By Gail Bjork
www.digicamhelp.com

“Nervous newbie.” What an appropriate first title for many new members who join Outfront seeking answers to questions about web design, development and all sorts of related issues.

Though I don’t remember the initial questions I asked after discovering the forums at Outfront, well do I recall how nervous and embarrassed I was to post. I spent week after week reading through questions and replies that were barely understandable to me. I felt dumb and as a result hesitated clicking on that “Post New Thread” button. I also thought others would consider my questions stupid, so stupid that perhaps no one would reply.

Boy, was I wrong. I now know that those feelings were unfounded and am glad for the day I got up enough courage to begin asking questions. Before realizing it, I was also replying to questions asked by others.

For many of us who participate in Outfront, it is impossible to fully express how much knowledge and help we gain as a result of making inquiries in the forums. It is also impossible to express the depth of satisfaction one receives when offering a reply and knowing that the answer has helped other individuals.

Members occasionally say their questions go unanswered, that a reply didn’t address their specific problem, or that the reply was too simplistic or complex to be helpful. This article offers a few suggestions, which hopefully address these concerns.


Asking questions at Outfront

Whether our skill level is beginner, intermediate or advanced, each one of us has questions from time to time. Obtaining satisfactory responses in a forum may depend on how well a question is written in the first place. Here are a few tips.

1- Post your question in the appropriate forum.

Outfront offers numerous forums which provide members a variety of topic areas in which to post questions. Questions should be placed in a forum that best suits your area of inquiry. By doing so, your question is more likely to receive a complete and knowledgeable reply. Sometimes a Moderator will move a post to a more appropriate forum if he or she believes you will receive better answers in it.

2- Post the same question only once and in only one forum.

As a courtesy to yourself and others, don’t post the same question simultaneously in more than one forum. This prevents possible duplication of answers and also helps ensure that responses flow sequentially.

3- Write Subject Lines that are specific to the type of assistance you seek.

After making a post, it is your Subject Line forum members see first. Individuals often decide to read a particular thread based on the content of the Subject Line. Make the most of this fact by writing a descriptive phrase that helps others better understand the nature of your question. For example, it is preferable to write, "Help with Tables" than to simply write, "HELP." The first Subject Line in the example specifically states the type of help you need while the second tells others very little.

4- Ask a question in a manner that others can understand.

Keep questions as concise and to the point as possible. Provide enough background information to put your inquiry in perspective but don’t ramble so the actual question is obscured. I often type a question (or a reply) in Notepad and review it a few times. When I feel comfortable that the question is stated clearly in a manner others can understand, I copy and paste the text into the Message area.

5- Limit the number of questions in a single post.

The reasons for this should be obvious. If you ask multiple, unrelated questions in the same post, it becomes more difficult to provide clear answers.

6- Where possible, include a URL.

If the code, graphic or other technical problems you encounter can be viewed live on a web page, be sure to include the URL so others can take a look. Prior to posting, double check that the URL is spelled and works correctly by testing the link in the Preview window.

7- Illustrate your question.

A picture truly says “1000 words.” When possible, consider uploading a graphic to illustrate the specific problem you are encountering. Here are two of the many Outfront threads where this technique has been effectively used.

http://www.frontpagewebmaster.com/tm.asp?m=118009

http://www.frontpagewebmaster.com/tm.asp?m=135491

NOTE: At the conclusion of this article, instructions relating to item #7 are provided about how to create a screen print and how to embed it in a post.

“Screen Print: How to capture an image from your monitor”

“How to upload an image in a ‘Post New Thread’ or ‘Reply to Message’ window.”

8- When you don’t understand a reply or if the reply is incomplete.

Don’t hesitate to ask additional questions upon receiving a response. If you don’t understand a reply at all, say so. Request further clarification by explaining the areas where additional assistance is needed.

9- If a question is unanswered.

On rare occasions a question may go unanswered. When this happens, don’t get discouraged. If no one replies after a reasonable amount of time, “bump up” the thread. Simply reply to your own post and ask again if someone can provide an answer. If you still don’t receive a reply after a few days, ask your question anew, perhaps by rewording it and using a different but descriptive Subject Line.

Replying to questions at Outfront

Providing an answer can be easy and straightforward but at times it is easier said than done. Some are more difficult to articulate, particularly in writing. Finding the right balance between brevity and thoroughness is often the key to giving advice that is truly helpful.

A new Outfronter recently highlighted the frustrations we can face when reading a reply to a question. He wrote in an Instant Message to another member:

“I think if people who cannot answer the SPECIFIC question, they should not give vague or ‘overall/blanket’ answers that do nothing more than frustrate the asker, no matter how good their intentions.

“Almost all the answers I've ever received on any forum have been under the assumption that I know more than I do, no matter how many times I've stated clearly that I'm unfamiliar with the program/script/OS/etc.”

Some questions require only a brief response. Others do not. While I’ve encouraged the virtue of brevity and clarity in this article, sometimes a quick reply is no help at all. The answer itself may be correct, but it can be so sparse that it provides no meaningful help to others, particularly a beginner.

“When I post a question like ‘can I center a background that matches the web page design,’ I get answers like ‘use css’ or ‘paste this code’. I have no idea what that stuff means or where to put it. I'm still trying to figure out how the existing code is placing the images where they are at!”

When answering a question, consider these suggestions:

1- Replies, including highly technical ones, should be written clearly and to the point, using a minimum of technical language. When technical terms are necessary, they should be explained for the beginner.

2- A reply should provide sufficient information so that is really is helpful. For example, don’t simply advise an individual to “paste this code” without saying where to paste it.

3- Follow up! If time permits, be willing to reply more than once to a question when needed. The answer to a question often leads to additional inquiries. You may very well be just the right person to provide the extra help.

Conclusion

Outfront is a community composed of individuals of differing skill levels who join together for the purpose of sharing and learning about web design and development. Asking questions and sharing answers is at the very heart of the success of Outfront forums and of members who take advantage of all that the forums offer. So, what are you waiting for?!

Print Screen: How to take a screen shot

You can create an image of an open window or screen as it appears on your monitor.

- To copy the entire screen: press PRINT SCREEN on your keyboard

- To copy the active window: press ALT+PRINT SCREEN on your keyboard

A graphical copy of the window or screen will be saved to the Clipboard. You many paste the image into a document, or into an image editing program.

- To paste the image into an open document, click the Edit, then click Paste.

- To paste the image into an image-editing program such as Image Composer, Photoshop, Adobe Elements or PaintShop Pro, open the program, select New in the File menu, and then click Paste in the
Edit menu.

The image may be edited like any other graphic object.

How to upload an image in a “Post New Thread” or “Reply to Message” window

In the File area near the bottom of the Post or Reply window, you can insert (embed) an image into the Message area of a post. Select “Embed picture in post” and click on “Click here to Upload” (if an image has been uploaded already, it it will say “Replace Current File”). When the window opens, select “Browse” next to the Select a file to upload” and navigate to where the image is stored on your computer. Select OK. When you are ready to save your post, click OK again and the image will be imbedded along with your reply. Please note there is a maximum file size of 50 kb and gif, jpegs and text are the three supported formats.

For further reading: Outfront Forum FAQ http://www.frontpagewebmaster.com/tm.asp?m=78084

Gail Bjork
www.gtbdesign.com