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--- forum_guidelines [2017/12/17 09:07] – [Be responsive] bwiernik
+++ forum_guidelines [2025/03/29 06:25] (current) – [Be responsive] dstillman
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Forum Guidelines ======
-The Zotero forums receive tens of thousands of posts per year. Zotero developers, and a number of Zotero users who volunteer their time, read every post. To allow them to respond quickly, efficiently, and accurately, and to maintain a friendly and helpful atmosphere, please follow the guidelines outlined below.
+The Zotero Forums receive tens of thousands of posts per year. Zotero developers, and a number of Zotero experts who volunteer their time, read every post. To allow them to respond quickly, efficiently, and accurately, and to maintain a friendly and helpful atmosphere, please follow the guidelines outlined below.
-===== First steps =====
-Be sure you've followed the [[Getting Help]] steps.
 ===== Existing thread or new thread? =====
-Before you post, search the forums to see if someone has posted about the same issue. If you find an existing thread, read the entire discussion---not just the thread title---to make sure it's relevant, that a solution or workaround hasn't already been provided, and that additional feedback is still necessary. You should also check the date of the last comment to make sure it's not referring to a very old issue that's no longer applicable.
+In general, please start a new thread for your issue. It is much better to start a new thread rather than posting to a thread with a potentially unrelated issue. The Zotero developers or volunteers on the forums can point you to a relevant thread if one exists.
-If you're not sure if your issue is exactly the same as that in an existing thread, it's better to start a new thread, and someone will point you to an existing discussion if appropriate. (You can include links to other possibly relevant threads in your post.)
+If you like, you can take a quick glance at the most recent posts in the forums and do a quick search to see if someone has posted about the same issue. Don't spend more than a couple minutes searching — the forums receive a very high volume of posts, and people will be happy to point you to a relevant thread if one exists.
+If you do find an existing thread, read the entire discussion — not just the thread title — to make sure it's relevant, that a solution or workaround hasn't already been provided, and that additional feedback is still necessary. You should also check the date of the last comment to make sure it's not referring to a very old issue that's no longer applicable.
+If you're not sure if your issue is exactly the same, it's better to start a new thread, and someone will point you to an existing discussion if appropriate. (You can include links to other possibly relevant threads in your post.)
 **Syncing issues and word processor plugin issues generally require individual troubleshooting and should almost always go in new threads**.
@@ Line 20: / Line 21: @@
 This also applies if you have an existing thread on an issue: don't create a new one for the same problem, even if you've been waiting for a response. If you have additional related comments, just post them to the same thread.
-If you posted to the wrong category, you can change the category by editing your original post.
+If you want to change something in your original post, you can simply edit it.
 ===== Provide enough information =====
@@ Line 33: / Line 34: @@
   * **Post when you're calm**. In many cases, the reason for posting to the forums is that you experienced some kind of frustration: something isn't working, you are unable to figure out how to do something, or maybe you believe you've lost your work. Take some time to calm down before posting. The forums are not a place to vent frustration or anger.
-  * **Respect others**. Don't be rude or demand immediate attention. Many of the people responding to you are community members volunteering their time.
+  * **Respect others**. Don't be rude or demand immediate attention. Zotero developers have many people to help, and Zotero community members are volunteering their time and expertise to help others.
-  * **Keep an open mind.**
+  * **Don't tag specific people for general questions.** Zotero developers read all threads, and community volunteers choose the questions they want to spend time on. Multiple people are able to answer most questions.
-    * Different people use Zotero in different ways. Not everybody shares your priorities, sometimes you're the only person experiencing a particular problem, or maybe you just didn't discover the best way to perform a task. Avoid generalizing statements like //"it's obvious that without this feature, Zotero is useless for anybody"//.
-    * Every so often, somebody on the forums will feel offended. However, personal attacks or insults are extremely rare. Allow room for humor, typos, misunderstandings, cultural differences, and people with different opinions. Feel free to point out if something offends you, but reserve your judgment until others have had a chance to explain themselves.
-    * You may receive a short reply to your question, such as a simple "yes" or "no", or a link to a previous relevant discussion. Don't interpret this as a dismissal of your question. The people lending user support deal with a large volume of posts and often don't have time to write extensive replies. If you aren't satisfied with an answer, feel free to ask for further elaboration. It is also common that the first response you get will be a request for additional information to help us better understand your problem.
-    * Your thread might be closed with a link to another thread, even one in which the issue hasn't been resolved. This ensures that any discussion that might lead to a solution happens in one place. It does not mean that your request isn't being taken seriously.
   * **AVOID ALL-CAPS**. Don't write in all capital letters. It is interpreted by many as yelling and makes your post less readable. The same goes for using lots of bold or italics, or using multiple exclamation marks to stress your points.
+  * **Keep an open mind.** Different people use Zotero in different ways. Not everybody shares your priorities, sometimes you're the only person experiencing a particular problem, or maybe you just didn't discover the best way to perform a task. Avoid generalizing statements like //"it's obvious that without this feature, Zotero is useless for anybody"//.
+Most importantly, remember that you and whoever responds to you typically share the same goal: resolving your issue as quickly as possible.
-Finally, remember that you and whoever responds to you typically share the same goal: resolving your issue as quickly as possible.
 ===== Be patient =====
-Zotero developers and many community members read every post.
+Zotero developers and many dedicated community members read every post.
-While many forum posts are answered within minutes, others may not be answered for several days. In other cases---particularly for feature requests---developers may wait to see if other people chime in in support of an idea before responding.
+While many forum posts are answered within minutes, others may not be answered for hours or days. In other cases — particularly for feature requests — developers may wait to see if other people chime in in support of an idea before responding, or there may just not be anything useful to add at this time.
 If you don't receive a response right away, give it time. If you're having a serious issue and think your post may have slipped through the cracks, post a polite follow-up to the same thread asking if anyone has had a chance to look into your issue. Don't create a new thread for the same issue, as it will likely just be deleted.
 ===== Be responsive =====
-After posting to the forums, be sure to follow up. Use the e-mail notification options or Atom/RSS feeds in the left column of forum pages to watch for responses, which may request additional information. If a suggested solution solves your issue, post a comment to the thread to let others know. If it doesn't, confirm that you've tried what was suggested, and explain what happened when you did so.
+After posting to the forums, be sure to follow up. You'll automatically receive an email notification the first time someone replies to a thread you've posted to, but you won't receive additional notifications until you visit the thread again, so it's a good idea to click through to the thread to ensure that you're notified the next time someone responds. (You can also subscribe to the forums using a feed reader.) If a suggested solution solves your issue, post a comment to the thread to let others know. If it doesn't, confirm that you've tried what was suggested, and explain what happened when you did so.
+Note that you may receive a short reply to your question, such as a simple "yes" or "no", or a link to a previous relevant discussion, even one in which the issue hasn't been resolved. Don't interpret this as a dismissal of your question. The people lending user support deal with a large volume of posts and often don't have time to write extensive replies. If you aren't satisfied with an answer, ask for further elaboration. If you were given a link to another thread, respond in the new thread or follow it for updates.
 If you resolve a problem on your own, post an update to the thread, and say what you did to fix it. Other people may be having the same issue and may benefit from your experience, or you may be able to provide the developers with additional information to fix the problem.
-[[/forums|Go to the Zotero Forums]]
+[[/forum|Go to the Zotero Forums]]