Apologies for taking so long to reply. I was sick as a dog for about 36 hours and am just now able to teeter around a bit.
Perhaps you would care to explain how I am meant to diagnose a problem someone is offering me zero details about? Particularly before suggesting I am somehow being impatient with anyone, or being unwilling to help out with computer problems (that have nothing to do with the operation of this forum, mind you).
Here's an excellent example, of what I mean.
Bob, my car won't start. I need to get going and it will not start. Fix it for me.
Where have I left you? Are you wondering what symptoms my car is displaying? I didn't bother to give you a single detail, did I? But I still want my car fixed. What's wrong with it? You're a car guy, just fix the bloody thing.
Would you walk into an emergency room and tell the staff you just don't feel good, without offering them a single detail? Doc, stop asking me all the inane questions, just fix me up because I don't feel good.
I think if you were to ask around, you would find I have gone out of my way, on countless occasions, to help people with computer issues. A couple weeks ago, a member contacted me about a problem he was having with Photobucket. Now I ask you, what in the world am I meant to know about Photobucket? Fortunately, he had given me enough details, so I spent some time with Mr. Google and managed to help sort out the problem.
In Gordon's case, I gave you a detailed list of things I would need to know, in order to help him sort out his problem. See Post #2, where I said I would need to know operating system details, browser details and details about when the error crops up, as well as the error number.
Some 42 minutes after your post, I got an e-mail from Gordon.
Have tried to register but get error (the registration code is not the one displayed)
That's it. That is the message in its entirety. No operating system details. No browser details. No error details. No error number.
I've no clue what registration code he is talking about and if it is not the one displayed, then what is displayed? Where is it displayed? He gets an error? What error? At what point in the registration process does the error appear? What, am I meant to guess? And yet you suggest I am somehow being impatient?
Some simple facts about Mike -
1. I do not and can not read minds.
2. I do not own a crystal ball.
3. I do not own a magic wand.
By the way, have you diagnosed the problem with my car and got it running yet? Why not? Are you just trying to be disagreeable with me? Fix my car. Oh, you want to know what happens when I try to start it? Duh, Bob. NOTHING happens, that's my problem.
As for needing to know how a computer works to function on a forum, I completely disagree. Before he passed, my 82 year-old father was more than capable of using e-mail and discussion forums. He was scared to death to turn the computer on, but if it was turned on, he could do what he wanted to do. (And he did it using Linux, too!) I do a lot of freelance forum work and you would be amazed at how clueless many (most?) forum admins really are. They are lost in space. But they still operate successful forums, some of them quite large. They are in the business of running discussion forums, not fixing computer problems.
You're correct is noting this is not an Offshore Oil forum. Discussions of that nature never come up, because this is a T-Bucket forum. This isn't a computer tech forum, either. Where do my obligations start and stop (bearing in mind that this is but one of ten different Web sites I own)? We've had 2,249+ members register for this forum, without any problems. I've tested and re-tested the registration process, without any problems. My forum is operating as intended, what further obligation do I have to you or anyone else? You want to call me impatient without knowing the kinds of computer problems I've helped others fix? Just to make you aware, I've never charged anyone a thin dime to help them fix problems that have never had anything to do with the operation of this site.
Forum registration is not computer science, it is a process of filling in an application. There is no need to have any technical background to fill in some blanks, is there? I've news for you, if you've gone back to school to receive computer training, you've a leg up on me. My computer 'training' all came from the School of Hard Knocks.
All I know for sure about Gordon's problem is that he is doing something wrong. And without details as to what he is doing, so I can sort what is wrong about it, I am severely limited in the help I can provide. Maybe you don't like that, but the facts are the facts.
If Gordon would care to share with me the details I've requested, I will
try to sort out his problem for him. I have replied to his uber-informative <cough, cough> e-mail, explaining I cannot help him, if he cannot provide me with details. If he stubbornly prefers not to provide those details, that is his prerogative and I have no problem with it. Please bear that in mind, before alleging I am somehow being impatient, or unwilling to help others. I do my best to help those that help themselves and I simply do not have time to help those who cannot be bothered.
uke:
