What should new members know? (1 Viewer)

[Jon]

I want to create a good document to help new site members. The idea is to make the site more "sticky", so they keep coming back. With this in mind, I am trying to work out what to put in a post for new members, and have them read that post whenever they come here. We had one on the old site. We have a basic one here.

What do you think would be useful to new members to encourage them to keep coming back?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Something common that I have seen is the "this doesn't work" statement without further amplification. Therefore, a comment about "symptoms" might be appropriate. Or an option list like (a) Returns an error and message - please specify or (b) returns no records or (c) doesn't compile and highlights this line... or (c) returns too many records or (d) crashes Access or (e) crashes Windows ... or heck, even (f) a hand reaches out the screen and slaps me as a voice says "Silly person."

OK, sometimes my sense of whimsy overwhelms me. But the first several of those would be a good guideline for error reporting.

Also perhaps a delineation between requests for "how to?" vs. requests for "what is wrong?" because in the one case there is a conceptual problem and we probably don't want to discuss code right away, but in the second case code might be appropriate - along with code tags.

 

[Jon]

Here is an example from another forum I am on. I really like their introductory message and how it is formatted. I would love something like that here.

It would be great if I could create sections like that.

Anyone got thoughts on this or what sections might be good?

 

[Minty]

Hmm - One problem with this idea is this forum's newbies have a massively disparate amount of knowledge.

Some have quite well-developed databases but are stuck on one particular thing, others wouldn't know a normalised table structure if it held the winning lottery results and said hello. (No offence intended to any noobies reading this).

I'll be honest I think the amount of information in that email would be overpowering to me.
Maybe a copy of the links here: https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/general-access-database-essentials.309328/

 

[Gasman]

Jon,
Not wishing to appear rude, but do you really think a new user is going to look at all that.?

A few bullet points/lines along the idea The_Doc_Man posted would be more appropriate I would have thought.?

 

[CJ_London]

agree with Doc and Gasman - I would also add a comment about using code tags, explaining why it matters and how to do it, it's not so obvious as before - basically how to ask a question if you want to get the best out of the forum.

 

[NauticalGent]

A member on here has a link in their signature that read "How to get your questions answered quicker" I thought it was @spikepl but I was mistaken.

At any rate, I remember reading it when I first joined and how spot-on it was. I'll keep looking...

 

[Micron]

Anything that would reduce questions in the introductory forum, reduce the occurences of copious amounts of code outside of code tags, and above all else, cross posting without providing the external link, would get my vote. I don't believe there is a way to force anyone to follow guidelines let alone read them, so all you can do is try to reduce the unwanted. You will never eliminate it. Maybe a method of at least making newcomers load such a page before getting an open account is about all you can do because you can't be sure they'll read it.

 

[Jon]

Hmm - One problem with this idea is this forum's newbies have a massively disparate amount of knowledge.

That gives me the idea of having a Beginners/Advanced category. So, some good links for the inexperienced to get started, and important stuff for those with experience.

Not wishing to appear rude, but do you really think a new user is going to look at all that.?

Its just having a reference list open to those who want to look or not. One reason I nuked a ton of the sticky threads is that too many means nothing is highlighted. Most people probably just ignored them. With this concept, it is more about having a list of decent info or links but in just one place. With categories, people are free to look at the section that applies to them, if they want to. They don't have to look at all of it.

I would also add a comment about using code tags

I like that idea.

Anything that would reduce questions in the introductory forum,

Yes, that is a pain.

 

[Gasman]

Is there a way to offer up a page/link like this when one initially joins (or before their first post?)

https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/access-faq-essentials.309410/

 

[Jon]

There is an addon to force read thread. But it costs $35. Not sure if that is per year or one off. Trying to keep costs down. I send them a message saying go to the introduction link.

 

[CJ_London]

it is more about having a list of decent info or links but in just one place.

think it needs to be short and contains what, why and how

 

[CJ_London]

this is my suggestion as a starter for 10 - some of the percentages are best guess. Just to get a framework going, there may be things I've missed, could be better presented or just plain inappropriate.

As a new member of this forum if you want to get speedy and good quality responses to your questions please take a minute to read the following>>

A few facts:

• There are over 93,000 members on this forum of which less that 0.1% are regular responders - they are all volunteers
• Some 75% of responses are around clarifying your requirement before you can get an answer that works for you. That means more work for you, more work for responders.

If you were a responder - who would you prioritise responding to - someone who asks a clearly defined question? or someone who asked a poorly defined question?


So some tips to help you become a valued member:

It is easy to be vague without realising it. You know your situation, but responders have no knowledge of your skill level, your business and what your app is required to do. Providing a concise background to your situation will help them to understand more quickly and give relevant advice.​

​

Phrases such as 'does not work' are meaningless. Explain what it means - you get an error? (in which case provide the error description), a wrong result? (in which case provide the result you are getting) something else?. Without knowing this detail it is almost impossible to provide help.​

​

Do not post screenshots of code. Responders are unable to copy/paste from an image when responding and many won't feel inclined to help because of the extra effort involved in retyping it. Instead use the code tags (click the 3 dot button on the ribbon, and select the </> Code option, then paste into the new window.​

​

You may be trying to adapt a template or code snippet to meet your requirement. Many of these are generally quite old and designed to demonstrate functionality and are not intended for use in a real application so explain what your are trying to do. There are often better ways than how you imagine it must be done.​

