I've been a member of TechExams.net for a while, a denizen of the internet even longer, and I've seen quite a few threads in my time get abandoned or go awry for all the wrong reasons. In that time, however, there have been a great number of threads which have brought up the same set of issues, so I thought I'd address some of those issues here.
Thread Topics
Be explicit and be descriptive. I once saw a quote on another forum, stating that
"your thread should have a topic so descriptive that other posters will be able to begin thinking about your question even before they've clicked to read your posting". It not only helps the rest of us to know what your thread is about, but it also helps you to be as descriptive as possible. I know a great deal about Windows installation, for example, and when I see a thread with something about installing Windows in the title, I click on it because I know it's a thread that may be interesting to me, or one that actually has something to do with my knowledge. Let's try an example; which thread draws your attention more?
"Exchange 2003 Mailboxes Corrupted When Recovered w/ BackupExec 9.1"
or
"How Do I Prevent Users in AD From Chatting in Forums on Company Time?"
Then there's things like
"Question"
or how about
"I have a problem!"
or the best one yet,
"HELP!!!"
Posting a thread with a title that is the name of the cert isn't very helpful, either. I'm not sure how many threads out there are called
"CCNA", but I'm sure it's more than two. Be descriptive, it will attract more readers and raise your chances of finding answers to questions.
Thread Content
This is going to be pretty much the same idea. Be as explicit with your problem as you can, if you're posting a question. If you're posting a rant or comment, be clear what you're writing about and think about what you want to write before beginning to type. I am no stranger to rambling, and oftentimes thoughts get lost, or you simply begin to say things that you may regret later. (I've been down this road, myself.)
For questions, be sure to include screenshots, exact error messages, what OS/platform you're running, and describe any and all elements of the enviroment you're working in/using so that we have a clear picture of what's happened and understand all the variables. Saying, "My server crashed, what do I do?" doesn't give enough information to help you find a solution. Give model numbers, OS versions, anything you can think of. It's better to post too much, than not enough. And please, as a common courtesy to other TE members, do the due diligence of putting your question into Google, at least, before posting to the forum. It's very frustrating for a lot of people to see questions that are quite literally answered by putting the term or the name of the product into Google and having the first page on the list contain the answer.
A reasonable approach is to type your question into
Google (or your favorite browser) and see what you can find. Next, see if there is any help from the vendor of the product you're having an issue with. Microsoft has
TechNet, Google has a pretty
sizable help page, as does
Red Hat,
Juniper, and others. A good idea is to do a quick
search of TechExams.net to see if your question has already been asked, or if there are other threads in relation to your issue. If nothing comes up, then ask away. If you find some information, you may need some more guidance on an advanced issue, having already learned a little bit about the question. Remember, someone answering a question isn't as powerful as learning by doing. The more you understand before you ask a question, the better you'll understand the answer.
Reading and Replying to Other Posters
Be professional, be rational, and be polite. When reading through answers to your thread, try to take everything with a grain of salt. There
will be criticism, there will be oddball comments, and even the reasonable-sounding answers will need to be confirmed before you truly believe them. Take what you can from the answers, ask follow-up questions, and be sure to give a nod to people who helped you out in particular. On the same note, don't take things to personally. There are jerks on the internet, just as there are helpful individuals, and the best way to avoid a flame-war is to let nasty comments and baiting roll off your back and rise above it. If your thread doesn't get answered, or if you're put off by the answers you do get, definitely don't take it personally. You can bump your thread by replying to it yourself, (ideally with more information on the topic,) and you can try to zero in on members that may have given you more constructive answers and try to get them to elaborate on what they're telling you. Don't let the trolls get you, and don't be discouraged by silence. Remember, you're a professional too, and rising above the bickering helps you get your job or studying done more effectively.
On another note, I can say that I'm very proud of TechExams.net in being a very professional place to both read and participate in threads. It's rare to see flaming, name-calling, and the general immaturity so many other boards on the internet are plagued by. There have been, unfortunately, a few times when comments or replies have been made in order to jab or put down other members. It's very inappropriate to simply say "that's stupid" in response to someone's question or request for assistance with their resume. If you don't like what someone's putting up, and they're neither breaking rules or being rude, then simply ignore it. Trying to prove one's superiority by making snarky comments or going out of one's way to make them feel bad isn't professional, isn't appropriate, and definitely doesn't help anyone. (And honestly, most people who've had a history of being confrontational and negative have gotten a lot of flack for it in the end, so it's really not worth it.) If you can't be constructive, move on to another thread, (or start one of your own,) and don't let it degrade into a flame-war.
Epilogue
So, to wrap it up. TechExams.net is a great forum for discussing both the certification-game and the IT industry in general. We have a lot of fun here, there's a lot of great discussions, and we generally avoid most of the ugliness we've grown accustomed to on other forums and discussion groups on the internet. Let's remember that we're professionals, students, and general representatives of the IT industry. Let's keep having fun, let's keep sharing those ideas and having those great discussions. With a little common courtesy and common sense, I think we can keep TE the first-class forum it's always been.
