How to Ask Questions That Get Answers

To create a new topic on a board, click the NEW TOPIC button. The screen will refresh, and you will see a text editor where you can fill in the details of what you want to post. n You can choose an icon. This is usually for fun or to show with a green check mark that a problem has been solved. It is important if you have received an answer that solves your problem to go back to your first post and edit it by marking

it with the green check mark icon. This tells people that it is answered but also allows people looking for help to know a helpful answer is available in the topic. n Make your subject title as descriptive as possible while still fairly short. Using “Help me” as a title or “URGENT” does not describe your issue, and most people will skim past posts with titles like that. Also, do not use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Using all caps won’t get you help more quickly and tends to be looked upon as an Internet social faux pas because it conveys SHOUTING. Having a descriptive title not only helps those wanting to help you but also helps those who are seeking answers. Using our example of installation, a good descriptive title could be “Installation won’t continue past the fourth screen.” In the message body of your post, try to be as descriptive as possible regarding your issue. If you have gotten an error message, try to copy the exact error message you have received into your post. Try to describe what you see on the screen and

what steps you were doing when the issue occurred. Sometimes it is helpful to post a link to your site (such as with template questions). Having a link to a site allows people to see exactly what is going on so they can help troubleshoot your issue. n At the bottom of the screen, you will see the ability to upload a file, which can very helpful if you can’t provide a link to your site. Screen shots can be helpful to

show what is happening if you cannot share the link to your site or your site is not available for public viewing. When you are satisfied with the content of your post, click Submit. After you have submitted your post, please be patient. Sometimes a community member will answer immediately, and other times it may be a few hours or even a day or two. If your question is not answered within a day or two, you may have to make another post to your topic to give more information. Always be polite and considerate of

others, and remember to say thank you if someone gives you assistance. The Joomla! forum is also the best place for people new to Joomla! to contribute to the project by answering questions of other users. No matter where you are situated in your Joomla! experience or your level of skills, there will always be someone else who has a question that you can answer. One of the very best ways to improve your knowledge of Joomla! is to explain what you know to others.

Tip

At the top of the forum there is a link that asks you to read the forum rules. These rules outline the community’s code of conduct and make all the resources on the Joomla.org sites collaborative and friendly to everyone. The rules are pretty straightforward and common sense and are based on basic principles of being a good global citizen.