Tip for newbies when asking questions.

Had to move it to the main board to good a read in the OT , they should make this a sticky

Jason

Thanks for the compliment. I do believe it will help more people as a sticky too.

"My website NOT ranking for my keywords. TELL ME WHAT WRONG WITH IT!?"

When you hijack a thread AND YELL, why would people with good manners want to help you?

I find a lot of newbies are vague or not very specific because they aren't even sure how to ask a specific question that can help them resolve their actual issue. This might not be giving newbies enough credit but I remember when I started 10 years ago, I was completely lost and overwhelmed

I partly agree with you, Gary. Sometimes they don't know what they don't know.
However, I strongly believe that many newbies can still include more specific information that will help us help them.

I'm glad I did write this thread now as it has opened up a great discussion. I hope If it helps even one person, it has done its job.

There's one in every crowd, Jason. I tend to ignore clowns and help those who want to be helped (if I can as I'm not an expert). But someone once said:
"A smart person uses not only all the brains he/she has, but all the brains they can borrow."

That's simple - Google hates you...

Or, as one of my college profs liked to say, "ain't none of us as smart as all of us."

Yes indeed he makes a good point about people (newbies as well as others) asking vague questions. You will then see foldks who are tryingto help have to follow up with a lot of question because they need that specific info to provide a good answer.


Another thing I see all the time is a brand new newbie asking something on this forum instead of looking up the info that is already here. For example they might ask "should I do use Bing ads?'. If they had used the search feature instead and used the keywords "Bing ads" they would find tons of info, lots of threads and posts that discuss that topic. It is a much better way to find info on this forum. Starting one thread with a simple question will yield much less information.

Do own research and then ask questions, no one is going to hand feed you.

Thanks for this post Laurence! I'll keep this in mind if I ever decide to ask a question.

Being specific always makes conversations better even in real life. It saves a lot of time because the people who will answer don't have to ask for more info before they answer.

Spot on, Laurence. Better-quality questions usually prompt better-quality answers.

Another worthwhile by-product of being more specific with questions is that it promotes clarity of thought - or at least encourages those asking to think a bit more about what it is they want. That might turn a vague making money online question into a more practical one about a particular aspect of marketing.

Not only would the responses be more useful to the OP, but the discussion would likely be of more benefit to others following the thread.

I agree, Frank. I also find that if I'm very busy and I see questions that are vague, I'm less inclined to respond because I have to ask multiple questions to learn what the OP really wants.
I also agree that it makes the thread more helpful because the next reader may want the same information.
I'll have a think about what questions I have had recently and include them here as examples of what NOT to do and tips to turn them into better posts or threads.

Does anybody else have an opinion on this subject?

I have noticed quite a few new threads from people who may benefit from reading this thread. It's particularly relevant for new members but also serves as a reminder for more experienced members.

Some newbies need to realize they are not smarter than the members and moderators who have been on this forum for years.

If you join the WF and sincerely try to learn a bit on your own and asked questions politely when you run into a 'glitch' - you'll be surprised at how many members are more than willing to help you.

When you join and lie about where you are located - when you post like crazy rather than use the search to help yourself - when you can't keep your stories straight from one thread to another....someone here will notice.

Trying to 'game' the forum and its members is really dumb because you waste what could be a valuable resource.

Well said, Kay, and you're one fine example of somebody who helps so many people, whether it's useful help or "tough love" (which some members sorely need).
The more senior members and moderators of this forum have decades of experience and if you're new and follow the rules of the forum and try to help yourself before asking for help, you'll get all the help you need.

Everybody started somewhere!

Agreed.
Often there are too many broad questions which are impossible to answer.
"How do I make money", etc

I thought it was about time to boost this thread up so maybe a few of the new members or others who simply didn't see it previously, can learn from it and perhaps then share their knowledge.

I intended to reply when your thread was first posted and I must have forgotten or got sidetracked.

Your points about being "specific" and detailed are important. The better worded the question the better the answers and input will be.

For the newbies I would add two points...

1) If you are asking a question - put a question mark at the end of your title!

A question mark looks like this ?

If I see a title "Tips for affiliate marketing", in most cases I am not going to click on it especially if it is not a member I recognize.

If I see a title "Tips for affiliate marketing?" I will probably check it out. It is not a question that is worded very well, as Laurence points out, but at least I know it is a question and I might have something to offer.

2) Try to time your questions for when you will be able to respond to the replies that start coming in. Members that stay engaged with the other members that are replying get so much more detailed and targeted help. You may be able to clarify something or provide additional facts that will steer the conversation in a way that is just what you need. If you think you can post a question and come back a few days later to some awesome replies it just doesn't work that way.

Thanks, Janice, for your great points. The ???? question mark can be used to find answers or, by not using it, often makes the OP's thread ignored.

I know there are people in here from all over the world and, as Janice mentioned, their questions may not be well worded but the question mark can be treated like a lighted beacon of hope, shining the way for others to at least read his question.

Some of these newer members may even ask how best to ask questions. I think that IS a valid question, as long as they have tried and don't expect the seasoned veterans to do all the work for them.

Once in awhile a thread that has to be added to the Stickys this one of them and if everyone followed what Lawrence and others have posted this forum would be so much the better

I think that vague threads without a specific question can be caused either by overwhelm or perhaps laziness. If you are really confused, you may not be able to ask an intelligent and coherant question. However, I suspect that some of the time it is just laziness.

Thanks for your valuable input, Jason. I totally agree. If a newbie has tried something and had difficulty so he starts a thread, seeking help, and uses the ? instead of a full stop, he's more likely to get better help. I know I often ignore the threads with a full stop because I'm browsing and their headline doesn't indicate their true reason for posting.

It's almost 2018 so I thought it was time to bump this thread up because I have been absent for a month or so due to moving house. Today, while browsing, I have seen so many questions asking similar things such as:
What's the quickest way to...?
How can I...?
What's the easiest way...?

and so on.

I will reiterate. If you need information about virtually anything, do a search as there are thousands of posts and threads saved in the forum and there's bound to be some that answer your question.

If you can't show you're making an effort, experienced members arfe less inclined to offer assistance.