General comment on the use of the Actinic forum

[Polly]

I have used the forum many times to help with any issues I have come across when developing sites with Actinic. I do however find that some of the comments posted on the forum by certain members are not intended to help others and are sometimes downright rude. Everyone has to start somewhere and we have all been on a learning curve at some time or another. Just because some of us are further along the curve than others does not mean that we have the right to be rude and insult those who are trying to catch up on that curve. When people are considering using Actinic for the first time they are bound to visit the forum to see what sort of help and advice they might be able to receive. Some of the comments posted on this site would certainly make them feel that they couldn't post a question for fear of being made to look stupid. I cannot understand why some forum members clearly don't want to help but feel it necessary to post what they think are smart comments.

[gabrielcrowe]

The answer is simple, and i'm sure that a lot of people who geniunely help out here will agree.

A lot of people who post here simply dont help themselves.

Take a look at all the noob comments on the forum, and you'll see that most of them have allready been answered, several times over. Not only that but they ahve been answered in the documentation, and advanced users guide.

Dozens of posts every day about the same topics.

You'll notice that a lot of the more brusk comments here on the forum are by members such as myself that are tired of answering the same questions over and over.

As stipulated many times. This forum is owned by Actinic, but its members are real people, with real lives. The learning curve you talk about, diddnt end for me, i'm still learning, but at least i read the manual, and i know how to use the search.

No amount of stickies and searching can help a person with actinic if they have no idea how to use the internet as a whole. A lot of the problems here are general internet related. The Actinic package allows you to create a shop with little, to no internet experience. but sooner or later Every shop owner, needs to learn a little more, or perform something in Actinic, that takes them out of the box. HTML, css, php and javascript, the foundations of the web, are lacking in a lot of online shop owners.

I suppose the point I'm making is, this forum is your SECOND line of defense against Actinic problems. The people here help you because they want to.

I want to help you.

[george]

Aye, there some terrible people about. One will along soon no doubt and mention that you've posted this in the wrong section.

Not me, I'm a nice guy nowadays.

Have a good day though.


PS Your first post is a complaint rather than a `hello I'm Zebedee (or whatever)? Does that give me a little hint of irony? Oh, the fun we had.

[Polly]

Yes I would fully agree that the forum is the second line of defense and yes, like you, I and the people who work with me are constantly learning. The postings that I refer to are the ones that are quite obviously posted by people who just like to make smart comments for the sake of it. Anyway I don't want to get into a slanging match over it - its an observation.

[RuralWeb]

I have used the forum many times to help with any issues I have come across when developing sites with Actinic

And been paid handsomly for the task no doubt - you may want in future to answer a few of the more basic questions and put something back into the forum instead of slagging off "certain members". Who, as gabe says, sit here day after day trying to help people who cannot help themselves and make it difficult for us to help when all they need do is for example post the url of thier website.

I look forward to seeing lots of posts from you helping the noobies and I will concentrate on the more out the ordinary posts - thank you for your help

[Polly]

Need I say more

[pinbrook]

Anyway I don't want to get into a slanging match over it - its an observation.

probably better to remove this whole thread then. As your observations are very inflamatory and will engender hostility.

[los_design]

I have used the forum many times to help with any issues I have come across when developing sites with Actinic. I do however find that some of the comments posted on the forum by certain members are not intended to help others and are sometimes downright rude. Everyone has to start somewhere and we have all been on a learning curve at some time or another. Just because some of us are further along the curve than others does not mean that we have the right to be rude and insult those who are trying to catch up on that curve. When people are considering using Actinic for the first time they are bound to visit the forum to see what sort of help and advice they might be able to receive. Some of the comments posted on this site would certainly make them feel that they couldn't post a question for fear of being made to look stupid. I cannot understand why some forum members clearly don't want to help but feel it necessary to post what they think are smart comments.

If ever there was an attempt to start flaming, there it is.....

As my dear old mam used to say, if you ain't got owt constructive to say, then say NOWT!!!

[RuralWeb]

Need I say more

Exactly Polly - and the people who really wind me up are the paid designers out there who constantly take from the forum without giving anything back.

Your first post on the forum and its slagging off people - check the critical comments I have made and you will usually find they are directed at commercial designers who treat the forum as a free design service and NEVER make a contribution. They get thier answer and they are off untill the next time the have a deadline to meet or have promised something to a client they cannot deliver.

Take example from other designers eg plebco who has a great deal of patience

[fergusw]

This forum is owned by Actinic, but its members are real people, with real lives.

As Gabriel says, Actinic own this forum. More specifically Actinic "moderate" this forum. Perhaps you might want to aim this more at the Actinic moderaters rather than the people who kindly contribute answers, opinions and thoughts (nicely or otherwise) to this community.

Regarding the "downright rude" comments you refer to; the fact that these "frustrated" individuals take the time to post at all, albeit an abruptly at times, shows that they have a vested interest in the quality if the forum and in helping people help themselves.


We are dealing with the written word.
Not spoken, seen nor heard aloud
Do not rely on your perception
of my own intent or slight inflection

[dave_finlayson]

plebco

Sorry, off topic I know, but that was a most excellent typo! I can think of a few people who must work for that company!

You are quite right though Malcolm, as a non-designer I simply don't understand why they design in software they clearly don't know how to use!

Regarding the so called 'rude' posts, I think this is just down to frustration, something only someone who uses the forum every day can understand.

[peblaco]

I don't expect everyone reads rules before they first post.

To respond abruptly or negatively in my opinion isn't necessary and says more about the person replying than the poster asking the question.

You can't change people. As with anything in life, if you don't like what someone says it's your choice whether you respond or engage. You can always ask someone else, there are enough of us to do that.

Beginners are more likely to ask something like "how can I stretch the text across the top of the page with 2 products beneath?", so those people aren't going to know that they have to type in "brochure, fragment, column or count" into the knowledge base. That's why I think most people give up searching there and post instead.

[dave_finlayson]

I think that's a very fair post Luoise. It's important to seperate this into 2 sides, non tekkie users who deserve a bit of respect and patience and designers, who frankly should know better!!!

[Jan]

I think a lot of it has to do with how questions are asked, you can tell when someone really doesn't understand and needs more help, and you can tell when someone is just being bone lazy. I've had to be bite my tongue today on an answer or two, I usually just leave the thread when that happens - I try not to get annoyed but occasionally do.

It's a free forum, within the rules people can answer as they wish, if people don't like the way certain people answer they can set something up to ignore those people.

Regards,

[Duncan Rounding]

...and designers, who frankly should know better!!!

I think that that is precisely what is the cause of the strong opinions. I find it annoying when some designers ask questions that seem to cleary show their lack of knowledge with general design - and especially so when they ask for specific details on of how to implement something to make a profit out of my freely given time. I rather decide not to post sometimes than pass comments, but the feeliing's the same non-the-less.

Unless I think the question is from a non-designer or novice I prefer to point people into the right direction rather than give all the details as a cut and paste solution.