​

If you have got code from somewhere else, it always helps to provide a link. For responders it helps to provide context of the purpose behind the code.​

​

If you have already posted your question to another forum (its called cross posting), provide a link to the thread - again it helps responders to not waste their time suggesting the same solutions. Consistently cross posting without the link is considered poor behaviour and usually results in you being ignored.​

​

Where appropriate, provide example data (you can create a table from the button on the ribbon or attach an excel file) together with the result that you expect from that data and the logic used to get that result. Make sure your example covers all eventualities, otherwise the suggested solution may be completely inappropriate.​

​

 

[Jon]

Thank you @CJ_London for your contribution. Eventually, I hope to create something that will be of genuine use to new members. If we provide them with something good, I hope it encourages them to stick around, get involved and participate in our lovely home here!

 

[isladogs]

That's an excellent set of comments CJL.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

How to get your questions answered

Was it Banana?

Here:-

How to get your questions answered promptly

Note: This is condensed version for the benefit of the board. For much more detailed info, read here. Steps to take BEFORE you post anything Debug the problem. Don't forget to verify the spelling and referencing! (See below for tips) Get all information about the error. See the next list to...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Was it Banana?

Bananas excellent post is also listed in the frequently asked questions section, in the sticky at the top no less!

Access FAQ Essentials

Top Threads: Thread Contributor Date Use Code Tags when posting VBA code John Big Booty Jan 19, 2013 Publishing access database on web, how and which way is the best? Pat Hartman Feb 1, 2013 How to get your questions answered promptly Banana May 15, 2008 How To Upload A Database To...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

 

[NauticalGent]

Was it Banana?

Here:-

How to get your questions answered promptly

Note: This is condensed version for the benefit of the board. For much more detailed info, read here. Steps to take BEFORE you post anything Debug the problem. Don't forget to verify the spelling and referencing! (See below for tips) Get all information about the error. See the next list to...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

Thats it!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I'll toss a little bit of composition into the pot. Cut/paste as you feel it is appropriate.

Beginning of composition:

Welcome to the new members of the Access World Forums. You have found a resource of people with widely varied backgrounds centering around use of Microsoft Access. Many of our members are experienced in projects based on many different central topics. They have a combination of training and experience that overlaps many subjects. However, none of them are mind readers.

When you post questions on this forum, you do so in hopes of getting answers. To make that work best, here are some guidelines.

1. Remember that we who answer your questions are volunteers. We get no pay for doing what we do. This forum is not called the Access World Forum by accident. We have members in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and some island nations. We work, sleep, and eat in almost every populated time zone. Therefore, help might not be there for you instantly. We do have to sleep sometimes, you know! We also have literally dozens if not hundreds of pending questions to be considered. We will get around to you in the quickest manner possible but our response might not be instantaneous.
2. Remember that you are the expert in your specific problem. We know nothing about it unless and until you tell us a little about the subject matter. We can hope to give you good advice, but don't expect us to instantly know your problem. Everyone here answers according to their habits, which means that some folks take up code questions. Others are experts in security or operating systems and their interaction with Access. We have a wide variety of experts but in any given topic, we might have limited expertise. Take that into account and be patient.
3. We have many sub-topics within the forum because Access has many parts to understand. Pick a topic that you think is best related to your problem. If you have issues with forms, we have a Forms category. If you have trouble with queries, we have a Queries category. There are some other categories for non-Access issues. Some categories aren't technical at all. We have a wide variety of choices so that our experts can pick topics where they feel they have the best chance to give you good answers. Help us by choosing the topic.
4. Before you ask a question, you might wish to search this forum for certain topics that are related to your problem. The Search feature is near the top of the screen to the right side of that menu bar. When you find something useful, look at the dates before adding a post to that thread. If it is more than a couple of years old, the people who wrote it might not still be active. Start a new thread if the last post is not very recent. You'll get better results that way.
5. When you want to understand a concept, tell us you want explanations or pointers or links to documentation on a given problem. Be clear that you are looking for verbal answers, not sample code - if that is what you want.
6. When you have a program element that is not giving you desired results, you need to tell us more than "It's not working." You know why you think it is not working. If you get the wrong result, tell us why you think something is wrong. And tell us what you expected to see.
7. When reporting an error, there are four things we will specifically need to know:
   • An error number and the text that goes with it
   • The line of code or part of your project that triggers this error.
   • The context or (if you prefer this word) surroundings when it occurs. More specifically, what were you doing at that point?
   • What was the intent of the code or operation - in plain language, not in code.
8. If you post code for diagnosis, tag it as code. In the tool bar above each question you see various options for Bold, Italic, Underscoring, and other effects. The one that looks like an ellipsis (...) with a down-arrow leads to choices including the CODE tags. If you have code you want us to see, select the code tag and put your code inside the tags. That way it can be neatly formatted. And if you do that, you CAN use the standard cut/paste operation to load the code.

End of Composition

 

[isladogs]

There is also this article that I contributed

How to respond to advice given in forums

Comments made in a recent thread have prompted me to write down my own views on how best to respond to advice given AS I hope everybody who posts here realises, none of us get paid for the time & effort spent answering questions on this forum. Furthermore, it can take a long time to answer...

www.access-programmers.co.uk