How can we improve the support process?

[KGIII]

Yup. Though it isn't as good as I had hoped. I'll check and see if that can be improved though.

[Sarge]

Thanks for the link.

[KGIII]

I am going to see if an exception can be made and the entirety of the posts be given via RSS.

[Kerrith]

Hi KGIII,

Thanks for the link in your PM to the SMF Online Manual RSS feed.

It's not exactly what I have in mind but it's definitely getting there. What I envision is The Manual as a feed but that is added to daily as pertinent info (as determined solely by SMF Manual staff) come in. A link to The Manual would be in the download package. That is to say, the user would click the RSS feed in the install.txt file or the readme.txt and they would have the latest and only source of install info. Info discussed in forum posts that was determined to be of value by SMF manual staff would be copy-pasted to The Manual daily.

Often I see a user post minor fixes to code they made to a .php file during an install. Another user will add to it saying , "Oh yah and I added this ... to yours." When I get to the end of the thread I don't know if these suggestions are essential and approved by staff or what they look like in their final iteration.

Again, thanks, Kerry

[Kerrith]

I have no idea how the search code works for forums but it seems to be the same for all the forums I use. Like a good member I enter some key words but invariably I don't get what I'm looking for so I can understand why others don't use the search feature and simply post questions that have been asked before. I enter the same key words in Google and most times I get an answer. My suggestion would be to ask Google to design a search engine for forums.

Kerry

[Kerrith]

I'm assuming here that you are asking for all aspects of improving the SMF forum. This suggestion is about taking your support, as great as it is, to the next level. I wouldn't be taking the time composing suggestions if I wasn't intent on supporting the continued success of SMF.

There is a way to moderate a forum that always feels good to a member. It begins with all staff being aligned with the commitment to zero abuse, condescension, or make-wrong. With such a forum all support specialists run their replies past the moderator (but do so only as a mental exercise) —Does this reply support the moderator's policy?

For example: One forum I use I can't ask a wrong question because they simply don't think that way. I'm never chastised and if I post in the wrong thread it's simple moved with a polite communication that it was moved. Condescension is not a problem because the moderators all agree to be polite and appreciative. I find the attitude so different, so respectful, that I find myself trying harder to use their search engine.

Another example: My clients always run important communications past me before sending them. Two minds usually can find the unconsciousness that could trigger upset or confusion. One client has been doing this for so long (14 years) that most often now he has no need to call me, he can imagine my suggestions in his mind as he composes.

It's best that no one reply to this suggestion, it would be hard to do so and have everyone feel good.

Much appreciation for the space to communicate.

Kerry

[Vampy]

As a mere user and frequent screamer for help I find that the search never throws up exactly what I'm looking for or my precise problem. To avoid the risk of tagging on to an already resolved query and being ignored completely, most users will opt for starting their own thread. Add to that the fact that many new users of SMF don't even know WHAT to seacrh for, only the symptoms as it were.

I also don't think most users are fully aware of the documentation - I know I wasn't until recently

[KGIII]

Two things to add to this...

Kerry, "Kerrith," could you drop me a PM at some point? I am not sure what I will harvest but I really want to pick your brain.

Second, I am not sure of what the response from the Doc Team will be. I have asked for a full version to be made available via RSS which, hopefully, an RSS aggregator would pick up changed articles as required. I would like to see a printable manual in various formats available but with the current version of the manual and the way it is put in place that seems rather difficult.

[Coldfx]

Just thought I'd throw a suggestion out there:

A new board for "Solved Topics".  Imagine the "Tips and Tricks" board, except now it's for support questions that were answered.  Topping it off with an index of topics would be nice too.

~My 2 cents.

[metallica48423]

I would tend to agree with the idea of a solved topics board, but if it were indexed, that index would be HUGE beyond belief after awhile.   Not to mention hard to maintain

[Rudolf]

However a solved board would be good. Almost like a knowledge base. Question and answer style.
Right now if you enter a board looking for an answer you have to open a couple of unsolved topics (related to your question) until you find the one that has an answer. Having a board where you know that you will find answers would be a good thing.
Forget about the index topic.

[Coldfx]

Oh, and throw in possibly the "topic solved" mod?

[metallica48423]

we already use a topic solved mod.

[minusonebit]

There is a manual for this thing? Where? I didnt know that, so I'd say yeah, thats an issue.

But I have found that the search here seems to be pretty useless. I.e. when I searched for the error I was having, it gave me 100s of threads IIRC and none of them had the error message in the topic and the first few were not relevant. Maybe I just used a particularly bad query, but I am usually pretty good with that so I'd tend to look elsewhere. Another trait of users, they are never at fault. :-)

Users don't search or RTFM, thats just a fact of life. You'll never escape it.

