Now, in "Ask a question", new questions are privileged wrt. consulting existing questions.
Alex Mayorga wrote a [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=585982 bug] about that a long time ago without any reaction.
He edited [[Ask a question]] to put consulting existing questions first.
I agree with him.
What is your opinion?
I certainly aggree it makes sence to look at existing questions, and to edit the forum or KB so that it is sugested in advance of the sugestion to ask a new qestion.
HOWEVER,
The current method may not work well whichever order the two links are in. The link to look through other questions merely takes the user to the forum the existing links are (and are in this order) Get community support
Although not necessarily on topic for this thread are there an y help faqs for using the forum, maybe they could do with their own KB items including
how to search the questions and Knowledge Base
how add image attachments to questions, if for instance you want to add a screen shot of your problem
how to mark questions as solved
Then of course add links so that those faqs/KB article can be easily found.
I certainly aggree it makes sence to look at existing questions, and to edit the forum or KB so that it is sugested in advance of the sugestion to ask a new qestion.
HOWEVER, <br />
The current method may not work well whichever order the two links are in. The link to look through other questions merely takes the user to the forum the existing links are (and are in this order) [[Ask a question]]
# [https://support.mozilla.com/questions/new Ask a new question in the forum]
# You can also [https://support.mozilla.com/questions look through already-posted questions]
Would it be more helpful if instead of linking to the forum, questions it linked to the forum search possibly something like
* You can [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/search?q=Type%20your%20search%20words%20in%20this%20line&w=3&category=10&category=20&fx=2&os=1&a=2 search for related questions] or even look at all the questions [https://support.mozilla.com/questions here]
Although not necessarily on topic for this thread are there an y help faqs for using the forum, maybe they could do with their own KB items including
* how to search the questions and Knowledge Base
* how add image attachments to questions, if for instance you want to add a screen shot of your problem
* how to mark questions as solved
Then of course add links so that those faqs/KB article can be easily found.
Hey there, even if the form looks like it will let you post to the forum, what it does is, it takes the title of your question and searches the KB and the forum. We then show you a list of articles that might help and only if you confirm that none of those looked helpful do we let you proceed to ask your question.
The reason is that just asking people to do a search is basically useless, they will still post their question without looking for an existing thread, so we make it part of asking a question.
Hey there, even if the form looks like it will let you post to the forum, what it does is, it takes the title of your question and searches the KB and the forum. We then show you a list of articles that might help and only if you confirm that none of those looked helpful do we let you proceed to ask your question.
The reason is that just asking people to do a search is basically useless, they will still post their question without looking for an existing thread, so we make it part of asking a question.
@ Kadir, Maybe many users will post a question regardless of what is written, and some portion of such users, may then also not bother to look at the suggestions that are generated by the question posting procedure. (Do you have easily accessible metrics on how many even click on any of the displayed suggestions)
There will be some users who may be interested in searching, if they understood how and where to do such a search, and that there is an advanced search feature available. The user may be posting a question having looked unsuccessfully for information, but still be willing to use the advanced search options if the user realised it is available.
Of course as discussed elsewhere (eg) then users may be more inclined to click on links where the post is marked solved but only a small proportion are marked a solved.
@ Kadir, <br /> Maybe many users will post a question regardless of what is written, and some portion of such users, may then also not bother to look at the suggestions that are generated by the question posting procedure. (Do you have easily accessible metrics on how many even click on any of the displayed suggestions)
There will be some users who may be interested in searching, if they understood how and where to do such a search, and that there is an advanced search feature available. The user may be posting a question having looked unsuccessfully for information, but still be willing to use the advanced search options if the user realised it is available.
Of course as discussed elsewhere [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forums/contributors/704952?page=2#post-10369 (eg)] then users may be more inclined to click on links where the post is marked solved but only a small proportion are marked a solved.
We can make the first link more attractive and the second one less, something like:
Search if your problem is already solved in the support forum
Ask directly your question in the forum (may need time for helpers to answer)
We can make the first link more attractive and the second one less, something like:
* Search if your problem is already solved in the support forum
* Ask directly your question in the forum (may need time for helpers to answer)
@ scoobidiver Did you notice where the links actually go to ?
