[FAQ] How to ask a question! (Read this First)

[InuTrunks]

Hello FFXIO Newcomers, and Members!
I'm writing this small FAQ to help out some of our newer people (as well as some of our older people), because there seems to be a small trend going around. That trend is doing none of your own research on a topic before you post about it. Following these simple steps will make your stay here on FFXIO a lot more comfortable.

1) Please check out any of these following sites for your answer before you begin with your question
Google (http://www.google.com)
FFXIO Own Search: http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/ffxio4/misc/v5/bu_search.gif (http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/search.php)
Final Fantasy XI - FFXIclopedia (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Main_Page)
FFXI MysteryTour (Final Fantasy XI) (http://mysterytour.web.infoseek.co.jp/ffxi/us/)

2) You've now put in a good amount of searching time (at least 15-30 minutes) and you can not find the answer to your question, now we need to formulate the idea into something that's coherent (easy to understand), while still presenting your idea's and knowledge about the subject you are asking about. For example, just saying "HOW COME I CANT LOGIN TO GAME?!?!?" Is not a valid question, well it is, but you're most likely to get flamed. Taking this very same question, and expanding upon it, for example: "I've tried to login to the game, but I keep getting the error code "POL-XXXX". I did some looking around and tried answer's A, B, and C, but none of them worked. Does anyone else have any ideas?". This would be a better way to formulate your question.

3) Now you have a question at hand and typed out. RE-READ over your question and post before you post it. A simple spell checker will work wonders (as well as proofreading your own post). The newest FireFox (2.x.x) has it's own spell checker inside it, amazing tool. After you have proof-read your question it's time to post. Be careful you new members you can not post links for some time, anything that looks like a web address will get your ENTIRE POST DELETED with a generic error message. Make sure you save your post (highlight and hit the keybuttons: control+c), for the reason that you do not want to lose your entire post.

3a) In addition, Smilies (ie: :) ), Quotes that link to a post, the [img] tag, and the [url] tag are all considered "links"

4) Our question is now posted! Congratulations. Now, please do not go anywhere, come back shortly and your question will either be expanded upon (someone else asking you questions), or it will be answered within a timely fashion (many of us stare at FFXIO constantly).

Just follow these 4 simple steps and everyone is a happy camper.

[Kuro]

Soo-uur-chh?

What is this Shourch you speak of?

[InuTrunks]

Soo-uur-chh?
What is this Shourch you speak of?


It's a mystic creature, found in the bowels of the internet... it contains shinies.

[Kuro]

Shineys you say?

Well thats i't I'm converted, All hail the Sourch button!

[Evion]

Shineys are just not enough these days. One minute I'm researching FFXI and press a Shiney button, the next I'm spending the rest of my day looking at porn. No thanx!

[Yellow Mage]

FFXIclopedia (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/) wouldn't hurt, either.

The only thing about that site I don't get is why they have an edition in Spanish; kind of counter-productive, considering there's no Spanish edition of the game.

Which is sad for me, because if there was, I could use the multi-lingual feature of the Language settings. But, I guess there isn't a video game fanbase in Spain, so . . . *suspiro*

[InuTrunks]

I already have it in there YM :P

[Irisjir Callard]

Alot of the people posting these days I can't figure out how they don't walk out into busy traffic and kill themselves accidentally before they come to the internetz.

[Taskmage]

Stickied, for what it's worth. Though, is a person who needs to be reminded to to due diligence and try to find the answers to their questions themselves going to look at the stickies before posting?

To veteran members who may be reading this, while these are all good behaviors that definately should be encouraged, please be tolerant of newer posters who don't do these things. Replies like "zomg serch button fukin noob" only damage the atmosphere of the site, imo. If you don't want to answer their question, fine; if you want to encourage them to find the answer themselves, fine; just whatever you choose to post please be respectful of your fellow members.

[InuTrunks]

Though, is a person who needs to be reminded to to due diligence and try to find the answers to their questions themselves going to look at the stickies before posting?


I guess we're at the new generation of BBS eh? Oh, the old days when people read all the stickies, and rules before making an account, what happened to these days?


To veteran members who may be reading this, while these are all good behaviors that definately should be encouraged, please be tolerant of newer posters who don't do these things. Replies like "zomg serch button fukin noob" only damage the atmosphere of the site, imo.

You got a point here Taskmage, this is what I've been doing, being a sarcastic jerk while still helping them find the answer on their own. I just hope people can at least work a little on their own before posting such simple questions.

[Aeni]

/applaud

{Thank you}

[Aksannyi]

Can I add to your list Inu? Please tell the newbies not to bump their thread every ten minutes if no one responds right away. We all have busy lives.

If there's one thing I really hate about forums, it's people that create a thread and then bump their own thread because "liek, zomg, itz fallin 2 teh bottum uv teh page." If people can help, they will.

[Irisjir Callard]

Doesn't this site have an auto-edit function where if a user makes two posts in a row, they get 'collapsed' into the first post?

[Irisjir Callard]

Like this, as it were.

[Feba]

Not anymore.

[Mhurron]

I miss it.

[Aksannyi]

I miss it.
So do I. Double posting just annoys the hell out of me.

[Mhurron]

Ya

[Mhurron]

I know
:P

[Aksannyi]

Mhurron's Aksannyi hate raises by .3

[Mhurron]

I don't know what your problem is, I found it funny.

[Aksannyi]

(Just teasing).