Hi I'm here to hopefully make a difference to the forum!

[garybear]

Hi I'm here to hopefully make a difference here on this forum. I'm no stranger to help forums. I was invited to join your forum by a good friend. My goal in life is to learn new things and pass forward what I have learned from others, and I still remember. Please let me know when i get obnoxious. I think I know a lot about W10 and I want to share with everyone what I have learned. When I see someone asking for help, I can't reset offering my 2 cents. I don't want to own that thread and I want everyone to join me on the thread and work as a team. Lets "Get er Done" Lets make this a great help forum and work together as a team.
garybear!

 

[davehc]

Just a polite suggestion. The subject has been raised before.
If a member, particularly new, comes on the forum seeking help, I do not, imho, feel it is in his, or the forums interest, to redirect to another site.
I do understand that this can be an expedient answer, but, it would be more helpful to the enquirer, if the advice was absorbed from wherever, and transcribed in the helpers own style, to this site.
Obviously, as it seems to me, linking for help to another site could be equally achieved by the newcomer, in most cases, by googling. This, he/she may in fact already have tried that and arrived here.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hi Gary, welcome to windows10forums. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm the one invited you to join us. As I said earlier we are all a friendly bunch.

Davehc I hope you don't mind me telling Gary you used to hold the title of Microsoft MVP. And that you have been in these help forums for 20 years.

 

[davehc]

Yeah long time since. I'm an old geezer now. Forgotten more than I ever even knew. I also got the MVP for beta testing and help, when the innovative Windows 8 came on the scene
Only about a year ago, I was overactive on five forums. Now down to this (excellent and friendly) forum.

Not so many members refer to me s a hasbeen here - lol.

 

[Bighorn]

davehc, keep in mind it is much better to be known as a has-been rather than as a never-was.

 

[davehc]

LOL

 

[garybear]

Hi Thanks for your replies and your advice. The reason I use other sites like HTG, MS Community, and a few more, is because I'm lazy and also because they explain it much better then I ever could. I was a member on MS Community. I was being considered for MVP, but I blew it. I see a lot of threads here where other sites are recommended.
I could copy and paste, but I think the author should get the credit. A lot of my replies have ended up on Google. I have never figured out how Google decides which ones to put on their site. I'm always surprised when I see mine on the top of the list. I know I have a bunch of them on Google and I'm sure you guys do also.

You say that members could Google and find a answer. Yes they could, but I really wonder if they know how, and that's where help forums like this one can guild them to find a solution. Every issue has been experienced by someone, and you can find the the answers for most of them on Google. Why should I take the time to type and explain "How do I use sfc /scannow and DISM" When I can post the link to HTG and they explain it much better then I ever could.
I'm very old and I'm very friendly and I'm very windy. I'm no stranger to help forums. Some I'm no longer welcome on. It's hard for a old dog to change, but I'll give your advice some thought.
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll see you all on the forum. When I answer a thread, please join me on the thread. Two heads are better then one and I like team work. I learn things that way also.

 

[Ian]

Welcome to the forums Gary .

The issue about off-site linking has come up quite a lot recently, so I thought I'd add my 2c (or 2p in my case ). When we link off-site (especially to other forums), it often means that we lose members that sign up elsewhere or don't return to this site anymore - not because we've not been helpful, but because they've found detailed instructions elsewhere and remained there. This is more true for people who find us via search engines, as they just use the site as an intermediary link and then Google realises that we're not the ones providing the "juicy" information.

It really helps the site when we're able to provide information without linking elsewhere, as it helps the forums grow and for search engines to realise that we're a source of good information. So where possible, it helps enormously to provide troubleshooting steps without linking elsewhere - the difference really is quite dramatic to the site, as all search engines measure metrics very closely. Of course, sometimes the best way to help a member is to link somewhere - particularly if there is a novel or very technical method to solve an issue - but linking to a competing forum has a long-term detrimental effect to the forum, even if it helps the initial member in the short term. Striking the correct balance really helps us, so I would as that people try not to link off-site where possible - particularly to other forums.

 

[garybear]

Hi @lan I'm no stranger to help forums. I'm sure you read my post. I try to use sites like HTG and other well know sites. Most people will register here so they can post their question and get help. If they get they issue solved they will more then likely come back here again and recommend this site to their friends. Most will not come back until they need help again. The people like myself will stay as long as they feel welcomed and will likely stay and continue helping on the forum. I try to find and use articles created by this site. There are some great articles here. This is a great forum and I'll try to use off-site sparingly. I just don't see where the member would register on another help forum if we solved their issue here. These are my thoughts. Thank you for taking time to explain your thoughts about this subject. I'll do my best to follow the rules and your suggestion.
Gary!

