I am getting an increasing number of queries emailed directly to me (two
today), in spite of admonitions on the FAQ site not to. Sometimes I can
answer these questions easily enough, but for the majority I refer them
back to the newsgroup. This has become common enough to need a standard
reply and to that end I have put the following text together.
I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions, improvements.
Thanks.
Phil
Quote:
This is a reply to your email regarding the UK.D-I-Y FAQ site:
For a speedy reply always ensure there is a relevant Subject line in
place of the text that says "UK DIY FAQ Please type a topic here". Thank
you.
If possible ask your question on the uk.d-i-y newsgroup before mailing
me - I am *not* the FAQ, just the editor (see "How to Access the
uk.d-i-y Newsgroup" below). In the unlikely event that you have no luck
there, email me again and I will try to give advice, although I am only
the site maintainer and not an expert in all topics. If you do not know
how to access the newsgroup please study the following advice.
How do I Ask Questions or Give Answers?
=======================================
Asking Questions
================
First study the FAQ (Frequently Asked/Answered Questions) at
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ to see if your question is covered.
If you can't find the answer in the FAQ, check the uk.d-i-y archive by
doing an "Advanced Groups Search". Click the following link (it should
appear all on one line)
http://groups-beta.google.com/advanc...group:uk.d-i-y, and type
your search keywords in the appropriate boxes, then click "Google
Search". If you want to widen your search beyond discussions on
uk.d-i-y, just delete uk.d-i-y from the Newsgroup box. Also, specifying
dates in the "Return messages posted between" boxes can narrow the date
range searched.
If the answer still eludes you then there's a good chance that someone
with extensive knowledge will respond to a courteous question posted in
the uk.d-i-y newsgroup. Since their reply will be made in the newsgroup
their words of wisdom will be shared with a large audience and will
therefore benefit more people.
Contributors to the FAQ and the newsgroup prefer to answer questions by
posting to the newsgroup and may not respond to direct email, indeed
they may well be annoyed by it. If you have a question, first try to get
an answer by posting your question to the uk.d-i-y newsgroup. Others
readers will then have the benefit of the Question and Answer too, and
you will probably get a range of replies. In the event that you do not
get a useful response from the newsgroup, you could try a direct email
to the FAQ Maintainer. However, you will only receive this standard
reply unless you point out that you tried to ask on the newsgroup first.
The FAQ Maintainer is not an expert in all topics but may be able to
point you in the right direction.
Give some background information about what you are trying to achieve,
and if the question is about specific hardware include as much
information as possible, such as make, model, ancillary equipment etc.,
and what you have tried so far. It is helpful to give some idea of your
competence in the area, as this will affect the kind of answer you get.
Isolated questions with no background often do not attract useful
answers. Make sure that the Subject line of your question is accurate
and to the point. Do not use an all-purpose Subject line like "Help", or
"Urgent - No heat".
Note that no answers come with guarantees! You are responsible for your
own actions even if based on advice. However, several people usually
look at replies posted to the group and poor or inaccurate advice is
generally challenged or corrected.
When your question has been answered, a short response thanking those
who gave useful or potentially useful advice is nice. The lack of this
seriously reduces your chance of getting a response to future queries. A
later follow up, to tell us the outcome, is also nice.
Answering Question posted by others
===================================
You should not send direct email in response to questions posted on the
newsgroups, unless the poster specifically asks for email replies, as
this excludes others from the benefit of your contribution.
Occasionally there will be reasons why someone will post but not be able
to access replies on the newsgroup, and then they will ask for email. If
you do send a direct email, don't forget to post a copy to the
newsgroup. Many people find it irritating to get email, possibly having
responded to it, only to later read the identical material on the
newsgroup. Be assured that any answer you post to the newsgroup will be
read - the duplication is unnecessary.
How to Access the uk.d-i-y Newsgroup
====================================
An easy way is to use the Google facilities. Click this link
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/uk.d-i-y and when you reach the
Google Groups page, click "Sign-In" or "Join".
Once signed in, click the "Start a new topic " link to post your
question to the group (also known as a forum), then check back later to
see if you have had any replies.
Alternatively, you can use a more specialised 'newsreader' and a good
starting point is to go to the http://www.newsreaders.com/ or
http://www.newsreaders.com/web/index.html website.
But first...
Make sure your browser is set to send plain text, not an HTML
(web-based) message. Non-text or binary images are not allowed. Do not
use any special effects, not even bold or coloured fonts. These will not
come out on the posted message, and may even be illegible.
If you have use of a personal web site you can upload any photos or
images there and just put the link address in your message.
If you want to include an 'ASCII' diagram, use a fixed width font such
as Courier, otherwise it will not come out right for other readers. It's
a good idea to prefix such diagrams with a note to your reader to tell
them to 'switch to a fixed width font', too.
|
Phil
The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/
The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at
http://tinyurl.com/65kwq
Remove NOSPAM from address to email me