Single word subjects and anonymous posters

[David McRitchie]

"Single word subjects and anonymous posters" sure
takes any enjoyment out of trying to find solutions and posting replies.

You can get a free email address from hotmail and use it to post.

If you must post anonymously (anonymous email address) please at
least use your first and lastname. Which for most people is not unique
but is probably adequate enough to distinguish you within the Excel
newsgroups and help you find your own postings in the archives and
reduce some of the annoyances from anonymous posters.

Single words and words in subject like "Excel", "Help", and "Urgent"
or a repetition of parts of the newsgroup name or use of the
word "Macro" in the subject in the programming newsgroup have
very little meaning in the Excel newsgroups. The Subject must
identify the question to be effective and to help those that do their
homework before posting by searching the archives for previously posted
replies.

Use of the search engines will usually get an answer faster than
asking in newsgroup and waiting for replies while others spend time
to work out a solution or look up answers for on the search engines.

Some helpful articles (at least I hope so) on searching and posting

Excel Newsgroups & Searching Newsgroups
Search Newsgroups using Google "Usenet Advanced Search", look at the MS Knowledge Database, other tips.
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/xlnews.htm

Hints for New Posters
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/newposte.htm

Posting to Newsgroups
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/posting.htm

Some places with a subject of Frequently Asked Questions (sites of MVPs)

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft Excel
Collected by Harald Staff, Microsoft Excel MVP (Contextures is Debra Dalgleish's site)
http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqIndex.html

Frequently Asked Questions (John Walkenbach)
http://www.j-walk.com/ss/excel/faqs/index.htm

 

[Don Guillett]

Here Here a cheer for David. Pls post often

--
Don Guillett
SalesAid Software
(e-mail address removed)

"Single word subjects and anonymous posters" sure
takes any enjoyment out of trying to find solutions and posting replies.

You can get a free email address from hotmail and use it to post.

If you must post anonymously (anonymous email address) please at
least use your first and lastname. Which for most people is not unique
but is probably adequate enough to distinguish you within the Excel
newsgroups and help you find your own postings in the archives and
reduce some of the annoyances from anonymous posters.

Single words and words in subject like "Excel", "Help", and "Urgent"
or a repetition of parts of the newsgroup name or use of the
word "Macro" in the subject in the programming newsgroup have
very little meaning in the Excel newsgroups. The Subject must
identify the question to be effective and to help those that do their
homework before posting by searching the archives for previously posted
replies.

Use of the search engines will usually get an answer faster than
asking in newsgroup and waiting for replies while others spend time
to work out a solution or look up answers for on the search engines.

Some helpful articles (at least I hope so) on searching and posting

Excel Newsgroups & Searching Newsgroups
Search Newsgroups using Google "Usenet Advanced Search", look at the MS

Knowledge Database, other tips.

 

[no name here]

Never again since I have gotten 6-8 emails a day for the
last two weeks all with the Swen virus since posting my
email address on here asking for help. BTW, never got the
help I needed either.

-----Original Message-----
"Single word subjects and anonymous posters" sure
takes any enjoyment out of trying to find solutions and posting replies.

You can get a free email address from hotmail and use it to post.

If you must post anonymously (anonymous email address) please at
least use your first and lastname. Which for most people is not unique
but is probably adequate enough to distinguish you within the Excel
newsgroups and help you find your own postings in the archives and
reduce some of the annoyances from anonymous posters.

Single words and words in subject

like "Excel", "Help", and "Urgent"

or a repetition of parts of the newsgroup name or use of the
word "Macro" in the subject in the programming newsgroup have
very little meaning in the Excel newsgroups. The Subject must
identify the question to be effective and to help those that do their
homework before posting by searching the archives for previously posted
replies.

Use of the search engines will usually get an answer faster than
asking in newsgroup and waiting for replies while others spend time
to work out a solution or look up answers for on the search engines.

Some helpful articles (at least I hope so) on searching and posting

Excel Newsgroups & Searching Newsgroups
Search Newsgroups using Google "Usenet Advanced Search",

look at the MS Knowledge Database, other tips.

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/xlnews.htm

Hints for New Posters
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/newposte.htm

Posting to Newsgroups
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/posting.htm

Some places with a subject of Frequently Asked Questions (sites of MVPs)

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft Excel
Collected by Harald Staff, Microsoft Excel MVP

(Contextures is Debra Dalgleish's site)

 

[Gord Dibben]

David

I would like to add another point if I may. It seems to be happening more
frequently lately.

Replying to a post and snipping the entire original question does not allow
those of us who missed the original to learn much from an answer.

This point is covered under #8 in your "Posting to News Groups" and as written
here from Chip's site......

10 If you're following up to a previous post, you don't need to include
everything. Snip out what's not relevant. But do include what is relevant.
Some people may have missed the original post. (See #11 below)

11 When posting a follow-up to a post, put your new text at the top of the
message, above the cited text of previous messages. (See #10 above). This
makes it much easier to others to read the responses to a message that has
been posted.

Gord Dibben XL2002

 

[onedaywhen]

Are you referring to the proliferation of recent postings from the
apparent author (e-mail address removed)? I had assumed
these posts had originated from a source such as Google Groups (which
I use) or Developers Network, and was an accident of circumstances.
They usually do appear with a username. However, I'm no Usenet expert,
so I don't really know what's going on.

I use an alias, preferring not to use reveal my identity in public
forums (but do use my real name in personal follow up emails which
ironically are sometimes frowned upon!) And the email address that
appears in my posts is for an account which I'm sure has expired (but
it sure does prevent spam!) Would you consider me an 'anonymous'
poster? What are annoyances from anonymous posters? This is a genuine
question; it concerns me that I may unwittingly be causing offence. I
may have to review my approach!

 

[Harlan Grove]

...
...

Replying to a post and snipping the entire original question does not allow
those of us who missed the original to learn much from an answer.

...

Relevant context OK. Extraneous text is clutter.

The full threads are usually available in the Google Groups archive, and the
older messages in a thread should be available to anyone using even the most
basic of newsreaders as long as they retain rather than purge older messages.

11 When posting a follow-up to a post, put your new text at the top of the
message, above the cited text of previous messages. (See #10 above). This
makes it much easier to others to read the responses to a message that has
been posted.

Seems to be subjective. USENET advise to new posters is the opposite: context
first, then responses, so when reading from the top down, text from older
posting appears before that from newer postings. The standard approach in these
nwesgroups is answer before question. Not obvious how this aids comprehension.
If the counter claim is that most readers following a thread have already read
the preceding questions & answers, then there's no reason to include any text
from the previous messages, thus vitiating your first point.

 

[Harlan Grove]

Are you referring to the proliferation of recent postings from the
apparent author (e-mail address removed)? I had assumed
these posts had originated from a source such as Google Groups (which
I use) or Developers Network, and was an accident of circumstances.

...

No. They invariably come from Microsoft's own CDO browser interface. This is
Microsoft's solution to privacy. The OP is making a gallant attempt to get
people using CDO to use that interface more responsibly than Microsoft makes
them do. This has succeeded before - there are very few file attachments these
days.

I use an alias, preferring not to use reveal my identity in public
forums (but do use my real name in personal follow up emails which
ironically are sometimes frowned upon!) . . .

Why ironic? Speaking just for myself, I don't want private e-mail follow-ups,
and usually ignore them.

. . . What are annoyances from anonymous posters? . . .

As long as you use the same 'handle' for yourself in all postings, and that
'handle' is distinct from most other posters, nothing.

 

[onedaywhen]

My only concern, then, is how will the MVP organization contact me to
invite me to become a member?!