Guidelines for the PowerPoint Support Forums

The PowerPoint Support Forums have a few simple guidelines. Following them will help keep the forums user-friendly, and will help you get the answers you need quickly and accurately.

If you don't read anything else, at least read this, from PowerPoint MVP Sonia Coleman:

"The help you receive in internet newsgroups is not really free, though it is willingly and happily provided at a very low and reasonable cost. The price of admission is respect and professionalism and is due and must be paid in full with each post and reply. That's what makes it such a great place for learning and for sharing what we have learned."

How forums and newsgroups work

Support forums and newsgroups are the internet version of the old "infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of typewriters" trick: Tell your problem to enough people and one of them is sure to have a solution.

Forums put your message in front of thousands of people. All you have to do is type it once.

Actually it's even better: When somebody answers your question, somebody else will reply with other ideas or to correct errors. Everybody with an interest in your problem can join in. That's why it works as well as it does.

And it gets better yet: Using Google Groups or the forum's search feature, you can search for answers that someone may already have posted instead of posting your question and waiting for a reply.

Before you post your message to the newsgroup, make sure it contains all the info we'll need to help solve your problem.

How to get help

First, do some searching to see if someone has already answered your question.

• Search the PowerPoint FAQ (this site)
• Use the forum's search feature.
• Type your question directly into Google, Bing or another web search engine.
• Search Google Groups

If that doesn't help, post your message on the forum.

Some web forums allow you to request email notification when someone replies to your question. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. It's always a good idea to check back for replies every so often.

Supply all the details when you post to the newsgroup. Please describe your problem as completely as you can. Include:

• The operating system version (ie, Windows XP Home, Vista, Mac OS X, etc.) and Service Pack (SP) level.
• Network type and version, if any.
• The version of PowerPoint you're using and what Service Packs (SPs) have been applied.
• A detailed description of what you were doing (or trying to do) when the problem arose.
• If a printer or other special hardware is involved, supply complete details about that too.

Our Problem Report Form will help you organize your thoughts and collect the needed details.

Now you know what to do. But before you go off to do it, there are a few things you shouldn't do.

How to avoid annoying the people who can help you

• Don't include file attachments. If somebody wants to look at your problem file, they'll ask you to email it or make other arrangements.
• Don't add lots of HTML formatting. Stick with plain text unless special formatting really makes your message clearer.
• Post your message just once. If you have a problem or comment, post it, then visit the newsgroup again periodically to see if anyone's responded. Posting the same question over and over won't get you faster service. It will annoy the neighbors.
• No Microsoft Bashing. There's no point. Microsoft sponsors the PowerPoint forums so that we can share problems, solutions and a little friendly chit-chat. They hire tech support staff to moderate some of the forums and support the MVPs who volunteer their time to answer many of your questions. Neither the MVPs nor the moderators have anything to do with Microsoft's policy and product decisions. Yelling at them won't solve your problem but it might make them less inclined to help you.
• Don't ask for email replies. A private email conversation deprives you and others of the give and take that often produces a solution to your problem. Besides, most forum members ignore requests for email responses. It's simply considered bad form.
• Don't Spam. Littering the forum with commercial messages will annoy the very people you're hoping to sell to and may get you banned. BUT: If a newsgroup member has a problem that your product just happens to solve, please say so. Just keep it low-key and non-commercial.
• Above all, be polite. Flames, personal attacks and rudeness are out. We're blessed with a great group of pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable people on the PowerPoint forums. Let's keep it that way. If you disagree with something, by all means say so. Politely and respectfully. We all learn from different ideas and points of view. But let's discuss ideas, not attack the people who express them.

End of Sermon. Thanks for bearing with it. But by the way, here's the Official Word from MS on Use of Services like the PowerPoint forum.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Welcome to the PowerPoint support forums. See you there!