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Spikecity
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How to ask for support and get it
Feb 27th, 2007 at 11:04am
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Hi everyone!

I found this "HowTo" on the support board for CMS Made Simple and I thought we'd share this with you as it neatly sums up what it is all about.

I often get Help requests (or bug reports) which are written in a way that's confusing to me, and it ends up taking me a long time and several back-and-forth responses before I can actually be helpful. So I thought I'd post something here which could potentially save everyone some time.

If you use this simple format, I (and other developers and support staff) will be able to help you much faster, and with less confusion.

How To Ask For Help

1. Make sure to provide all version information you can think of. It's better to include irrelevant data than it is to omit useful data. Example:


Quote:
Hi. I'm running YaBB V1.3.x. I'm using Perl 5.8.5.4. This is all working with Apache 1.3.38 running on Linux



(Obviously, you may not be able to determine all of those version numbers, but provide what you can. We can help you figure out the other version numbers if we need them.)

If the problem involves modules (or you suspect it might), include not only the exact modules, but also any dependent modules, and their configurations:

Quote:
I'm using YaBB2.1, which needs Mailer settings. What do I need to do to get it working on a Linux Server.


2. Then state the problem, including as much detail as possible (especially including error messages):

Quote:
When I try to send a mail, I get the error message: An Error Occured ! SMTP Server Not Found !



alternatively, if you're asking a "how to" type question, please give us as much context as possible. Not just what you're trying to do, but why you're trying to do it:

Quote:
I'm trying to attachments mod to work, and can't figure out how to do that. I did activate attachments in the Forum Settings but still no success.


We may try to talk you out of the approach you're describing, but only if we have a good reason and can propose an alternative.

3. If it's a consistently reproducible error, detail the steps that you can use to trigger the condition:

Quote:
How to reproduce: Go to IM > Inbox > Call back, and click on the "call back" icon.


4. If you have any ideas about what's wrong, or other information that might help, definitely include it!

Quote:
This was working before I upgraded from version 1.3.x. I also recently changed my paths, so I wonder if that's what it means in the error message.


5. If you're reporting a bug, please file it in the Development section if it concerns the current version 2.x. That helps us manage the process of tracking and fixing it.

6. Spread the love. If you find a solution, or someone emails you a solution, post it here in the forum so other people can benefit. If you've fixed a bug, post the fix in that thread and do not use IM to post solutions or bugs.

If you follow these steps, you will save a great deal of time for both yourself and for us.

How Not To Ask For Help

Here are a few things guaranteed to slow down or prevent you from getting help:

1. Incoherence. "I tried to use YaBB2.1, but the thing didn't work." Help me to help you -- I need something to go on. What thing didn't work? How did it not work?  I realize that there can be a language barrier sometimes. If it's impossible for you to express in English, please describe the problem in your own language -- there are more than a few people in the community who speak multiple languages and who can help translate. Worst case, there's babblefish.

2. Demands stressed by writing in ALL CAPS. "I need this fixed today, or I'll switch to PHPBB." When I read this kind of statement, I think to myself "gosh, too bad for those PHPBB developers."

3. Insults. "This code is so crappy. I don't know why anybody would even try using it." When I read this, I lose all interest in trying to help, and figure that you can take your problem and shove it.

Things to Keep in Mind

The core team and many other volunteers on this board really want to be helpful and make things work for you. But remember that we all have jobs, families, friends, and other responsibilities -- none of us get paid for this work. Now, if you're exceptionally wealthy or a venture capital person, and would like to start a foundation to provide full-time support and YaBB development, we'd be happy to speak with you. But as it is, YaBB can't be our number one priority at all times.

We understand that sometimes you find yourself with a problem and a looming deadline. Many of us are computer professionals -- we know what stress is. We'll try to be as responsive as we can, and we'll do whatever is possible to help you with the situation. But you will need to be patient with us if we can't solve your problem instantly.

Lastly, we appreciate that you use our software. If this posting seems negative or critical, it's certainly not intended that way. We're happy that YaBB is useful to people, and we're excited to see sites using it in ways that we hadn't even thought of.
  

Nothing to add here Smiley
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zaithyn galter
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #1 - Apr 11th, 2009 at 4:51am
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simply communicated clearly, know how to ask the question, and provide all the necessary
  
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Jagtig
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #2 - Jul 14th, 2010 at 6:41pm
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Hello,

I installed YaBB2, and am super-happy with it. It has all the functions that I could hope for.

Now, I would like to decorate, and I need to know a clear way to go about doing so.

I work on library computers that save zips to desktop for a few hours, and tried to download my .pl and source files from my server to desktop, and then modify them with a mod engine. I used the next to oldest mod program on the downloads page.

This almost worked, but almost isn't enough where computers go.

If I knew which folders to upload what script, gifs or html, this to that, and that to this, it would be of immeasurable help.

Thanks, Jagtig.

ps. If you could send me the answer at prinoer@aol.com, I would be sure to get it.



