What's an effective method for getting replies to your questions?

[iPowers]

Hey guys so hopefully I get a response to this cause recently this has been bugging me a lot.

I've been making topics on here over a period of about a year or so and almost none of them i've been getting replies and I know most of these questions are problems that i Know professionals like yourselves can answer. So my question is what am I doing wrong? Is it that no one knows? Am I too vague or too specific? Is it cause I made it confusing? Let me know if you can. Thanks a lot!!

If you want a sample of what I mean, here's a couple links if you need one to give me a good answer:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/929346/

 

[miles01110]

You could start by making your threads a little easier to read. For example:

When my memory gets to under 4 GB something acts on my computer where it wants to eat up all my memory then within seconds I see it go down little by little then eventually goes to 0 kB and sometimes it stops randomly, but if I happen to restart my computer, the memory goes back up.

This is a very confusing sentence at first glance.

Another part of the problem (more recently) is that a good deal of your threads seem to be in the iPod forum. The iPod forum isn't very active these days.

 

[kainjow]

Fix your typos. In that thread above, you provided error messages but had several typos. If someone googles the error message they won't find your thread. If they did, and the problem hadn't been fixed, there's a good chance they'd respond to the thread saying they have the same issue and the thread will be visible to other users again who may have a solution or new ideas. Note: I am not advocating the typical "bump" posts here

Be more specific. You said Disk Utility failed, and gave a semi-generic description of why. It'd be better to provide the exact reason why it failed.

Include screenshots. Far easier to glance at a screenshot then read a block of text, especially when it comes to errors/messages/etc.

There's no guarantee you're going to get people to respond or solve your problem, but you can at least make it easier for people to help you.

 

[GGJstudios]

Just a few ideas:

• Search. Using MRoogle to search for answers in existing threads saves a lot of time, over posting a thread and waiting for responses.
  
• Choose the right forum. Pick the one forum that most closely relates to your issue. Many of us use Forum Spy to watch for new posts, which allows us to filter out forums we're not interested in tracking. By posting in the right forum, you're more likely to catch the attention of those with knowledge and experience in your area.
  
• Use a descriptive thread title. Don't just say "HELP!!!!" or "Mac Problem", but use a thread title that clues people in to what your issue is. Again, this will attract those with interest and ability to help.
  
• Be brief. Some may not have the patience to read lengthy descriptions of problems. It's important to include relevant info, but try to keep it as short as possible. Also, break up long paragraphs to make them more readable.
  
• Be complete. Describe exactly what the problem is. It helps if others can reproduce your steps to see if they get the same results. While brevity is important, don't forget to include what hardware (such as MacBook Pro 6,2, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD), OS (10.6.3), and software (Safari 5 or Mail 3.6) you're using. Also include any steps you've already taken to resolve the issue. If you received an error message, post a screen shot or quote the message exactly. Many times, you can find an answer simply by searching for the exact error message with Google or MRoogle.

Also, refer to Maximizing your MacRumors troubleshooting experience

 

[iPowers]

Hmm well this is really interesting.

GGJStudios and Kainjow you guys both have good ideas, but they are kinda the opposite. One is based on being more simple then the other is saying give more info. I don't really know what to say about that.

 

[GGJstudios]

Hmm well this is really interesting.

GGJStudios and Kainjow you guys both have good ideas, but they are kinda the opposite. One is based on being more simple then the other is saying give more info. I don't really know what to say about that.

No, they aren't opposite. We both agree that you need to give enough info to adequately diagnose the problem and offer solutions. As I suggested, try to do so as succinctly as possible, so people don't get mired in a flurry of words. But certainly don't omit anything important. kainjow's suggestion that you use screenshots supports that idea. As the old saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words."

 

[-aggie-]

[*]Use a descriptive thread title. Don't just say "HELP!!!!" or "Mac Problem", but use a thread title that clues people in to what your issue is. Again, this will attract those with interest and ability to help.

This. God I wish there was some kind of test you had to take to start posting threads. I also wish MR would make the statement they put right near the thread title about making clear titles in BIGGER type or in Red or something.

 

[annk]

^ If you see a thread that needs a better title, report it. It's very easy for us to take a quick look at the first post and create a new title.

 

[iPowers]

This. God I wish there was some kind of test you had to take to start posting threads. I also wish MR would make the statement they put right near the thread title about making clear titles in BIGGER type or in Red or something.

What do you mean?

I did make a descriptive title. It wasn't like I put "Mac Problem. HELP ME!!" as a title. If you're referring to me.