How can we improve the support process?

[mag00]

Hi, I was looking for a way to add a tab to my forum. In the process of search, faqs etc, I still have no answer.  

Sure the FAQs even address this topic, but I assure you the answer is not there.

Unless it is written in some sort of code the average user in not familiar with, it is not there.

So yes, I can add the tab, but no instructions on how to make it go(link) to my main site homepage. or at least not in a language that  most humans may understand.

So you want to know how to make it better? Well let's get it done now, I will help you rewrite as I receive the directions. Otherwise I will have to start a new topic.

Actually I will start a new topic. There are many reasons for this. One: Is this not a forum community of help? What's the big deal in helping? I like chatting with others who are working with the same softwares.

I recently had a run in with phpbb on spam bots. Well I wanted to fix it and asked opinions on the best way. Mod came in, very rudely and locked the topic. The topic was moving along nicely and had nice alternatives and ideas to remedy the problem.

Seems the mods are annoyed by all the how do I stop the spam bots posts. Well instead of getting all uppity, maybe they should fix their software huh?

Seems a forum that supports the forum platform should be the friendliest place on earth. Why? Well at my forums the more action it gets, the happier I am. Encourage the new members to help out, this takes the strain off the more established members.

Get rid of the FAQ's completely, thus you have to ask a question and get help from another human. Is this not what a forum is for?

I think that you are rather looking at this backwards. How can you encourage members to ask more questions, and how can you encourage more new members to share their tricks?


OK so my thread is at http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=170952.0

Now, I am sure I am not the only person to use smf and want to click on a tab and go to my homepage, not just the forum homepage.

I have been on and off trying to get this done for over a year, each time no luck.  I am formally asking in a separate thread now. Is that wrong?

Dave

[metallica48423]

i must respectfully disagree with the 'less faqs' part.  Of course i believe in human interaction, so don't get me wrong here.   However i must note that really, any website owner should have a basic grasp on some things in case such a scenario does arise.  Not in the interests of not wanting to help, but rather in being interested in seeing the web grow legitimately and be populated by quality sites with webmasters who are knowledgeable enough to attend to them.   That mini-rant aside, I've written something up that I want to field test that explains in a bit more detail how things can be changed.  I'll link to it in your topic

[Assistance]

I voted : The simplemachines.org website is too hard to navigate.

but don't get me wrong, its not that its to hard
it really could be organized better.

there is a reason why there are alot of post that have to be moved, and yes that will for sure happen on a support site,


something like Chit Chat board description
Feel free to talk about anything, especially about how good we are for making this .

then you have....
Site Comments
Comments on this slick site? Post them here.


I think i was going to make a theme, and wanted to learn how to do it proper, wow that was a chore that I honestly gave up on.  Alot of the pinned topics take you to broken links, and feels like an endless circle.

Personally, I will give up and move onto something else then have to ask, which of the pinned topic combination with out broken links and images has my answer.


suppport in general is top notch here, its just finding it.


downloaded a mod, needed some help with it
just to find someone say, oh its been replied to in this thread......... right
30 pages later, may stumble on an answer but not necessarily fix the problem.


is there anyway possible to split the (mod)support topics up for board versions?
that would reduce the thread sizes and say a year from now after a mod has went thru many many changes, new people are not going to be lost and feel like they are in a zoo.

or maybe mod authors clean them up? with....
1st post...link to there mod
...1st reply known troubling shooting support

I know that sounds like a lot of hard work which people dont always have time for, but that would give the best support possible.

the above suggestion would make searches key into related topics better

possibly have the mod author link to doc site that is relative

lol, i just read my preview, I must be in a SMF Dream

[Coldfx]

Human Laziness.

New people are lazy people

Just add something similar to the Topic Solved mod, and all will be smooth in my personal opinion.

[KGIII]

The topic solved mod is normally installed - it just isn't at this very moment in time as the theme is worked on.

[Sarge]

I guess it would nice to have support boards divided into separate child boards, one for each SMF version. Or at least one board for SMF 1.0.x, maybe a second for the 1.1 RCs and a board for the 1.1 Final line. This is an established practice when creating support forums -- for software in general, not just for forums.

By the way, the phpBB community forum has separate categories for 2.0.x and 3.0.x...

[metallica48423]

i agree with sarge, and feel that may be necessary due to the fact that we'd then be supporting 3 lines.  1.0, 1.1, and 2.0

Just my opinion :p

[Harro]

Would be a good idea.
But not a seperate one for the RC/Beta's though.
People that are still using those should upgrade anyway

[Joshua Dickerson]

I would imagine the 1.0 line would be merged in to 1.1. Even now, you should have upgraded to 1.1 and we shouldn't be supporting it IMO.

[metallica48423]

So then you'd be in support of a 1.0/1.1 set, and a 2.0 set.

Now, the reason i say this might be a good idea is an attempt to at least organize some things.  1.0 and 1.1 support is so intertwined at times it can be hard to tell which version we're trying to support IMO.   Then we waste time and feel stupid especially if we give a code change or similar that is for an 1.1 line and the user is using 1.0.

Plus, I think it would help people locate help for their relevant branch of SMF.  If they're looking for 2.0 help, its not likely, IMO, that they're going to be looking for stuff aboug 1.0, but yet they'll find a lot of it.

Just my opinions

[margarett]

Having read the latest comments, I came up with another idea (although this goes aside from the original post). The separation from versions is nice, I think.

Well, the idea here is to help the users. So, it's nice if they help the support helping them.