  
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #3 - Jul 15th, 2010 at 9:32am
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What mod exactly did you try to install? Can you give us the name and possibly the url?
  

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Richard Van Buren
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #4 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 4:33pm
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Corey,

I could add to that list I was running  YaBB 2.5 AE on the same server as my other site(Powweb in Boston MA), but the forum though set up right would only produce partial loading pages. Thanks to the help of two people over at the YaBB community forum ( JonB and Captain John) I learned that the Persl version was too old. Now I have changed to a host here in Europe and the forum does what it should do.Thanks guys!!! And thanks for YaBB, Corey!!!

And now I want to decorate: I am looking for a desert, or Egyptian theme I like Durriken Soterios' template with the brown colors
very much, and I tried to get in contact with Alienine but that email address bounced so, the "contact" button gives information violating the user agreement by giving false information (tongue in cheek). I really am a "bloody novice" in matters of changing the template, so definitely could need some help with that my forum email: forumadmin@thebeshavenforum.org.

Any help would be appreciated,
Richard (Thoth on my forum)
  

Thoth at my own forum
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #5 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 5:00pm
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Alienine hasn't been active in the yabb community for a long time now. There is no point in contacting him any more. You're probably referring to the YaBB 1 Template by Durriken Soterios. Note that this template is for YaBB 1 and not compatible with your 2.5AE version. You can find templates compatible with your version here:

http://www.boardmod.org/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=templates
  

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Richard Van Buren
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #6 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 5:08pm
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Thanks Michael,

I will immediately go there and have a look

Richard
  

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Richard Van Buren
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #7 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 5:19pm
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And I received "error you're not allowed to access that section" from this page accessed from the "the first on  theQuick List" . Hey guys.. what else restrictions will I run into here. I tried to give the link to that page... No way I have to post three normal messages first !

Richard
  

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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #8 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 5:29pm
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Can you give me the link that did not work for you? There should not be any restriction for logged in users.
  

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Richard Van Buren
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #9 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 6:41pm
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Hallo Michael!

it was this link: Blugray but I tried multiple links from that list at the Quick List, the one named "Orion Template"  didn't produce that error BTW:, but the first one did and still does, so do these ones "Green Shades" in the YaBB 2.1 section: "Shades of Grey and Green", "2 Christmas Themes", "Hot Dog", "Temma (Vbulletin)", "Black and Grey 3D", "professionaly_cool", "Modern Red Template", "Portal Template", "orb", "Dark Shadows" produced a similar though different error (see below at *), "StarGate", Delicious Blue", "Elison", "Green / Gray Template", "Dark Profesional, see * below), "Grey_Deux" (see * below), "Sinner Template" (see * below), "CM" (see below at *), "Fire Proof" (see below at *), "Party template", "Dbl Purple" (see * below), "subSilver" (see at * below), "Yabb2 blue_revisited" (see * below), "Boris' template" (MIght be out-of-business: Server not found on his board link), "Formula 1" (same problem as with Boris' site), and "Blu_by_Yu" (See type of eror below at *). the ones not mentioned could be accessed the first ones gave this error: Quote:
Error: You are not allowed to access this section.


* The Dark Shadows error: Quote:
Error: The information you are trying to access is not available to you. /home/groups/b/bo/boardmod/cgi-bin/yabb2/Messages/1153000462.txt
or similar with a different text file named.

Richard, aka
  

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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #10 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 7:47pm
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Hi Richard,

None of the templates in the 'Quick List' are for YaBB 2.5 anyway, so they won't be any good to you. Here's a list of templates for 2.5:

CD Grayish
O_opacity
Camo
Fire 'n' Ice
Purple Noir
Blue Noir
Green Noir
White Noir
Red Noir
Black Noir
Yellow Noir
  
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Richard Van Buren
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #11 - Jan 8th, 2011 at 8:13pm
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Hi Derek,

Thank you, but Chips I had high hope the dark brown one would be on such a list, because that comes darn Close to what I would like; besides that, even though my version of YaBB is the wrong one, I understand from what MI*chael wrote, that I should be able to have a look at them (if their servers are still hosting them, that is... But I will go over your list, perhaps an obscure name is hiding a template that has what I am looking for  Grin

Richard
  

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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #12 - Feb 3rd, 2011 at 12:30am
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I really need some advice and would appreciate the help. I'm new, really new to all this and I'm trying to learn. I need to know how to install the style mods for Y2.5. I've installed the style changer mod but it only has 2 different styles in the drop-down. I've download all the syles I would like to use but have no clue on how to apply them. Please help.
  
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #13 - Feb 3rd, 2011 at 12:37am
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See this in the YaBB Codex for installing new templates:

http://www.yabbforum.com/codex/YaBB.pl?num=1241892021

Once you've got them installed, the Style Switcher Mod will automatically pick them up.
  
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Re: How to ask for support and get it
Reply #14 - Feb 3rd, 2011 at 5:27am
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Got it nailed. Thanks again my friends. I'll see what other trouble I can find myself neck deep.  Grin
  
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