Board rules

[Joachim Müller]

When I tried to come up with a document that describes in detail what to do and what not on the coppermine support board I came across a document that is extremely well-written and says it all. Although it discusses the use of mailing lists in the first place, it's the same for the use of the coppermine support board. I strongly recommend reading it before doing anything else on this board: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Please understand though that the page I refered to is not affiliated with coppermine at all, so you will not get any particular insight in coppermine-related stuff. Do not ask them about coppermine, they don't know it. However, the author of the doc (Eric S. Raymond) has summed up what our board is about as well and how to post smart questions.

Joachim

[Edit GauGau 2008-09-28] This thread has been replaced as sticky announcement thread with the new summary thread Board rules / Forum policies. Please read the new thread instead of this one, which is only kept for reference [/Edit]

[kegobeer]

Please make this a super sticky.  Outstanding document.

[canaduh69]

That article is good, I had no idea. I am so new to this that I don't understand the lingo or the Techy stuff. But I am learning.
I understand everyone is busy, as I am too but sometimes after reading for an hour, I am as lost as when I started.
I have read the document and understand it.
And the install directions may as well be written in Russian because I am as lost as I was when I asked for help.
I apologize for wasting yours and my valuable time, I will seek my answers from the new gallery I choose.
May I suggest a "beginners" forum, where we can get instructions in LAYMAN terms.
We are not all as "SMart" as you guys, yet.

[Nibbler]

Coppermine is aimed at webmasters, anyone running a website should know how to use an FTP client, set permissions, setup a database etc. These steps are common to all php/mysql scripts.

[sorro]

But please don't forget: All of us started to learn sometime. Not everyone knows from the beginning which keywords will deliver the right results in board search. And without some stupid questions some of us (and perhaps some of you too) would have never reached the skill they have now.

Do not understand my thread wrong, I really appreciate the support of the developers (because I know how much work it is) but when I sometimes read answers like "Search!" I wish there would be at least a link to an thread with this content or some keyword with which I can find a thread that deals with it.

Coppermine is aimed at webmasters, anyone running a website should know how to use an FTP client, set permissions, setup a database etc. These steps are common to all php/mysql scripts.

[Syree]

  *feels kinda stupid after reading this* but it is helpful !

[Joachim Müller]

Just as a reminder: below are the forum policies that everyone agreed to when signing up:

Forum Policies

1. Read the documentation first!
The documentation that comes with coppermine should answer most newbie questions.

2. Read the FAQ

3. Search the board
The search facility on the forums is probably your best friend when having a problem, there is a good chance that someone else has had the problem you are having and that a solution has been posted before, so to try and get an answer straight away use this tool. If at first you don't seem to find what you are looking for try again with different words.

4. Read the stickies
Threads marked with a pin are listed at the very top of each board. They contain answers to many questions that were posted over and over again, or they may contain important announcements from the dev team. They also contain information what kind of postings are allowed on a particular sub-board and what information supporters need to answer your questions. Make sure to read the stickies on a board before posting to it.

5. Choose the proper board for your posting
All boards have a brief description of what its threads should contain. Make sure to post in the board that fits your issue most.

6. Use a meaningfull subject line
When posting on a support board, it's very likely that you need help, as much as everyone else who looks for help there, so don't use subject like "Help me please" or "Newbie needs help". Other "bad" subject lines are "Important", "I have a little question" etc.
Instead, use a short phrase that describes your problem - this will make things easier for supporters as well as other users who might encounter a similar problem and browse the board for relevant postings.

7. Be detailed
Post as many details as possible on the issue you're facing; for a start, you should post a link to your gallery and a test user account (without admin privileges). If the page in question can't be accessed by "regular" users (e.g. admin pages), post a screenshot.

8. Post links
When posting a support request, it's helpfull for supporters in most cases to see what the actual page looks like, that's why it's recommended that you always post a link to your coppermine gallery page when asking for support. If your site contains adult content, make sure to post a warning together with your link!

9. Add attachments
You can add files (some file types at least) to your posting on the board. When composing a message, click on "Additional options" at the bottom left of the screen and use the "upload attachment" function there. For security reasons you can not post executables or php files - rename them to txt or put them into a zip archive instead.

10. One question per thread
We have a strict "One question/issue per thread rule", which helps both supporters/moderators to keep track of open/closed issues as well as users who search the board or browse it, looking for answers to their question. Don't try to "hijack" other's threads by posting unrelated questions to an existing thread.

11. Post publicly
Sending private messages to supporters or devs, asking for help or support is a bad idea. The whole point of a support board is that others can see your questions and the replies. There is no individual support by email or private message. If sensitive information like an admin account is needed, the supporter will ask for it.


Supporters are reluctant to answer the same questions over and over again. If you chose not to read the docs and search first, or if you don't stick to this board's policies it's likely to get a harsh answer, or no answer at all. Keep in mind that all who work on this project are volunteers who don't get paid.

[Abbas Ali]

Some might be interested in this lovely article -> Help Vampires

Please see that you are not in that category.

[Tranz]

Could this thread be made a global sticky/announcement?

[Joachim Müller]

done

[Pascal YAP]

GauGau, Thu, Nibbler, Abbas, Kegobeer...
The same doc/infos rules but in French
http://www.gnurou.org/Writing/SmartQuestionsFr
Us too are tired, because stupid questions last days 

PYAP

ps : in our Board since 04 November 2005, 17:06:13
http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php?topic=23387.msg107598#msg107598

[Joachim Müller]

Board rules add-on: Coppermine-gallery.net using Google Analytics
The web site coppermine-gallery.net is being run by the coppermine dev team on a non-commercial, non-profits base. We (the coppermine dev team) do not share visitor data with third-parties. We don't give personal data to others, especially the data users enter to register on the forum.
To improve the end user experience, we need to obtain statistic data though (e.g. to figure out what browsers are being used, what screen resolutions users have etc.). Therefor, we have added Google Analytics code to all pages. This means that statistic, non-personal data is being processed by Google and made available to Coppermine dev team members. According to Google's privacy policy, Google will respect your privacy.
We're convinced that adding Google Analytics will not harm your privacy, however: if you're concerned about your data being made available to a third party, you're free to configure your client accordingly (e.g. by disabling JavaScript in your browser).
Please note that we will not support Google Analytics, so there's no use asking us how to add Google Analytics to your page.
It is important that you understand that the Google Analytics code resides only on the pages from coppermine-gallery.net; the application "Coppermine Photo Gallery" that you can download and use on your own site is not being bundled with Google Analytics (or any other third-party statistics/analytics code). Coppermine Photo Gallery does not contain ad-ware, spyware or other hidden tracking systems.

Joachim Müller