Digital Workshop

Hi All,
I have often had to ask the Experts on this forum to help me learn and solve problems. I have learnt that the following makes it easier for them to help me.


1. Ensure that your profile at least contains the following details. (Computer, Chipset, OS, RAM & OPUS version) – If you can't work out how to do this, at least put this info in the body of your post.
2. Read the manuals – they help.
3. Use the forums "search" function before you post– Often your question would have been asked and solved before. Also look at the tutorial section.
4. Think about your exact problem and be specific – Ensure that your question is specific, contains enough info for others to understand the exact problem and is clearly stated. Post an example file if possible. If your publication is too big or if it is confidential, create a small imp file to demonstrate the problem you are experiencing. Vague questions will generally either not be answered or will be replied to with a question.
5. Don't ask anyone to do your work for you! Opus experts on this forum will do their best to help you learn, but they are not going to write your publication for you. Questions that say "I need to create a publication that does xyz", without an attempt from you to apply your mind, may not deserve someone else's valuable (and unpaid time).
6. Give feedback and thanks for good answers – Let them know if they have helped you and if you used a variation from the answer given how you solved the problem – It's the only reward they get for assisting you and it may assist someone else with a similar problem.
7. Don't get offended – you are asking for their help, if they are witty – so what, at least they are trying to help you. If you feel offended by a comment, don't post your feelings – you may need assistance in the future – never be rude or "flame" anyone. Remember they don't get paid to do this – they are doing it to help you learn.

I am sure that there are many more tips that could be added, but I have found these have worked for me.

Regards
N

PS: My thanks to all the Experts that assist us. I would love to mention some names, but that would be unfair on experts that assist others.

Nitro --

WOW. Thank you for posting this important information. I wish newbies HAD to read your requirements BEFORE they were allowed to post! I've been following this forum for a long time, and you are "spot on" with every one of your numbered items.

What happens is -- this GREAT posting gets pushed down the list as time goes by. If a newbie doesn't do a Forum Search using one of your title's keywords, your post won't show up -- so they make every mistake you list.

Thank you for reminding everyone about these valuable points. I've communicated with OPUS Experts outside of this Forum, and I know several of them now refuse to give help if the person fails to give the basic information you have listed.

Nitro,

I 'Ditto' Fred's thanks.



Suggest these be added to the List:

8. Provide clear information about intended users and the Client machines/environment (if the problem is about the deployed Pub, ie, is not limited to Opus editor or 'how to...create'.). Will you have some control over client system configuration, or will these be many different PCs & configurations for example.

9. Make the SUBJECT descriptive. (saying "I have a problem", or "3 questions", or "Help me" --- well sure we'll read it and try to help, but they are annoying to see in the list of Forum Topics later on.) [color=olive]Maybe original poster could go back and Edit/change to be more specific?[/color]

I for one especially appreciate those who follow #6, and come back with info about what worked, end results... just giving some 'closure' to the issue. It puts the rest of us in the right direction for thinking through and solving similar issues. It doesn't hurt to acknowledge the help/contributor as Nitro said.

Cheers and Happy New Year!
Larry

Perhaps a moderator on this forum could take the suggestions here and add them to a "sticky"(perhaps for all the Opus Forum main threads)?

I don't want any credit (just list the points for posting - and any others), I just remember that when first posting questions, I got asked about my profile, etc.

Slowly I learned, that the better and more specific the question , the more chance I got of getting the help required. The more these lessons learnt were applied, the better the answers became.

I just wish that there had been some detailed guides to posting, when I started out learning Opus, so I could have solved my problems quicker.

Many of the forums experts helped me, despite my "uninformed newbie type questions", including Mack, Lars, DemoFred, Sentosa , Tarangtoga , Paul, Duncan and many others. (While I registered on the forum in 2005, I only bought the program and started working on Opus just before last year)

My most embarrassing moment was posting a reply to an experienced Opus person, who had asked a question, and my criticizing their post in terms of some specifics. Fortunately, all had the grace to ignore my post (and indiscretions) and solve the problem.

Some more tips:
DON'T USE ALL CAPS in your posting – it can be considered offensive, and it may not get you that answer that you need. (Remember, you need the answer)
While not every one on this forum has English as a first language and spelling and grammatical mistakes are generally accepted, try to ensure that, if posting code examples that the syntax is correct and that spelling and caps are correct – a variable called "Dude" is not the same as one called "dude"! This could create a misconception that your code has a typo error as opposed to the real problem.
Lastly try to post in the correct forum thread. Read the threads "sticky" before posting. Posting a coding or database question in the "basics" thread could result in it not being read or not being answered timely.