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== Welcome to the WordPress Support Forum ==
This page is a welcome message for the [http://wordpress.org/support/ Support Forums]. We hope that you will find this a useful resource, as it is intended to be a "Quick-Start Manual" rather than full documentation. Please play nice. This introduction is designed to help you find your way around the forums and to hopefully get you started as quickly as possible. There is more information available at an expanded Codex article, [[Using_the_Support_Forums| Using the Support Forums]].
Before you post, make sure you're posting about a self hosted WordPress.org site and <strong>NOT</strong> a WordPress.com site. If you're not sure, read [http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/ WordPress.com vs WordPress.org].
These forums are meant for the core application, themes and plugins that are distributed on wordpress.org. We do not support commercial themes or products.
=== Search First ===
Many of the questions that are posted in the forums have been posted many times before, and get the same answers each time. Before starting a new thread, please try searching the forums. Both the forums and the [http://codex.wordpress.org/ Codex] have been indexed by [http://www.google.com/ Google], so if you can't find your answer with a forum search, it is worth typing it into Google too. E.G Google for [http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&source=hp&q=site%3Awordpress.org%2Fsupport+widget SITE:wordpress.org/support widget]
<br /> ([http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_the_Support_Forums#Search_First Read More...])
=== Where To Post ===
The forum is split into sections, with each forum having its own one-line description on the front page. Please try to choose the most suitable section for your new topic, and please post your topic in only one section. Multi posting is frowned upon. Duplicate postings will be closed or might be deleted. Posting your <em>own</em> topic is smiled upon. Unless you are using the same version of WordPress on the same physical server hosted by the same hosts with the same plugins, theme & configurations as the original poster, '''do not''' post in someone else's thread. '''Start your own topic'''.
If you have a question about a specific theme or plugin, then we suggest visiting that theme or plugin in the repository first, and then using the "Write a New Topic" link from there to make a post about that theme or plugin. This has the effect of tagging the post with that item's name, making it more visible to the author and making it more clear what your post is about. You're more likely to get a response this way.
=== Choose A Good Topic Title ===
When you start a new topic, try to use an appropriate title. "Database error creating a new post" is a good title. "URGENT HELP PLS!!!" is not a good title. A good title can be the difference between getting help and not.
=== Include as much information as possible ===
Put down all the detail you can about your hosting environment, your WordPress install (plugins, themes, etc.) and the problem you are having. If you are seeing errors, copy them word for word into your post. It's best to include the full error than to summarise - sometimes wording is important. If you did something before you came across a problem, write down exactly what you did.
You can post links to screenshots to illustrate your issues, but don't use screenshots in place of a website link. Forum volunteers need a link to the webpage with the issue, to see a working (or broken) example of it.
=== Link to Your Site ===
If your question relates to a specific site or page, please provide a link to it. It may help others when they are trying to help you.
Remember, though, the forum is not designed to be a link portal, so excessive linkage will be moderated, as might signatures or links with no associated question.
Be also aware, that links will not get removed any time later, unless in extreme circumstances.
===Signatures===
Signatures in threads will be removed as they cause clutter and distract from the information and help provided.
=== Warn About Adult Content ===
Some sites contain content that is not suitable for a general audience or for viewing whilst at work. To avoid creating problems for anyone who is trying to help you, please add <strong>NSFW</strong> to either the topic title or the content of your post, as well as tag your post NSFW, as a warning if you think your site falls into this category. (Otherwise your post / links may be removed.)
NSFW stands for Not Safe For Work.
===No Bumping===
Do not bump posts. Bumping a post to "the top" does not help your topic get noticed. The volunteers who try to answer questions look for those without replies first. If you bump a post, then it disappears from the "No Replies" view. DO NOT BUMP.
Moderators will delete bumps they find. This is in order to help you get back into the No Replies listing, where you are more likely to get an answer.
=== Posting Code ===
When you need help with code, it helps us if you can post that in the forums.
That said, we really, ''really'', '''really''' need you to remember to keep your code enclosed in backticks (`) to stop it being parsed by the forum's software (which may also make it unreadable). Select your code in the editor and click on the "code" button to enclose your code in backticks. You don't have to mark each line, just the section (like you would for blockquotes).
If you don't do this, the odds are high that your post will be caught as spam by the automated tool, and we'll have to fix your post for you.
<span id="large_code_excerpt ">'''Posting Large Excerpt of Code'''</span>
When you post a large excerpt of code, it often makes the thread difficult to read. Instead, we ask you please paste your code in a pastebin such as [http://pastebin.com/ pastebin.com] and submit it as a link in your post. You can read details on how to use Pastebin below.
As for what constitutes a large excerpt, it's difficult to say. Certainly if you're quoting an entire php/css/js file, put it on pastebin. For anything under 100 lines, we ask you use your best judgement. Do consider that you're asking people for free support, and it's a darn sight easier to read pastebin than a styled block of 150 lines of multi-indented code. Scrolling back and forth, as well as up and down, trying to unpick code via a fiddly little code box is a time-consuming activity that distracts from answering the actual questions.
'''Note''': Anything you put in a forum topic or a pastebin is public. Anybody can see it. Don't post any passwords or private info there.
'''How to use a pastebin'''
# Highlight and copy the code you wish to post in the pastebin
# Navigate to [http://pastebin.com/ pastebin.com]
# Place the browser's cursor in the pastebin's New Paste entry box.
# Paste the code you copied into that box.
# Scroll down and click the Submit button.
# Position the browser cursor in the browser's address (location) bar and copy the URL that appears in it. This is the URL for your pastebin code.
# Paste the URL into your WordPress forum post, so people who reply to your post can view your code.
=== Offering to Pay ===
WordPress is free software and this is a free forum, so requesting paid help is discouraged. We also do not need bidding wars in the forums. If you post asking for paid help and you have posted some contact information, your thread will '''not''' be deleted but it will be closed.
