are about a contribution. There is usually an existing thread for a complex contribution or there is an author of a contribution, so I think that is the right direction to go to get an answer for that.

 

Some questions are too vague to answer and they actually require a link to see what someone is talking about. If that happens, then I will probably pass them up.

 

Many times I'll find myself only looking at page one of the new posts. If a bunch of people have written since your post, then your post may end up on page two and disappear.

 

If your having trouble finding the answer to your problem using the search engine on this forum, then I would recommend using Google to search this forum. Use: site:www.oscommerce.com/forums the thing you want to search in the Google search.

 

It really is up to you to get your answers solved. Anyone making a post to help you out is doing it because it's nice, they feel like they need to pay back for the questions they had and they think it's cool that someone will listen.

 

Danny

[bobg7]

I'm not going to point any fingers or anything, but I think some questions get passes over because they have been answered over and over again.

 

From my experance, I almost always use the search function of this and other forums I visit before asking a question and in a lot of cases the answer has already been posted.

 

osCommerce MS2 has been around a long time and I'm sure somewhere in the forum there is an answer for most of the issues anyone is having already.

 

I make these comments not to offend anyone, but to make the point that the search function is one of the best tools anyone here can use.

[Mediajuggle]

I'm not going to point any fingers or anything, but I think some questions get passes over because they have been answered over and over again.

 

From my experance, I almost always use the search function of this and other forums I visit before asking a question and in a lot of cases the answer has already been posted.

 

osCommerce MS2 has been around a long time and I'm sure somewhere in the forum there is an answer for most of the issues anyone is having already.

 

I make these comments not to offend anyone, but to make the point that the search function is one of the best tools anyone here can use.

 

 

Yes, using the contribution threads as an example... some people will post a question in thread that has already been ANSWERED WITH IN THAT SAME THREAD......

[Chance]

I like to pick at peoples sites because I found they don't listen if you make kind suggestions.

 

This is a "community", where everyone has different opinions on things like posting, helping others, and making comments. Hope you enjoy your stay!

[♥Vger]

Some real turn offs - from someone who answers a lot of posts!

 

Help! Help! PLZ PLZ PLZ!

Yes? So what's the question?

 

Question posted - 10 minutes later BUMP, 10 minutes later BUMP

That'll get you nothing!

 

That was no help - so what's next?

Posted today - answer = get someone else to answer you.

 

Other things annoy - like:

 

Posting in general forums with questions about Contributions without looking in the Contribution Support Forum. And even after being told it exists posting back saying you don't have time to read all that (tough!).

 

I've already mentioned bumping of posts (which is against forum rules), but so is posting the same question multiple times in different forums. Last week I found one which had been posted 6 times and posted in other people's threads (very rude).

 

One trend, which is very annoying, is that people with little or no knowledge of how to set up and run a server are buying cheap servers and then posting here for advice on how to set them up to run osCommerce. That's nothing to do with osCommerce, and if you don't know how to set up a server then why did you buy an unmanaged one in the first place??

 

I could go on, but if I did then this would be a very long thread indeed.

 

Vger

[ozcsys]

There are plenty of specifics that will put people in a non-helping mood but the biggest problem I see is the "I am owed free help now because I decided to use osC" attitude and the seeming to not make any effort to help themselves first before posting thing.

[robert23]

So the only thing left is to try and solve th issue yourself, which maybe extremely difficult especially when you have know idea of what your actually doing.

 

The key for me has been persistance. I'm in no big rush to get everything perfect and am trying all sorts of things. Since we don't have to pay for a shopping cart with osCommerce, I'm happy to fumble along until things start to shape up. My father used to say something like "If you put an infinite number of chimps in front of an infinite number of typewriters someday one of them will type the dictionary".

 

Robert

[Guest]

Yes, using the contribution threads as an example... some people will post a question in thread that has already been ANSWERED WITH IN THAT SAME THREAD......

a lot of the contribution threads are far too long to go through and read every post... and sometimes people need help with something that can't be summed into a few words, to a simple search for.

