Table of Contents
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1. Common Mistakes
2. Advice to Helpers
3. Advice to 70%+ Warn Users

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Common Mistakes
Tips on avoiding the frequent mistakes made in the General Help forum.

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Posting in the Wrong Forum
While General Help is renown for its undeniably generous user base and fast replies, you should acknowledge the existence of other forums that will get you far more accurate answers. Below are some steps you should take before posting here.

1. Think about how your thread relates to the forum you're posting in;
   Read over your reply a few times and think to yourself "is this truly where my thread belongs?" before pressing submit. This might be dismissed because you want a faster reply, but you'll get better help in a forum the specializes in your question.
   Here are some commonly dismissed forums:
   • Diablo 2 Discussion
   • Diablo 3 Discussion
   • Hardware Discussion
2. Always check to see if you're in the correct forum;
   Sometimes you will find yourself in the wrong forum right after you submit your thread, so double-check to see if your thread is in where you want it to be. Look at the top by your name and log out button; underneath will be where you are on the forums. Currently, it should say: d2jsp Forums > d2jsp > General Help > Thread Name. Always check this before posting.

Not Posting Enough Information
There are times where users have not supplied enough information for there to be an accurate response initially. While there are helpful users who will ask them questions to get to the bottom of things, the information should already be there so that those who are helping know what the problem is. Below you will find some important steps to follow to ensure you are supplying enough information.

1. Pictures and Screenshots;
   Sometimes it is much easier to show everyone what your problem is rather than describing it with words, because sometimes you just can't explain what is happening, so images can be a very powerful tool.
2. Understand your problem;
   You should always try to get a good grasp of what is happening before requesting help. The more you know, the more the helpers know; include all that you can.
   
   Things to look for and include in your thread:
   • What actions led to the problem?
   • Can you reproduce the problem?
   • What things have you tried?

Disregarding the General Help Unified Sticky
Easily one of the most powerful resources on d2jsp. In this Sticky, almost every d2jsp topic is covered. Below I will explain general ideas covered in the Unified Sticky.

1. Beginner Issues;
   New users on d2jsp really don't know how the site works, what to do, etc.
   The Unified Sticky has several guides that aid the new user such as:
   • Commonly Used Terms
   • D2jsp New User Guide
2. Foreign Guidance;
   The General Help Unified Sticky offers translated guides in several different languages. On top of this, there is a topic that is also a Sticky in General Help that is dedicated to offering translations to those who require it.
   Examples of foreign help topics:
   • D2jsp Guides, Faq Und Tipps
   • D2jsp Regels & Guides
   • D2jsp - Guides, Faq's, Tips

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Advice to Helpers
Pointers for those who enjoy helping others on their free time.

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Posting for the Sake of Posting
Normally, this happens subconsciously and by the time it happens it's too late. If you aren't careful enough, your posts can be considered as spam. Another concern is that the original poster is not getting the answer to their problem, which is what your replies in General Help should be trying to accomplish. Below are some things you should acknowledge before posting.

1. Read the original post five or more times;
   In order for you to answer a thread with any accuracy, you need to read their thread over and over again. Why? Well, you want to try and understand what the problem is, exactly. Reading only once won't give you enough information. You know how you have to double-take sometimes because you weren't quite sure what you saw? Same concept, except with a forum thread. Read it as many times as it takes for you to get the big picture.
   
