- 1. There are no stupid questions. Everyone was a new user once.
- 2. Try to give information in the title of your post. Instead of using a title like "it's broken," use a title that is specific, such as "Unable to stop chip from resetting." A clear title will attract more views to your thread, as it gives a clear indication of the content of the post.
- 3. Searching the Forum is a quick way to see if someone has had your issue and if it has been answered. In a forum as large and active as this Forum, there's a good chance your question has been answered before, and you can get the information you want quickly.
- 4. When requesting help, please include as many details as possible. If you do not know how to find out the information that a user is requesting, you might want to ask them how to find the information they have requested. Attach screen shots or other files if it might be helpful.
- 5. It is always nice to tell those who have helped you that you appreciate their assistance. It is extra nice if you then share the information with another user that has the same issue. If your question is resolved (which we hope is always the case), it would be helpful for others if you label which procedure worked for you by quoting or clearly referring to it. Giving feedback rewards the person helping and the posting of a successful resolution of a problem will help others understand the root cause.
When answering technical support issues:
- 1. Be considerate to the person asking the question. Once again, everyone was a new user once.
- 2. Try to avoid acronyms and jargon when giving instructions. New users may not be able to follow you, and many will not ask you for an explanation in order to avoid looking ignorant. "STFU" and "Go look on Google" are two inappropriate responses to a question. If you don not know the answer or do not wish to help, say nothing instead of being rude. Politely showing someone how you searched or obtained the answer to a question is encouraged.
- 3. If the user's question has been covered in one of the community documents, please give them a description and the links.
- 4. Code tags are not available on the site because SPAM attacks have prevented us from allowing it. If you want to include code, place it in a .txt file and attach it to the thread.
- 5. There is often more than one solution to a problem, choose the one you think will be the easiest for the user. If you're uncertain if a procedure is correct, it's helpful to mention that. If your procedure has inherent risks, tell users. Try to think as a new user and choose the simplest solution.
- 6. Explain each step of the solution. If possible, try to teach the user while providing a solution.
C. Violation of Terms of Use.- Failure to fully comply with the Terms of Use or attempts to circumvent them may result in: (1) Microchip editing a post, topic or thread, moving, reclassifying, or deleting any post or other material; and/or (2) Microchip temporarily or permanently banning users and/or ISPs. Microchip has sole and exclusive discretion in determining whether a violation of the Terms of Use has occurred and what actions will be taken as a result. Microchip will not be liable in any way for any such responsive actions. The above-described actions are not Microchip’s exclusive remedies and Microchip may take other legal, equitable or technical action it deems appropriate.
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