 

i think an easy solution to that problem would be to make the first post in every contribution thread a "frequently asked questions" post

[Guest]

a lot of the contribution threads are far too long to go through and read every post... and sometimes people need help with something that can't be summed into a few words, to a simple search for.

 

i think an easy solution to that problem would be to make the first post in every contribution thread a "frequently asked questions" post

I don't think most people know that at the bottom left of the thread page is a search box. It says "Enter Keywords" and has a "Search Topic" button next to it. Go check it out. Really. Go look. Please, just look. Thank you. Using THAT search box will search just the current thread, not the rest of the forums.

 

The FAQ is a good idea but (you knew that was coming)

- People start new threads instead of finding/looking for the currently existing one so they'll never see it.

- Someone has to maintain it. Who?

- There are no frequently asked questions until the thread has grown for a while. When do you start the FAQ.

- The forum SW may not support insertion/editing of a post at the beginning of the thread AFTER it's been created.

 

ed

[Guest]

I don't think most people know that at the bottom left of the thread page is a search box.

i agree. for this type of forum it should be somewhere in the header (a box, not a link!) ...if i wasn't a regular poster on forums i would have never noticed that box was even there.

 

People start new threads instead of finding/looking for the currently existing one so they'll never see it.

merging those types of threads with the support topic could clear up that problem quickly, but not eliminate it :)

 

i noticed most of the non-contribution related (questions) topics in that forum are ignored anyway

 

Someone has to maintain it. Who?

contribution creator?

i don't see how anyone would disagree with that. all they would have to do is edit their post and input some new info. it would save them time in the long run, don't you think?

 

There are no frequently asked questions until the thread has grown for a while. When do you start the FAQ.

ah good point.

i think it would be ideal for the first part of the post to describe what the contrib does and offer a link to download it.

once user experience expands, the contrib creator simply edits their post and make a FAQ of all commonly-asked questions.

 

The forum SW may not support insertion/editing of a post at the beginning of the thread AFTER it's been created.

i don't know about oscommerce's current individual preferences, but myself and a group of friends run (a non-osc related) invisionboard forum (which uses the same software as this board), and there is options to edit the first topic. it's turned off/on in the admin panel

[tina_boots]

hi every body.

 

its nearly crimbo and I hope all and everyone is going to have a great time. And as christmas is a time for giving. Shouldnt we give a bit more to our fellow collegues.

 

I am rather new to this OSC and i have struggled through, and its been hardwork, but im getting to grips with osc slowly. And im still learning... and by no means am i a master, I wish I new more, so I could help those that are strugling in this forum to install contributions - setup osc - or simple design for the osc shop.

 

Why because I see many posts in the forum, including my own, that go unanswered. or where there was some one kind enough they have suggested something. In mu case what has been sugested probably has not worked.

 

So the only thing left is to try and solve th issue yourself, which maybe extremely difficult especially when you have know idea of what your actually doing.

 

Some people find things easy and some of you are masters at PHP/OSC and for the life of me why is that people post but get NO HELP.

 

Is it that they post in the wrong place or ask the wrong questions..maybe we should start a new section in the forum for Unaswered questions.

 

where do the people go if they need help. I thought they came here.

 

I know in the forum there is alot of hardwork gone into tips etc and manuals and knowledge base but there is still alot of information desperatley required for the novice, like myself.

 

I'm going to reply to this without reading the other replies first, so forgive me if I happen to repeat something that has already been said. However your post struck a nerve and I need to say something.

 

I've made over 300 posts to these forums the vast majority of those have been trying to help others. I have also made maybe a handful of posts asking for help, and many of those posts went unanswered. So I completely understand the frustration.

 

However I do not believe for one minute that posts are ever purposely ignored. This is an extremely active forum, more so than any I have ever been a part of. I truly believe that when a question goes unanswered, its because no one has the answer. I don't think it makes a difference if the person is a "newbie" or an experienced pro. I don't think it makes a difference if someone is begging for help either, if someone can help around here its been my experience they will.

