Finding Answers Options

[shelley]

While everyone who uses Movable Type is welcome to participate and post for assistance on our Community Forum, official support from Six Apart staff is provided through our Knowledge Base and Help Ticket system. If you've purchased a 3.x license which includes support, please log into Your Account and locate the links to your right under Help & Support to access these personal support options.

This community forum is only for questions directly related to the use of Movable Type. Please do not post general questions on HTML, CSS, blogging, web design, etc. There are other forums and resources on the Internet for these topics. Remember, Google is your friend.

Before posting a new topic, please read through the following hints and guidelines. This list provides a quick summary where each item is linked to a more detailed explanation.

• Read the manuals first.
• Try a search.
• Pick the right forum.
• Choose a descriptive topic title.
• Be as specific as possible.
• Include a URL to your site.
• State which version of Movable Type you’re using.
• Use the CODE and QUOTE buttons appropriately.
• Review and edit if needed.
• Post one topic per problem.
• Bump your topic (once per 24 hour period).
• Track and take care of your topic.
• Have patience.
• Be courteous to staff and volunteers.

By following these guidelines, you'll do your part to keep the Community Forum user-friendly, and make using Movable Type a better experience for everyone who discovers it.

[shelley]

Read the manuals first.

Our documentation is upgraded with each release of Movable Type, and should answer general questions and frequently occurring problems you may encounter. So please read these thoroughly first to see if your question is answered there.




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[shelley]

Try a search.

If you know about a specific topic you are looking for, your best bet is to use the Search feature on the forum.

You can separate out searches by date range and by forum, and these can be used to your benefit. Try to think of a word to search for that might not be in every post. Start with a small range to search for - the most likely category and shortest date range, and then if that doesn't return good results, expand from there. And if you find something that helped you, link it as a reply to your post, because you never know when it might help another person searching for the same thing.

If you received an error message while using MT, examine it carefully and search the boards for key words contained within it - this will often result in threads where similar problems were discussed and solutions were found. The search feature prefers words of three letters or more, so focus on the phrases that make your error message unique.

Example: uninitialized AND value AND found

Older posts can be just as valuable as newer ones, so keep that in mind when setting your search parameters.



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[shelley]

Pick the right forum.

The forums are pretty clearly defined, with helpful descriptions of what goes in which forum. Read them carefully and choose the most appropriate forum for your particular problem. (And please, post only one topic per problem.)

NOTE: Please do not post something in the Bugs and Odd Behavior forum until you are certain it is truly a bug.

All topics are subject to being moved to a more appropriate forum by the moderators, so choose wisely and track your topic.



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[shelley]

Choose a descriptive topic title.

You get two fields for identifying your topic when posting a new one: title and description. Be as specific as possible!

BAD:

Help!
I broke it!

GOOD:

mt.cgi error
'Loading template 'error.tmpl' failed'

Wise choices not only assist those who may reply to your topic, but they also benefit other users who may come searching for help after you.



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[shelley]

Be as specific as possible.

Be as detailed and as clear as you can when describing your problem.

BAD:

MT says I used a tag out of context!

GOOD:

I get an error message when rebuilding my files, which says this [insert full error message here] and here is what my template looks like [insert template contents using the CODE button].

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[shelley]

Include a URL.

Many problems are easier to solve if other readers have a URL to view. A direct URL to a page where the problem shows up is best, rather than expecting people to hunt around on your site.

Make sure to include http:// in your URL so it will be automatically linked. You can also use the http:// button above the posting window to add a link to your post.

If you are just testing a new feature out on your site, be sure to include a URL to your test page - your main URL won't help us if you don't have the feature implemented yet.

In addition, please link to images or screenshots rather than including them in your posts.



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[shelley]

State which version of Movable Type you're using.

There are differences between each version of Movable Type, so knowing which version you're using helps with answering appropriately.

If you're unsure about which version you're using, look at the copyright footer at the bottom of each Movable Type screen. You may also have the version number displayed on the Main Index of your blog site.

If all else fails, you can look at the copy of lib/MT.pm on your server. The current version number is near the top in the code.



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[shelley]

Use the CODE and QUOTE buttons appropriately.

CODE button:
When posting a new topic, you'll see a lovely little series of buttons above the text window. Of these, the CODE and QUOTE buttons are important ones to know about.

If you want to post a section of your template**, first press the CODE button once. Type (or copy and paste) your HTML, then press the CODE button again.

This surrounds your HTML in a nice little box and keeps the board from displaying the results of the HTML rather than the HTML itself.

** Don't post an entire template unless specifically asked to do so. Even then, it's better to place a text file with the template code in it on your server, and provide a URL in your post to the text file.

QUOTE button:
You can use the QUOTE button in a similar fashion when you want to reference something said previously in a topic, or a portion of the user manuals, etc.

When quoting, please leave only the part of the quoted text that is relevant to your own post. And note that it is not necessary to quote the post immediately before your reply - you should only quote when it is necessary to make your reply understandable in the context of its location in the topic.



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[shelley]

Review and edit if needed.

Read over your new topic after adding it, and use the EDIT button if you need to correct or clarify anything further.

As long as you're still logged in to the board, you can edit any of your posts. This is especially helpful if you forgot to use that CODE button!



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[shelley]

Post one topic per problem.

Do not post the same topic multiple times, or in different forums!

This is annoying to other users of the board, and those who offer assistance here normally read each forum, so multiple posts aren't necessary to get proper attention.

Duplicate posts and topics will either be deleted or merged by the moderators.



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[shelley]

"Bump" your topic (once per 24 hour period).

If no one responds to your topic and it starts to move lower on the list, "bump" it up by adding a new reply to your post:

I'm still having this problem; any suggestions?

That moves your topic to the top of the list.

You may also wish to add an update or further information, in case the earlier details you provided weren't clear enough for someone to determine what the answer to your problem might be.

Don't be a "bump maniac", though - wait at least 24 hours before bumping up a post. And don't create a new topic for the same problem, either.



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[shelley]

Track and take care of your topic.

Tracking a topic means you'll get email notification when someone responds to it (assuming you've specified an email address in your member profile). This saves you from having to check the board constantly and also reminds you to follow up to any questions from those trying to help you.

To track your topic: after posting it, scroll down near the bottom of the page. You'll see a link that says "Track this topic". Click on it, and you'll receive an email whenever someone posts a reply to your topic!

You can also view all topics you've subscribed to while visiting the forum. Select My Controls at the top, then, under Subscriptions on the left, select View Topics. You'll see a list of all the topics you've subscribed to recently.

Also, many of those posting in the Community Forum not only enjoy helping others, but they also like to know when their suggestions have worked out.

So, take care of your topic: if you solved the problem on your own, reply with how you did it (this is useful to other users who might encounter the very same problem later). If your helpers need more information, respond to them. If their suggestions did the trick, thank them for it!



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[shelley]

Have patience.

There is a lot going on at Movable Type. New versions are continually in progress, and although there are many "regulars" haunting the boards, not every question is going to result in immediate responses.

Almost everyone posting on our forum is a volunteer - show respect for their knowledge and time by exercising a little patience (we know it's often hard to do when you're experiencing a problem, but remember, their advice is free).

In most cases, someone who knows the answer will get around to you in due time! If not, bump your topic.



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[shelley]

Be courteous to support staff, volunteers, and other members.

All members, whether staff, volunteers, or occasional visitors, are expected to treat one another with respect.

Once again, please remember that almost all of the people who are helping you out on the forum are doing so on a volunteer basis. They love Movable Type, and love helping others learn how to use it, but also have obligations outside the forum. That's why having patience is so important.



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