[mollysden]

I don't consider myself lazy. I've read over the docs and I've used the search function. I've also gone back many pages in a topic looking for what I need. Sadly, I find my exact question asked and answers like "read the faq" or "that's been answered before". That's really not helpful. I also see people post questions, get a couple of replies, then say "thank you, I figured it out myself", yet they never post the solution or the code to help anyone else.

My needs were simple, my php skills are zero. I was someone who needed more indepth answers then those that were supplied in the documentation. Many of us are not stupid, we simply do not have php knowledge and need a little help.

I had an awful time adding a menu tab at the top of the forum to an external site and getting a banner at the top to display the way I wanted it to display. I was eventually able to work with the instructions in the documentation, but it was on a test board with much trial and error and broke the board several times along the way. It should have been easier.

[romeoyankee]

Just throwing in my 2 cents as an end user that is basically treading water in the world of PHP, XML, CSS etc etc etc

I think that we might all forget what its like to be a complete newb coming into the world of SMF and the web. 

When I first started messing around with web design it was just for fun.. hell.. still is.

I bought a domain and started to design just out of the sheer interest in learning something new.  I get enough time away from work that I am able to design a site and have enough time to keep er going.  But thats it.

For the same reason that you arent able to provide instantaneous support I am unable to sort through hours and hours of posts to try and find what I am looking for. 

Dont get me wrong.. you dont owe me anything.  I am not paying for anything nor do I think you should answer me within 10 mins of me asking.  If I were paying you something and support were included then different story.

So basically coming from a newbs point of view.. Its intimidating. 

Yeah I know about the SEARCH button but the problem is with a site that has THIS many posts on it,  it is very difficult to find what you are looking for in there.  I know that alot of people are only dealing with the forum as a side project and have time to read and read and read but when I do a search and there are 19 pages of results with each result having 19 pages of posts that have links to 19 other pages of results etc etc.. it gets tough.  It would take me about 2 days to solve each simple little problem.  There needs to be a way to stop the multiple posting.

How about when people start new topics they should be entering a bit of info about the actual problem in the topic heading..  Rather then Help Me.  or Im Lost or whatever.  It would make it alot easier and would probably cut down substantially on the amout of double questions because they would be easier found in the search and answered.

anyways.. just a thought from a perpetual newb...

[fgoc]

Suggestion:When people post a question, please can people try and answer the question they ask before asking them why they are doing what they are doing, or giving them another way of doing things? Every time I post for support (after extensive searching first) I get asked multiple questions before anyone offers an asnwer to the clear and simple question I have asked.Might reduce the post count/save bandwidth/make search facility far more effective in returning results relevant to the topic you are searching for and therefore again reduce the number of duplicate posts made about the same topic![/rant]

[Harro]

Well, often these questions are needed to find out what you are trying to do and what the errors/problems are.
And possible give you a better solution that won't cause any errors.

How can I get my problems solved faster?
How do I ask support questions the smart way?

[青山 素子]

Suggestion:When people post a question, please can people try and answer the question they ask before asking them why they are doing what they are doing, or giving them another way of doing things? Every time I post for support (after extensive searching first) I get asked multiple questions before anyone offers an asnwer to the clear and simple question I have asked.

I couldn't actually find the situation you described for yourself in your posts, but maybe I missed it. Assuming this is so, are you asking how to do something specific, or how to solve a problem? Our support people generally like to make sure you use the best solution for a problem. Often they will try and pull out the problem so they can help determine the best solution.

Now, a car/computer analogy. Sure, if you ask, someone can tell you how to add oil to your car, but that may not get it running. You might need to do something else. Without knowing the source issue though, it would be impossible to determine. Finding out the root problem and determining the best solution for it is an easy way to make sure that things are truly repaired.

[symon]

The reason there are so many duplicate posts is because there are so many unanswered posts. None of the options in the poll seems to suggest that. Seems a little narrow minded to not offer an option which would indicate smf support as a cause. After all...is that not the point of this thread

It seems SMF support doesn't abide by it's own posting rules. Asking us to clearly title a thread then answering another post within that thread and not the original post is crazy and happens a lot. That's why the answers aren't there an people just ask a fresh version.

A thread named "Help!" gets far more attention than a thread named accurately.

A recent upgrade of smf has come out and the thread is full of 'do not post support questions here' yet the place for support doesn't even get answered when the titles are clear.

This thread is clearly titled and regards a big issue that others are having and a week later and nobody has offered a solution or even a theory!

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=178943

Should we just make the titles as eye grabbing as possible rather than relevant?

Reward those that follow your guidelines.

But I realize you guys are hella busy