   Remember: it is the quality of your post, not the quantity or speed at which you reply that matters.
2. Search for relevant resources;
   While you are giving a response in General Help, it is good practice to ensure your advice is accurate before posting.
   There are three methods to ensure an accurate response:
   • Stepping into their shoes;
     One of the best ways to help a person is to put yourself in their position and try to work things out yourself. Doing this allows you to have hands-on experience with their problem, and thus you can give that user accurate information. An example of this would be if a user has a problem on YouTube: You would go onto YouTube, sift through the settings and such, and test things out to see if you can solve their problem.
   • Incorporating past experience;
     Past experiences with a problem a user is having can be the most powerful thing to incorporate into a post. This will give the original poster the reassurance that the helper has had this happened, and has supplied a solution. If you've experience something in the past, mention that in your post to give the poster some reassurance.
3. Utilizing search engines;
   There will be times where you cannot relate personally to a situation in any way, and you will have to resort to some other resources such as Google, Bing, or Ask results. This is to be used as a last resort and shouldn't be used often.
   Below are some resources that will prove especially useful:
   • Forum threads or posts
   • Yahoo Question results
   • Articles from corporate sites

Things That Should Be Acknowledged
There are some things that you should be aware of when you are posting on a thread in General Help. Below these things are described.

1. Patience is key;
   Every now and again you will get an agitated user. Whether they're upset about something not working properly, a thread lock, warn, etc, you need to remain calm and collective. Don't focus on their emotion, focus on their problem and do your best to address it.
2. Being right isn't all that it's about;
   While it is certainly awesome to answer someone's question and walk away with a thank you from the user, that is not what it's all about. It's about offering to help someone out because you want to help them, not so you can get the thank you.
3. Preview your replies;
   Often you will see a user get an answer to their question, then several other users will reply with the same post, nearly word-for-word. It's awesome to offer your opinion, but there's no need to post a duplicate solution. The forum isn't about getting more post count, it's about offering your help to others. Try not to focus on the post count. You will get your chance to post your own reply eventually, just be patient.

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Advice to 70%+ Warn Users
Information geared towards users who have accumulated a lot of warn.

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Knowing When You Are Eligible For a Removal Request
After you reach 70% warn, you lose access to your warn logs and cannot see them until you are reduced to 60% warn. You will have to use General Help to inquire about your warn. Below is the procedure for doing so.

1. Post a thread in General Help;
   Simply post a thread asking when you will be able to request removal. Shortly, a user will forward your thread to a Moderator or Senior Moderator. Wait patiently for a reply from a staff member for information on when you can request removal.
2. Wait until the date specified;
   After you have finished step 1, you should have a date on when you can request removal. Wait until the date specified, and do not post about it until that date, else it will be extended. Remember to stay active until the date mentioned, that way the staff have enough activity to look at.
3. Follow all of the rules;
   When requesting a warn removal, Moderators look at whether or not you have been keeping up to date on d2jsp site rules and policies. Make sure your posts convey that you have done so! Whilst doing so, try to make yourself a better person. This can pay off in more ways that one.
   Below are some helpful guides on reforming yourself:
   • Warnings - Words Of Wisdom
   • Reforming Yourself From a High Warn

Things to Avoid While You Wait For Removal
Getting a warn of 70% means you have broken the rules numerous times. This means that you need to be careful what you do, because if you aren't you might just find yourself closer to 100% than you would like. Avoid the things mentioned below and you will be fine.

1. Breaking the rules;
   This might be obvious, but you should avoid breaking any rule at all. Be very careful about early bumps and spam; these seem to be very commonly broken rules for users with high warns.
2. Lashing out at staff;
   Avoid this at all cost, this will not help you at all and it only digs the hole deeper for you. While you're probably upset with them for giving you warn, it is your own fault for breaching the site rules. They are merely here to enforce the rules upon you, not here to run you off the site. Be understanding with them. They are truthfully not out to get you, contrary to common belief.
3. Creating multiple accounts;
   Making a second account to get around the restrictions on your account will not help your case at all. This is a very serious breach of the rules, do NOT do this! No matter how hard it seems getting all the warn removed, you can do it.
   Example of a user coming down from 70% warn and bettering herself: Warnings - Words Of Wisdom. There was a time she was at 70% warn, and now she's a Trade Moderator. The first step to turning nothing into something is to imagine the possibilities; remember that.

This post was edited by Beacon on Sep 24 2012 04:05pm