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10-24-09, 11:33 AM   #1
MidgetMage55
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To all those seeking help.

So recently I've noticed a rather unsettling pattern. Quite a few users have been asking for help then either berating the person helping with things like:

Your an idiot. Stop assuming I don't know how to... (insert other colorful remarks here)
And in cases where some trouble shooting is required we get:

Oh I don't want to do that it sounds hard (or too much effort and so on). Can't you just tell me whats wrong?
So I figured I would re-post this as a reminder for all those seeking help.

Quoted from Cairren (sticked at the top of the interface help forums)

Before you post:

1. Did you check the faq to verify the proper way to install your UI?

2. Did you make sure that the files aren't in a sub-folder within your custom folder? See this graphical interpretation.

3. Is there any chance that you have 2 WoW directories?

ie C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Blah blah blah and C:\World of Warcraft\Blah blah blah, or anything like that?

If so, that may be the problem. Try putting your ui files in the other one.

As well, make use of the Search button, as it is entirely possible that your problem has already been encountered and solved.


If after all of that, you are still having problems, please remember these things, when posting your help request:

1. Be polite. Show respect for other people's time, when you ask them to help you. Don't beg or grovel or SHOUT IN CAPS or be similarly lame

2. Give a good subject to your thread. Its easier for some one to help you if you have a good subject instead of something like “helperz me nowz!!!?!1.”;

3. What is the name of the mod? Provide a link for it;

4. What steps did you take to install the mod? Post your install path;

5. Be as descriptive as you can. Just posting you cant get xyz mod to work will result in no responce to your help request. The more information you can provide the faster some one will be able to respond with a helpful answer. Describe what AddOns you have installed, what you did that caused the problem, exactly what happens;

6. list the things you've tried and what happened for each of them.
Please bear in mind that this isn't like taking your car to a mechanic. We as a community aren't at your computer with you. We are unable to help you if your aren't willing to help yourself (read as we cant do it for you we can only guide you). We don't know much if anything about you personally. Namely we don't know what your have tried. What your level of ability is with a computer and various other things.

So please keep in mind that if someone trying to help seems to be giving you overly basic instructions something that you may know and have tried it is because we don't know what you have done if you don't tell us. The devil is in the details so to speak. And for those that are not very skillful please let us know this. We can give detailed replies or link you to specific directions for certain operations.

Don't forget troubleshooting steps exist for a reason. They won't kill you. 20 minutes out of your play time is not the end of the world. If you honestly don't want to lose that time then I suggest avoiding addons as there is a time investment involved on occasion.

Also bear in mind we are doing this because we enjoy it. So please check the attitude at the door. Asking for help then being rude about the help you get is just a fast way to not get any more help. To those helping, please give the same courtesy.

Originally Posted by Praesagus View Post
If you think the original poster didn't read the faqs or didn't do enough research on their own, so be it. Feel free to point them at the faqs along with any suggestions or just don't respond but way too often I see somebody ask a question to only get berated/insulted and given no help whatsoever.
And when pointing people to those faqs I would suggest being diplomatic about it.

Politeness goes a long way.

Thank you for your time if you made it this far.

/wall of text off
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Last edited by MidgetMage55 : 10-24-09 at 02:29 PM. Reason: Adding excellent statement by Praesagus
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10-24-09, 11:38 AM   #2
ravagernl
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Sticky!

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.
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10-24-09, 11:39 AM   #3
Praesagus
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I'd like to add that responders should also be polite in there responses. If you think the original poster didn't read the faqs or didn't do enough research on their own, so be it. Feel free to point them at the faqs along with any suggestions or just don't respond but way too often I see somebody ask a question to only get berated/insulted and given no help whatsoever.
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10-24-09, 12:00 PM   #4
Petrah
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This needs to be a sticky!!

On a side note... the very things you've stated in your post is why a lot of us either don't help people anymore or have slowed down with the help that we offer. Dealing with unappreciative little brats gets old after awhile.
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10-24-09, 02:24 PM   #5
MidgetMage55
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Originally Posted by Praesagus View Post
I'd like to add that responders should also be polite in there responses. If you think the original poster didn't read the faqs or didn't do enough research on their own, so be it. Feel free to point them at the faqs along with any suggestions or just don't respond but way too often I see somebody ask a question to only get berated/insulted and given no help whatsoever.
I made sure to note that in the last line of my statement. I can understand the general frustration people who choose to help feel when some of the answers are already spelled out and people opt not to search. And as you have stated politeness of those helping is not always the case as we have all seen. I will make sure to amend the original statement to elaborate on this.
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10-24-09, 05:22 PM   #6
Yhor
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Nice work MidgetMage! Hong Kong Phooey would be proud.

Originally Posted by Petrah View Post
This needs to be a sticky!!

On a side note... the very things you've stated in your post is why a lot of us either don't help people anymore or have slowed down with the help that we offer. Dealing with unappreciative little brats gets old after awhile.
I couldn't agree more, nothing takes the wind out of a "helper's" sails faster.


Maybe we can be done with conversations like these...

Originally Posted by Mrentitled12
Just HELP me! I cant plays my palidan cuz my stuff is broke and now it doesn work!

Originally Posted by HelpVolunteer
....What doesn't work?
My addons, didn't I say that already?!? Can you READ?!
If they will only read the sticky .



And to those who do answer politely, even when dealing with the most "difficult" of people... Thank you for making this site an exception to the internet. I wish every community online could be as civilized as this one, even when the most controversial topics arise. Kudos to "The Team" for helping keep it this way.
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10-24-09, 09:38 PM   #7
zero-kill
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I'll admit that my reading skills aren't what they used to be
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10-24-09, 10:19 PM   #8
Sepioth
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Good job MM55 ... I too agree that this should be stickied ..


I have no qualms with helping anyone .. even after they are rude. (I feel like this just happened to me recently ... ) I have been working in retail for 15+ years now and have come across WAY too many rude people and are more or less numb to it now so it doesn't bother me anymore). Thankfully though the really nice people usually out weight the jerks.
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10-24-09, 10:48 PM   #9
Cairenn
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*points out that it's already been stickied*
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10-24-09, 11:11 PM   #10
MidgetMage55
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Aww my first sticky post. Thanks for the kind words.
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10-26-09, 06:22 AM   #11
Bluspacecow
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Originally Posted by MidgetMage55 View Post
Aww my first sticky post. Thanks for the kind words.
Now if only they would sticky my post on tips for battle.net security

<_<

>_>

Nah just kdding

Now some on topic stuff.

Also bear in mind we are doing this because we enjoy it. So please check the attitude at the door. Asking for help then being rude about the help you get is just a fast way to not get any more help. To those helping, please give the same courtesy.
This is exactly why I spend some much time on [fill in the blank] Forums everywhere.

I like helping people. I like trying to solve their problems.

But a little politeness and consideration in a post for help goes a long way.

One of my pet hates is people who post stuff in one long run on sentence or in one long paragraph IE in one long block of text. I'm sorry guys but when I see someone posting in one big block of text I don't read it.

It may seem elitist of me but with one big block of text it makes it harder for me to read it. Or to keep track of where I was in reading it. Or where in the post certain details are. It's incredibly easy to lose track of where you were in one big block of text and I often miss details out.
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WoWInterface » General Discussion » Chit-Chat » To all those seeking help.

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