 

[garybear]

Hi I'm thinking I may be stepping on some toes here on the forum. I log on and if a member is asking for help, I try my best to offer a solution. I'll back off a little. Helping PC users and learning new things is my hobby and about all my health will allow me to do.

 

[garybear]

Hi! I need to get off this subject before I get into trouble. Here's my last comment about all this.
If you want members to stay here and come back, then IMHO their questions need to be addressed a little more quickly. I have seen members waiting for a reply to long IMHO. I don't understand that. If I log on and see a member looking for help, I'm going to try and offer a solution, even if I have to Google it, because I may not be aware of their issue. Yes I use Google a lot. There is no way I can know all these things, and things are changing every day. I also forget a lot of things that I may have once knew a lot about. I would also like to see the members that are helping here; work as a team, and leave their EGO,s at the door stop.
PS I just witnessed a staff member logged on the forum and there were two unanswered threads. They left and there were still two unanswered threads, so I answered one of them.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Gary you are trying too hard. If we know the answer or at least think we can come to a conclusion, we will participate. When we participate will depend on our schedule outside of our forum life.

 

[garybear]

Gary you are trying too hard. If we know the answer or at least think we can come to a conclusion, we will participate. When we participate will depend on our schedule outside of our forum life.

Hi friend! I understand. This is who I am. When I see a unanswered thread, and I feel like I can help, even if I have to use Google, I'll reply. Should I leave? I don't want to cause you any problems here friend.

 

[clifford_cooley]

You're doing fine. Just do your best, and don't try changing how others choose to help. Try to keep an open mind, that something I have trouble at times doing. Another thing about forums is patience, people need time to respond.

Edit:
There is literally weeks that go by as I wait for a topic that could use my input.

 

[Bighorn]

And do keep in mind that nearly all of us, men and/or women, are Volunteers in trying to help others with what knowledge or expertise we have. Also a lot depends upon whether someone that can help has seen the question, may take minutes, hours or days before they visit. If I have a pet peeve it is with not posting the information about their system or precisely/accurately/completely describing versions of programs such as saying Win10 doesn't cut it, there's 3 or 4 Versions still active. The full description is Version and Build such as Windows 10 Version 1709 Build 16299.194 [the most current for the RTM/Released to Market version]. Then there is Version 1709 Build 17083.1000, most current for the IP/Insider Preview or Test/Beta version [just got both of mine done].

 

[garybear]

Wondering! How man Techs do we have here, that reply and offer solutions to members with issues on a regular basis? Some times I'm the only member logged on. I realize that I'm replying a lot, but that's my hobby. Just saying!
Just wondering!

 

[garybear]

Hi I know I said I wasn't going to post on this thread again, but I need to know this.
I don't really have a life. Help forums are a big part of my life. I'm 79 and retired a long time ago. I have a lot of time to spend on help forums.I do help the seniors in my retirement village with printer and PC problems for free. Never charge for my service. When I click on the recent posts here, all I see is garybear. So now here's my question. Do I need to back off a little? Am I stepping on toes. I just don't like seeing a member ask a question and wait for hours for a reply. I guarantee you I don't want to wait for hours for a reply. Maybe I don't have a solution for the issue the first reply, but I'll stay with the OP as long as they reply back; until I don't have any more suggestions. Some times the nuclear suggestion is a clean install. Yes I use Google a lot. There's no way I could have a answer to some of these issues out of the top of my head. If you can. Good for you. These are my thought tonight. See you on the forum.
Gary!

 

[Bighorn]

At least one.

Wondering! How man Techs do we have here, that reply and offer solutions to members with issues on a regular basis? Some times I'm the only member logged on. I realize that I'm replying a lot, but that's my hobby. Just saying!
Just wondering!

At least one. But not too regular, sometimes only once a day.

 

[garybear]

Hi @Bighorn Thanks for your reply. I didn't mean you have to be a tech to help someone. I'm just interested in how many members here reply to the threads, and issues that are being asked by new members asking for help. I'm a long way from being a tech, but I enjoy trying to help members with issues. I have seen you replying and a few others. That's good.

 

[Bighorn]

As for being a 'tech' I got my first computer in '92, an AMD 80386/40MHz. Retired late '94, week later offered part-time job in a computer store, month later building [actually assembling] custom computers and installing software [MS-DOS 5 with Win3.1], big day when she got an order for a 1GB HDD for a Bulletin Board. She finally hired a full-time electronics technician out of a trade school and asked me to stay until he could fully assemble 3 computers a day as I had been doing. Three months later retired again, moved to town my wife was working in and had part time job in another shop along with freelancing. Still doing the latter after 23 years.