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[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#130204

I have read a few threads where members were frantic or frustrated with a problem they encountered.

Depending on how the issue is presented, a number of the Moderators or fellow members may be able to diagnose and provide potential solution to the problem. Sometimes the suggestions work, sometimes not.

Provide as much information as possible

Quite often, it is difficult for those who wanted to help solve the problem because the problem was presented vaguely. Consider this for example:

I installed the Teline II and it did not work. Please help?

Well, the above is extreme but quite a few posts are like that. It will take perhaps three or a dozen more responses before what what really happened woul become clear.

It would speed things up quite a bit if you included more information:
1) Link to your website — not providing this will decrease your chance to get an answer.

2) What did you install? In the case of JA Teline II
a) Was in Joomla (state whether Joomla 1.0x or Joomla 1.5x) first then JA Teline II
b) Joomla 1.0x-JA Teline II Quickstart Kit or Joomla 1.5x-JA Teline II?

3) After the installation, were you able to replicate the Demo Page?

4) At what stage did you encounter the problem?
a) Provide photos before (a description) and the stage when the error was observed
b) What attempts have you done to solve the problem, and what did you find out

Sure the above would be long — but it would also lessen the amount of (frustrating) time you have to wait for someone to respond, and perhaps for the problem to be resolved.

A Model on how to seek for help

One of the best presented “issues-problems” posts I have seen, for awhile, were those of Chris (questbg):

http://www.joomlart.com/forums/search.php?searchid=506266

From his first post, you can see very easily where he was going or what needs to be done:

Complete Newbie. Is this possible please?
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/complete-newbie-is-this-possible-please/

It is no wonder therefore that he must have gotten the best resolution rates among the posters here:

http://www.joomlart.com/forums/search.php?searchid=506266

And, it is no surprise that Chris has made quite a tremendous progress — considering that just about a month a ago, as indicated in his initial thread

Complete Newbie. Is this possible please?

he did not know much about Joomla, php, and the like.

By documenting the progress of the resolution to some of the more difficult issues encountered; and, at the end he shares what resolved the problem, quite a few of the threads initiated by Chris (questbg) become very effective tutorials.

And finally, Chris exercised the use of the “Thank you” icon prudently, so that you know he meant it.

I do not think most people who try to help fish for compliments, but at the same time, it is the decent thing to do, if you give due credit to those who helped you.

Cornelio

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#256507

Well, so you got your problem solved, and you did the decent thing to thank the person who helped you.

The question is: Is it enough that we have thanked people, and move on?

I visit quite a few threads that were supposed to be SOLVED, and marked as such — because like almost everyone else, I am also looking for solutions to problems I encountered.

It is really very frustrating to see a thread marked solved — with the proper thank you and all — but going through the post, you have no idea what really happened. Sometimes there is a link to the page. Obviously, it was solved; but How?

It is even more frustrating when there are many alternative solutions suggested. And there is no indication as to what worked.

If we truly want to thank the people who helped us, the most decent thing we can do to thank the person is to provide more detail of the problem we experienced, what we tried and how exactly it was solved.

That way, those who are in the same boat and are seeking for similar solutions would benefit from your experience. If we cannot do this simple act of decency, what does it say about us?

We complain that Joomlart has abdicated in its obligations, and there is no question about that. But, have we done our part?

If we learned something, isn’t it a decent thing to go further, and help those new users who may be in the same shoes where we have been?

You know that “ripple in the pond…” thing. It is what decent people do,

Cornelio

N.B.

Joomlart has a Tutorials section, and if you feel your link is worth including there please do so. I started two threads also, and I hope will help develop these by sharing your experience, and link your solved thread in one of the links below. Included here is the form that I planned to use to request people to share their solved post. I got more busy though and had to attend to some personal stuff. So, consider this “letter” as a general invitation to all

************************
Generic request note
************************

For better archival, I am creating a summary of solved postings so that it is easy for customers to locate them.. It beats scrolling scrolling through the Forum sections everytime we want to find if our question has been answered before. Sometimes the search option does not get all of them.

Can you please add the link to this post in the appropriate thread (From what I remember about your preference, it would be Joomla 1.5x):

for Joomla 1.5x
Links to solved problems known bugs of Joomla 1.5x-JA Teline II
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/links-to-solved-problems-known-bugs-of-joomla-1-5x-ja-teline-ii/

for Joomla 1.0x
Links to solved problems known bugs of Joomla 1.0x-JA Teline II
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/links-to-solved-problems-known-bugs-of-joomla-1-0x-ja-teline-ii/

Since some threads could be very long, can you please provide the following:

1. Original post heading:
2. Link
3. Your name (username)
4. Summary:
a. Brief description of the problem or question and desired goal
b. Proposed solution to the problem that worked
c. Please provide an image capture of the before and after, if possible.

Without any Manual, How To’s or FAQ, the database of these solved problems may go a long way to help each other.

Thanks,

Cornelio
************************

Clicking the SOLVED” icon of course leads you to the list of solved threads, but many of the threads are not really solved, or even if they were, it might as well that you have not looked at them because going through some of them will give you no clue, as to how this was solved. Thus, why I have wanted to write this for awhile, but never got around to writing it.

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#256608

Nice Thread Cornelio.

To be honest, I’ve received great advice, and so far, everything I set out to acheive, I’ve acheived with very little stress involved!

I didn’t want to heavliy customise the Teline II template as it was fairly perfect for my needs straight out of the box, so maybe I haven’t had the hassles of some other users.

My site is progressing nicely, mainly thanks to yourself, Menalto and others that have offered advice!

This is great advice for anyone seeking help. As Cornelio said, illustrate as clearly as possible your problem, give as much information as possible (template version, joomla version, URL to site, screen grabs, etc.), and you’re much more likely to get a quick result!

Use the ‘Thanks’ button, but only if you ask a direct question and somebody provides you with a fix that works!!

Cheers
Chris

PS. Cornelio … it seems to me that some of the ‘links’ in the first post, to other threads are not working? Maybe the threads have been renamed or something?

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