I asked if the search function itself may be considered a better target for the search option link.
The current link for the search option merely goes to the forum.
@ scoobidiver <br />Did you notice where the links actually go to ?
*I asked if the search function itself may be considered a better target for the search option link.
* The current link for the search option merely goes to the forum.
How does a user with problems act once it is in the home page? (let's take the one for Fx 3.6 that is going to be the one for Fx 4.0):
He looks quickly in the referenced articles.
If he doesn't see his problem, either he uses the search box if he understands that he can have answers with it, or he clicks the ask-a-question link.
In the ask-a-question page, as Kadir said, he will choose directly the "ask a new question" link because he wants quickly a solution to his problem.
What I proposed in my previous post is finding a solution more quickly and giving less work for helpers.
@John99
The search box in the home page gives results from KB articles, then support forum questions, then the contributor forum.
The search box in the support forum give results from support forum questions.
How does a user with problems act once it is in the home page? (let's take the one for Fx 3.6 that is going to be the one for Fx 4.0):
# He looks quickly in the referenced articles.
# If he doesn't see his problem, either he uses the search box if he understands that he can have answers with it, or he clicks the ask-a-question link.
# In the ask-a-question page, as Kadir said, he will choose directly the "ask a new question" link because he wants quickly a solution to his problem.
What I proposed in my previous post is finding a solution more quickly and giving less work for helpers.
@John99
The search box in the home page gives results from KB articles, then support forum questions, then the contributor forum.
The search box in the support forum give results from support forum questions.
I obviously did not explain my comments adequately. I was referring to your original post , and the linked KB article
He edited Get community support to put consulting existing questions first.
I agree with him.
When I said
Did you notice where the links actually go to ?
* I asked if the search function itself may be considered a better target for the search option link.
* The current link for the search option merely goes to the forum.
I was referring to the links in the KB article, as was my 1st post
HOWEVER,
The current method may not work well whichever order the two links are in. ...
@ scoobidiver
I obviously did not explain my comments adequately. I was referring to your original post , and the [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/ask linked KB article] <blockquote>He edited [[Ask a question]] to put consulting existing questions first.
I agree with him. </blockquote>
When I said <blockquote>Did you notice where the links actually go to ?
<br />* I asked if the search function itself may be considered a better target for the search option link.
<br />* The current link for the search option merely goes to the forum. </blockquote>
I was referring to the links in the KB article, as was my [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forums/contributors/705237/reply#post-11563 1st post ] <blockquote>HOWEVER,
The current method may not work well whichever order the two links are in. ...</blockquote>
I think you will be surprised how it works. Like I said, jut because the button says "ask question" it does not mean that we let people ask their questions before showing some useful threads and articles first.
One thing that really sucks is how we present threads and articles in that view, but I'm going to file a bug for that (I might have done that before even).
Hey guys, please try out the form on http://support.allizom.org/en-US/
I think you will be surprised how it works. Like I said, jut because the button says "ask question" it does not mean that we let people ask their questions before showing some useful threads and articles first.
One thing that really sucks is how we present threads and articles in that view, but I'm going to file a bug for that (I might have done that before even).
I did it before. Indeed it is a wizard with few canned answers (22 KB troubleshooting articles for Fx4 out of about a hundred). Some are missing because a lot of support questions have a link to an existing KB articles.
With more canned answers, it would be fine for me.
''Hey guys, please try out the form on http://support.allizom.org/en-US/ ''
I did it before. Indeed it is a wizard with few canned answers (22 KB troubleshooting articles for Fx4 out of about a hundred). Some are missing because a lot of support questions have a link to an existing KB articles.
With more canned answers, it would be fine for me.
The thing is that the more answers you list, the less likely it becomes that someone is going to see the one relevant to their question. We need to balance the urge to put as many articles as possible in the list with prioritizing and ensuring that the most likely articles are shown there. I'd say that more than 5 articles is probably going to start to lessen the value of the list in the first place.
That said, is there any specific article you think is missing?
Another relevant discussion that Cheng and I had yesterday was about making it possible to evaluate which sub-categories people select in the AAQ form and continuously optimize the categories (and associated canned articles) accordingly. We don't do this routinely today but we should.
