Asking for Advice or Work - Tips
I'm all for people asking for advice and/or people to work on their projects, and this is certainly a great place to do that.
However, I'm also noticing a repetitive trend of questions or requests which could be resolved far quicker by providing or doing just a couple of quick things.
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1. Be Precise
- Provide your web site's URL. The number of times people ask questions about their web site not working / not displaying correctly, yet they fail to provide their web site URL. Until somebody can look at the issue, it's highly unlikely that they can provide you with a solution.
- Avoid open ended questions. "My site's header does not work" prompts too many questions before anyone can provide you with a valid solution. Instead ask specific questions, such as "My Wordpress web site's header at http://www.mysite.com appears stretched in IE7, what can I do to fix it?". You're more likely to get an answer, and you'll be less frustrated as a result
- What software do you use? Whether it be Wordpress, Joomla etc. for your web site, or you're trying to get to grips with Dreamweaver - detail what your setup is and what you're using. Version numbers, URLs, screenshots - all of these help.
All too often I see people asking for advice, only to be met with a ton of responses which - at best - are guesswork, because the OP hasn't provided some of the above basic information.
2. Use the Warriors for Hire section
If you're looking for some work to be done, check out the Warriors For Hire section first. Here you can see a list of service providers, most of who will have some feedback from other members.
You can either PM the service providers with your requirements, or if you're not able to PM yet, you can reply to their advert or send them an email.
Again, be precise with what you're looking for. You might not have a fully formed idea about your web site or project yet, but the more information you provide, the more accurate pricing and timescales you'll get in return. And if you haven't fully formed your project proposal, either do so or find a member who can consult you through the process to help you define what you actually need.
3. Found a solution? Share it with us
- If you've asked a question, and a contributed solution has worked, or you found your own way of solving it, share it. This means others who subsequently search won't just find a string of advice with no clue as to whether it will work or not.
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This is by no means exhaustive, and I'd appreciate any comments or additions others might have (no doubt I've missed some obvious bits out!), and whether this is remotely useful to anyone here!
Thanks,
Tim.
However, I'm also noticing a repetitive trend of questions or requests which could be resolved far quicker by providing or doing just a couple of quick things.
-----
1. Be Precise
- Provide your web site's URL. The number of times people ask questions about their web site not working / not displaying correctly, yet they fail to provide their web site URL. Until somebody can look at the issue, it's highly unlikely that they can provide you with a solution.
- Avoid open ended questions. "My site's header does not work" prompts too many questions before anyone can provide you with a valid solution. Instead ask specific questions, such as "My Wordpress web site's header at http://www.mysite.com appears stretched in IE7, what can I do to fix it?". You're more likely to get an answer, and you'll be less frustrated as a result
- What software do you use? Whether it be Wordpress, Joomla etc. for your web site, or you're trying to get to grips with Dreamweaver - detail what your setup is and what you're using. Version numbers, URLs, screenshots - all of these help.
All too often I see people asking for advice, only to be met with a ton of responses which - at best - are guesswork, because the OP hasn't provided some of the above basic information.
2. Use the Warriors for Hire section
If you're looking for some work to be done, check out the Warriors For Hire section first. Here you can see a list of service providers, most of who will have some feedback from other members.
You can either PM the service providers with your requirements, or if you're not able to PM yet, you can reply to their advert or send them an email.
Again, be precise with what you're looking for. You might not have a fully formed idea about your web site or project yet, but the more information you provide, the more accurate pricing and timescales you'll get in return. And if you haven't fully formed your project proposal, either do so or find a member who can consult you through the process to help you define what you actually need.
3. Found a solution? Share it with us
- If you've asked a question, and a contributed solution has worked, or you found your own way of solving it, share it. This means others who subsequently search won't just find a string of advice with no clue as to whether it will work or not.
-----
This is by no means exhaustive, and I'd appreciate any comments or additions others might have (no doubt I've missed some obvious bits out!), and whether this is remotely useful to anyone here!
Thanks,
Tim.