Shoutbox

That's already available when you create a thread in Help & Support:

quote:

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Originally posted by http://shoutbox.menthix.net/newthread.php?fid=12
Provide as much information about your problem as you can. For example, tell us everything you have already tried and what versions of Windows, MSN Messenger and Messenger Plus! you are using (type (!VER) in a conversation window to find this info).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mike
That's already available when you create a thread in Help & Support:

quote:

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Originally posted by http://shoutbox.menthix.net/newthread.php?fid=12
Provide as much information about your problem as you can. For example, tell us everything you have already tried and what versions of Windows, MSN Messenger and Messenger Plus! you are using (type (!VER) in a conversation window to find this info).

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Hmm, never noticed that before. Probely havn't made a thread in that forum before

But still, no one follows it. ¬_¬

I think it's good as it is now. Forcing people to choose it from a dropdown or similar generally doesn't work well. People tend to be to lazy to actually check it and will just blindly say they use the latest version. However, when a human being asks them they will get the feeling that replying with the proper versionnumbers will actually help them solve the problem.

We had the problem with the StuffPlug forums. So in the bug tracker, when asked for the version number, only numbers were allowed. It stopped people writing "latest version" etc.

I don't think using a pop-up to choose the option would be very effective, most people have pop-up blockers installed on their computers, or with Mozilla Firefox they're already installed.

It's a good idea, but like any other idea it probably wouldn't be effective, as ValSpy said, the users simply won't read anything that's written there for their benefit, the only way to do it would be to force them to put in their version number etc. but then they probably wouldn't bother and just go on to post in another forum.

It'd be better to have something like a drop down menu...

Like:
Menu 1:
MSNM < 6
MSNM 6
MSNM 7
MSNM 7.5
WLM 8

Menu 2:
MP! < 3.63
MP! 3.63
MP!L < 4.01
MP!L 4.01

Also,
Menu 3:
Windows 9x/ME
Windows NT/2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista

might be useful...

Although it'd need updated every time there was a new release of MP!L or WLM.

/effort

quote:

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Originally posted by andrewdodd13
Also,
Menu 3:
Windows 9x/ME
Windows NT/2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista

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But then you've got service packs and all that which are also important. To be quite honest, this would mean a lot of coding and it probably wouldn't even be effective.

quote:

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Originally posted by traxor
I don't think using a pop-up to choose the option would be very effective,

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The pop-up, i thought, would be to tell people they had not 'filled in' the drop down menu. And then tell them to go back and check it.

I realised thought that in certain forums it wouldn't apply or you might need slightly different information. It would be a lot of work to get it right. and it might end up not very effective.

That would really improve the quality of the help here, and make is easier to help the ones that need help.

Great idea!

idea is very nice, but...

quote:

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Originally posted by ValSpy
Hmm this seems like a great idea but I am sure many people still won't use this since they don't like to read things (just like when people post in the wrong forums)

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just as most helpers don't actually even ask what version is being used (see all threads where people simply assume the posters are using the latest (Live) version)... That's the biggest problem to begin with IMHO.

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris4
Make it so you have to choose an option. Makes sense.

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Actually it doesn't. In some cases the version does matter and the questions are general.

Also, and this is my personal opinion, you can often give better and detailed support if you provide an answer where all the versions are described/handled.

In that way, people seeking help don't need to seek for version specific threads. It also will minimize the duplication of threads (threads about the exact same stuff, but with different Messenger versions) or minimize the extra posts to ask "will this work in version x too".

IMHO, it comes down to how support is given or what is being asked before giving support.

quote:

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Originally posted by MenthiX
I think it's good as it is now. Forcing people to choose it from a dropdown or similar generally doesn't work well. People tend to be to lazy to actually check it and will just blindly say they use the latest version. However, when a human being asks them they will get the feeling that replying with the proper versionnumbers will actually help them solve the problem.

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absolutely

quote:

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Originally posted by Nitro
That would really improve the quality of the help here, and make is easier to help the ones that need help.

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Tbh, that wouldn't improve the quality of support. If anything, it would fractionize support posts even more (refering to duplicated and repetative threads and posts).

The quality of support does not depend on a mandatory form to be filled in, it _could_ make it easier (on the other hand, it could just as well make it harder, as people tend to not check stuff as Menthix said), but the quality of support mostly depends on those who give it and their lazyness -or not- in asking questions before giving detailed support, instead of assuming things and giving vague one-liners...

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Anyways, the thing why I am against it is mostly because such info is sometimes needed, sometimes not, sometimes it can even give wrong info or the wrong idea, sometimes even more info is needed, and sometimes such info can only be more confusing to the requester and thus they may even answer the wrong stuff leading to incorrect support...

... it is highly dependant from situation to situation.