The thing is that the more answers you list, the less likely it becomes that someone is going to see the one relevant to their question. We need to balance the urge to put as many articles as possible in the list with prioritizing and ensuring that the most likely articles are shown there. I'd say that more than 5 articles is probably going to start to lessen the value of the list in the first place.
That said, is there any specific article you think is missing?
Another relevant discussion that Cheng and I had yesterday was about making it possible to evaluate which sub-categories people select in the AAQ form and continuously optimize the categories (and associated canned articles) accordingly. We don't do this routinely today but we should.
@ KadirTopal - Thanks for the alizom link, I will give it a go.
That does seem to confirm the support forum is in not giving any help or faq listing about the forum itself.
Scoobidiver above is asking what the user may understand about the site.
I am all for encouraging users to use the forum, as I mentioned in above would it not help if the forum had some help/faq links. After looking at your alizom link briefly I would add to that list of help/faq info something to explain that the + links give options affecting what is seen.
[ Someone looking for answers may not be using firefox or even the usual OS and may not be aware these provide menu options, they may be being presented with the an inappropriate view & wrong information unless by chance they click on those.]
@ KadirTopal - Thanks for the alizom link, I will give it a go.
That does seem to confirm the support forum is in not giving any help or faq listing about the forum itself.
Scoobidiver above is asking what the user may '''understand''' about the site.
I am all for encouraging users to use the forum, as I mentioned in above would it not help if the forum had some help/faq links. After looking at your alizom link briefly I would add to that list of help/faq info something to explain that the + links give options affecting what is seen.
[ Someone looking for answers may not be using firefox or even the usual OS and may not be aware these provide menu options, they may be being presented with the an inappropriate view & wrong information unless by chance they click on those.]
That said, is there any specific article you think is missing?
Usually when you ask a question, it is not about a feature (you can have this answer in the support site), it is because you are having problems and you want a customized answer.
Based on the top 30 "I am having this problem" articles, here is a proposal (some new categories should be created):
Firefox is having problems with certain web sites:
@ djst
''That said, is there any specific article you think is missing? ''
Usually when you ask a question, it is not about a feature (you can have this answer in the support site), it is because you are having problems and you want a customized answer.
Based on the top 30 "I am having this problem" articles, here is a proposal (some new categories should be created):
* Firefox is having problems with certain web sites:
** [[Error loading web sites]]
** [[This connection is untrusted]]
** [[Firefox cannot connect securely because the SSL protocol is disabled]]
** [[Warning Unresponsive script]]
** [[Problems using Facebook in Firefox]]
*Firefox is crashing or closing unexpectedly:
** [[Firefox crashes]]
** [[The Adobe Flash plugin has crashed]]
** [[Firefox crashes when you open it]]
** [[Firefox crashes when loading certain pages]]
** [[Firefox crashes when viewing Youtube videos]]
*I have a problem with my bookmarks, cookies, history or settings (What about toolbars and menus?):
** [[Menu bar is missing]]
** [[The bookmarks and history system will not be functional]]
** [[Back and forward or other toolbar items are missing]]
** [[Lost Bookmarks]]
** [[Websites say cookies are blocked]]
*I have a problem with an extension or plugin:
** [[Troubleshooting extensions and themes]] (not a "I am having this problem" article)
** [[Troubleshooting plugins]] (not a "I am having this problem" article)
** [[Unable to install add-ons]]
*I have another kind of problem with Firefox (several new categories are required):
** [[Basic troubleshooting]] (not a "I am having this problem" article)
** [[Firefox will not start]]
** [[Firefox hangs]]
** [[Firefox is already running but is not responding]]
** [[Video or audio does not play]]
** [[Flash-based videos and sound do not play correctly]]
** [[Username and password not remembered]]
** [[Firefox does not ask to save tabs and windows on exit]]
** [[Unable to download or save files]]
** [[Firefox cannot load websites but other programs can]]
** [[Software Update Failed]]
** [[Firefox has just updated tab shows each time you start Firefox]]
** [[Check for Updates is disabled]]
