If you’ve spent any time in Internet message boards and forums then you inevitably seen the posts that are asking either the most basic question that could be answered by turning to page 1 in the manual or may very well be answered one or two posts down. Many people are very lazy and don’t want to search or look for anything and want their answer spoon-fed to them on a silver platter. This type of behavior is not proper Internet forum etiquette.
I came across this post from on the Apple Final Cut Pro forums the other day from a  user name JayEnder. JayEnder wrote up a post to “help alleviate repetitive questions and enable people to be able to help themselves.”
That’s a really great way to sum up what forums can do for people with questions. If you think about what a forum is really for, it’s a place to get answers and give answers on a specific topic. They work great for technical things like software. If you having problems with a particular program you can sign on to a forum, search out your issue and often have an answer in minutes. Often it takes longer and the more complex your problem the longer it might take to find an answer. But you can usually always find someone who has had the same problem. You can spend hours and dollars on phone-based support or you can try to find the answer on a forum. If you can’t find that answer and you need to post a question then there is certain things that can make your problem more clear and make it easier for someone to help you. These basic rules were summed up in the post on the FCP forums and they are worth repeating here.Â
From the READ BEFORE POSTING! thread on the Apple Final Cut Pro forums:
1. SEARCH THE FORUM FIRST! I cannot tell you how many times I see the same thing asked over and over again. That means, that for every different time that it is asked, the question and all responses are backlogged for the current year and the previous year. So for anyone wondering how to do Ken Burns, just search the forum. A little bit of time searching will give you a wealth of answers. But this goes for everything. From FCP opening problems, to something changing in FCP, a line that wasn’t there before, I can’t hear my audio, and the list goes on. The majority of answers are there, if you just search for them. If you feel that you just cannot spare the time and have an emergency, fine, post your question, but search the forum while you are waiting. SEARCH THE FORUM FIRST!2. RESPECT THE FORUM USERS KNOWLEDGE(ESPECIALLY THE EXPERIENCED ONES) – I enjoy finding the post about someone who needs help, the user is told how, and then the ones posting the solution are questioned or asked if there is something easier. I consider myself a professional, but not anywhere near some of these guys. So they know there stuff. If they give you an answer, try it before you question them. If you have already done what they have tried, then explain that further. Those guys freely spend their time here to offer assistance. RESPECT THE FORUM USERS KNOWLEDGE!
3. GIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION! – I learned very quickly when I first started posting that a host of things are determined by hardware and software. Granted, not everyone who uses FCP knows that, but they learn, usually painfully. So, when asking for help it never hurts and is always good to list your version of FCP, your version of Quicktime, and your OS version and your hardware. It makes a difference. If you are asked to proved your setup, don’t hesitate, give the answer. In addition please elaborate your situation. Don’t simply type “My FCP stopped working! Please help!” Explain it. GIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION!
4. EXHAUST YOUR RESOURCES – The Apple forum is a great place to search. But if you are having problems, check other places. Google your problem. Do a search over at the Creative Cow. There are plenty of other places that can help too. EXHAUST YOUR RESOURCES
5. ANSWERS ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY OR POSSIBLE – FCP is a professional level program. It is not iMovie. So when you get an answer that sounds a little complicated, it is supposed to sound that way. There are plenty of easy things in FCP, but a lot of things are not so easy. And realize that FCP is a video editing application. So if you are trying to create the effects found in a certain movie about a man being born old and getting younger, then you have to realize that FCP is not going to do that and you will need some other higher end and more expensive graphic software. ANSWERS ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY OR POSSIBLE
6. HARDWARE, HARDWARE, HARDWARE – There are a few things here. One, this forum is for FCP and not so much hardware recommendations on cameras and the like. You will however find that many have posted and many have answered. So refer to POINT #1 and search the forum. The other thing is the one about what FCP can run on. Again, POINT#1. The requirements are listed very clearly on the Apple site. So please try to refrain from asking if FCP will work on the new Macbooks. Instead, if you must ask, ask for comparisons about which Mac Pro you should get. Remember, normally professional software, will require some more professional hardware. HARDWARE, HARDWARE, HARDWARE! Great stuff. Thanks to Jay for putting this up. Truth be told a search for forum etiquette will return many articles worth reading. If you are new to posting and using Internet forums then give them a read and watch the video below as it will help you understand them and use them more efficiently.Topics: Blog interesting forum posts
Did you enjoy this article? Sign up to receive the StudioDaily Fix eletter containing the latest stories, including news, videos, interviews, reviews and more.