I would say, REQUIRE a "standard" model for support requests (have something like a banner in the support boards to let people know), different for each support board. No model, topic blocked. Examples:
General English Support -- SMF V. 1.0 / 2.0
SMF Version:
Installed MODs:
Installed languages:
Installed themes:
Problem description:
Printscreen available/needed?

General English Support -- Converters and Importers
SMF version:
"Other" BB version:
Is SMF correctly installed and running?
Do you have your "Other" BB in maintenance mode while converting?
Do you have installed MODs in your "Other" BB? If yes, name them. (could prevent the converter from working)
Do you have mysql/phpmyadmin experience? -- this could help identify the "target" whom we are talking to. sometimes it's necessary to make some sql queries (I remember my phpBB conversion for instance)

Most of the times, those are questions that we need to ask over and over. If they are there already, it's easier. It won't probably reduce the number of support threads, but it's a way to create a "standard" that will (I think) produce better search results...

[Kerrith]

Run instructions past a school teacher, better yet a former military instructor, one who is clear that too many questions indicates that the instructions aren't getting gotten.

One difference between a military instructor and a college professor is the latter "dumps" (lectures/talks at) subject matter in a student's space and accepts no responsibility for ensuring that communication takes place; whereas a military instructor gets downgraded as an instructor when a student fails the course.

What would cut back on questions is if programmers/script writers used the Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, instructional format. This method makes it easier for us end users to provide feedback about instructions,

Kerry

PS. I'm hoping someone will start publishing instructions solely in the RSS format. In that way they would have the master copy on their desktop. With feedback they could edit and improve upon it daily.

[KGIII]

PS. I'm hoping someone will start publishing instructions solely in the RSS format. In that way they would have the master copy on their desktop. With feedback they could edit and improve upon it daily.

I can show you how to get 150 of them but, for bandwidth sake, probably shouldn't post the URL right here.

[Joshua Dickerson]

Run instructions past a school teacher, better yet a former military instructor, one who is clear that too many questions indicates that the instructions aren't getting gotten.

One difference between a military instructor and a college professor is the latter "dumps" (lectures/talks at) subject matter in a student's space and accepts no responsibility for ensuring that communication takes place; whereas a military instructor gets downgraded as an instructor when a student fails the course.

What would cut back on questions is if programmers/script writers used the Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, instructional format. This method makes it easier for us end users to provide feedback about instructions,

Kerry

PS. I'm hoping someone will start publishing instructions solely in the RSS format. In that way they would have the master copy on their desktop. With feedback they could edit and improve upon it daily.

I am having a but of trouble understanding what you mean. Are you suggesting that the code be written in a certain way or people ask questions in a certain way or the documentation be written in a certain way?

BTW, there are actually a bunch of people that have been in the military or are currently in the military on the SMF Team. I don't think you want us to get "military" with our actions

[Kerrith]

Hi groundup,

My suggestion pertains mainly to install and upgrade instructions. This is a touchy subject. I know that I'm attached to my sentence structures and that another's suggestion often triggers upset. My mind is trained to make the student wrong for not understanding as opposed to getting that I unconsciously set it up for the student to train me, to support me, in communicating through to mutual satisfaction.

Vets know that the word "military" as I used it is misleading, in fact military classrooms are the least "military" of any military activity. Military as I use the term refers to the point of view of the staff/instructors whose job it is is to write clear concise instructions. The test for whether the instructor passed is—how many questions students had to ask so as to understand what the instructor believed to be clear instructions.

Military "actions" yes, why not? This threads stated mission is to "improve the support process." The word "improve" needs to be translated into a  measurable goal. One such goal could be, "To reduce by 50% the number of questions pertaining to the install/upgrade instructions being asked on this forum." Then we have a game, a goal. The SMF Team would record the number and types of questions the next update generates. That data could then be used as the base line for setting a goal for improvement. The mission of the team then becomes, reducing the the number of questions subsequent installs/updates generate. Such a game (a military-like objective) could not help but generate more conversations about instructions among the team members before they present them to us end users. One question team members might ask is, "Will Kerry understand this?"

[Kerrith]

Hi KGIII, The key word is "solely." I'd like to see a link to an rss feed in the in the readme or install.php file in the download update folder. My understanding is that such instructions would be continually updated and therefore always include clarifications that other users had requested. I've often found duplicate instructions that are not the same as the ones in the download. In other words, have only one set of install instructions. Answers to posts could then say, "See para. 2 of the Install Instuctions."

I'd like to see a link to what you are referring.

Thanks, Kerry

[Peter Duggan]

Run instructions past a school teacher, better yet a former military instructor, one who is clear that too many questions indicates that the instructions aren't getting gotten.

BTW, there are actually a bunch of people that have been in the military or are currently in the military on the SMF Team.

And at least one school teacher!

[Joshua Dickerson]

Kerrith: well, if we decided to use a military mindset, there would be a lot of people in the front leaning rest. Then they wouldn't be able to use their keyboards. An image comes to mind of people using their nose to type in the down position. hahah, that would be great.

The goal of this topic is to figure out ways to reduce the number of support topics and to make it easier, faster, and all around better support. Correct, the way that we can judge that is by counting the number of new posts after we have completed the changes.

We do a lot of discussion in the team boards. Trying to step outside of the box and think like a new user is a catch 22. The more you know, the less you are like a new user. The less you know, the less you can help. Yet, the support and doc staff here tries to do that constantly. I think user input is key though. We will never truly know what you (the users of this site) think the first time you stumble across this site.

[KGIII]

I'd like to see a link to what you are referring.

Sending via PM.

[Sarge]

I'd like to see a link to what you are referring.

Sending via PM.

May I have it too?