 

Aside from not knowing the answer, I see some posts where I scratch my head wondering what the question was. So a lot of that goes back to the original poster. Saying something like "my page doesn't display, help" is not going to get you too far. Where saying "I installed X, and now I am getting this error on line Y" is likely to result in some helpful information.

 

This forum is absolutely about helping others, and last time I checked no one got paid for providing that help. They do so completely out of the goodness of their hearts, and because its something they love to do. The software is free, but with that comes some effort on the individuals part, because nothing is ever completely free, there is always some price to pay.

 

Climbing down off my soap box now.

 

Tina

[KaiAnimation]

because nothing is ever completely free, there is always some price to pay.

 

Hey Tina-

Can I add this to my signature? It is very appropriate.

-Danny

[tina_boots]

Hey Tina-

Can I add this to my signature? It is very appropriate.

-Danny

 

Of course :)

[MaBiSmAd]

There are plenty of specifics that will put people in a non-helping mood but the biggest problem I see is the "I am owed free help now because I decided to use osC" attitude and the seeming to not make any effort to help themselves first before posting thing.

 

I agree that there is a growing trend, even among degreed engineers, to ask first and think last. Schools turn out people that have not learned how to learn. To be able to accomplish something and stand on your own two feet and be functional, you need to be able to figure out where you are at (what point A looks like), where you want to get to (what your goal is and what point B should look like when you get there), and to do the work necessary to get from point A to point B. Those that have not done their own due diligence before asking, are less likely to receive help.

[♥Vger]

a lot of the contribution threads are far too long to go through and read every post

 

Unforunately that's the attitude I see from some people. When I had a problem with a particular contribution I had to go through a thread that was over 50 pages long. It took me the best part of a day, but I found what I wanted.

 

The great advantage of osCommerce is that with very little knowledge at all you can get the default osCommerce installed ready for use. The great disadvantage is that some people then feel that from that point onwards they shouldn't have to put any more effort into adapting it themselves, or even to learn the basics of HOW it actually works.

 

At some point in time you have to be willing to learn some things for yourself (not just continue to ask others how to do absolutely everything).

 

Vger

[Guest]

The great advantage of osCommerce is that with very little knowledge at all you can get the default osCommerce installed ready for use. The great disadvantage is that some people then feel that from that point onwards they shouldn't have to put any more effort into adapting it themselves, or even to learn the basics of HOW it actually works.

 

At some point in time you have to be willing to learn some things for yourself (not just continue to ask others how to do absolutely everything).

 

AMEN!

[Harald Ponce de Leon]

Unforunately that's the attitude I see from some people. When I had a problem with a particular contribution I had to go through a thread that was over 50 pages long. It took me the best part of a day, but I found what I wanted.

 

It has already been pointed out that when reading a thread that there is a search box on the bottom left of the page to search for something in that thread only.

 

It is also possible to jump to a specific posting in a thread when searching in one or more forum channels by clicking on the "Post Preview" link in the search result instead of the post title.

 

The post title takes you to the beginning of the thread whereas the Post Preview link takes you to that post even it is on page 13 of the thread.

 

That's one neat feature this forum software has that was not available on previous software installations (phpBB and Phorum).

 

Just pointing that out incase no one knows about it :)

[Cameo1968]

All of this over people not answering a need?

Patience is a verture. :rolleyes:

[Guest]

well Yes i guess it is a need! Lets put it this way this is the only topic I have had so many replies on. I think it was great that alot of people have replied to this.

 

And by the way please dont forget I meant this topic for others as well who post in this forum and dont get a reply.

 

I have been rather lucky, i have had some replies that have been mpre than helpful and with out the help I have had I doubt I would get my store like it is today... not that its the greatest by any means.

 

And for all those out there that have helped me I hope one day I can return the favour in some way. As i am greatfull for all the help I have had from this forum

 

Dapper