If you have not posted contact information, we may ask you to add it. The thread will then be closed.
Any thread that offers any service for money can be closed at any time. We are not against paid services but these forums are not the right place for them.
Please use [http://jobs.wordpress.net/ WP Jobs] instead.
Forum volunteers may advise you to seek professional support from [http://jobs.wordpress.net/ WP Jobs]. Please don't take this as a rude gesture. The main reason for this is that you may require more support than this forum can provide.
=== Commercial Products ===
If you use a commercial theme or plugin and need support, please go to their official support channel. In order to be good stewards of the WordPress community, and encourage innovation and progress, we feel it's important to direct people to those official locations. Doing this will provide the developer with the income they need to make WordPress awesome.
Forum volunteers are also not given access to commercial products, so they would not know why your commercial theme or plugin is not working properly. This is one other reason why volunteers forward you to the commercial product's vendors. The vendors are responsible for supporting their commercial product.
=== Where Did My Post Go? ===
If you leave the forums and can't find your thread when you get back, you can see a list of all the threads you have contributed to, and started, on your profile page. To view your profile click on "View your profile" link in the upper right of the header at the top of every forum page.
<strong>Note:</strong> The "View your profile" link is only available after you log in. You might want to [http://wordpress.org/support/bb-login.php login now], if you haven't already.
=== Helping Out ===
If you are here to help others, you can view a quick list of unanswered topics by using the "[http://wordpress.org/support/view/no-replies No Replies]" link at the bottom of the front page. The "No Replies" filter is often used by folk to find questions to answer next. This is also a good reason why you shouldn't bump your topics. Bumping is discouraged and bumps may be deleted by the moderators.
If you're helping out, do your best to fully assist the person having the issues, and do not use your support as an excuse to promote your own site/themes/plugins. That behavior is frowned upon.
Similarly, we ask that you not demand payment, solicit work, or take the conversation to a private location. The point of helping out on the WordPress.org forums is to help out <em>on</em> the forums. Remember, we don't want to be [http://xkcd.com/979/ this guy]. Leave something for the next person who searches to have an answer too.
=== Reporting Threads ===
To report a bad (spam etc.) post, add a tag called 'modlook' to the thread. That feed is checked very regularly by the moderating team.
The modlook tag is '''only for reporting issues with the forum itself''' - abusing this tag in the hopes of attracting the attention of a moderator to your support question will not be viewed kindly. Don't put the modlook tag on your support question, put it on things like spam, or people using signatures in their posts, or duplicate threads. Things that a forum moderator should see and correct.
Note that it is not always necessary to point out the actual problem, either with a post or with additional tags. Our moderators are smart. They'll scan the thread and find the problems themselves, and deal with it accordingly. Adding your own comments just gives them more to clean up, so please don't do it unless you feel the nature of the problem is very unclear.
=== Forum Mailing List ===
If you would like to discuss an aspect of the forum, or report a problem with the forum itself, there is a mailing list you can join at
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-forums
Note that the mailing list is for discussing issues with the support forum itself, rather than for posting your problems in.
===Closing Posts===
We reserve the right to close posts that are non-productive to the community.
While many times non-productive posts are deleted, sometimes they had some bearing on relevancy. In those instances, we will close them so the information remains, but discussion can no longer be furthered. This includes, but is not restricted to, posts on the following topics: Hosting recommendations (for or against), off topic conversations (i.e. non-WordPress), old/outdated topics, clearly resolved topics, excessive rudeness or antagonistic, and requests for paid support.
Sometimes you might notice that your posts are closed as soon as you post them. Normally this means that they have been caught in the spam queue. This is an automated process and sometimes catches posts by mistake. If this happens, a moderator then has to (manually) unspam your posts, so it may take a little while to be rectified. Your patience is appreciated!
Also, posts are automatically closed after 12 months with no replies.
=== Being 'Mod Watched' or Banned ===
Sometimes, when someone's having a bad day, their posts will be flagged so all posts must be approved by a moderator. This is considered a cool-down tactic, and isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means your behavior caught our attention in a slightly negative way, and we want to keep an eye on you. If this happens, just be patient. We will review and approve your posts probably pretty quickly, or edit them and reply, pointing out what's wrong.
If, however, your actions escalate, you'll get banned. There's no one behavior to point at for this, but basically if you start lashing out, calling people names, making accusations, or challenging the authority of the moderators, you may end up banned. The basic rule of thumb is don't act like a bad person. You're an adult, you know how to behave. We expect you to do it, and if you don't, or can't, you will be banned.
Harassing moderators off list is a one-way-trip to ban-ville.
=== Deleting / Editing Posts ===
We reserve the right to delete topics or posts that are off-topic or detrimental to the community.
Users can edit a post for up to 60 minutes from the time of submission. After that, the post can only be edited by a moderator.
It is <strong>not</strong> the general policy to edit or delete forum posts unless they are spam or outright abuse.
When a post is made and people contribute answers to an issue, that then becomes part of the community resource for others to benefit from and deleting posts removes this added value. In extreme circumstances, members of the moderation team might be persuaded to remove sensitive information that has been included in posts accidentally - but your best course of action is not to publish anything that you wouldn't want to be public. (Remember too that other sites take archive copies of the forums, and we can do nothing to control that.)
<em>Attention Plugin/Theme Authors</em>: If users complain about your plugins, even if they are incorrect, we will not delete their posts. Its your responsibility to represent yourself well and educate them. Even if you are not running a business via your plugins, your reputation is impacted more by how you handle people's complaints versus how they treat you.
=== Deleting Accounts ===
Accounts are not deleted, not even for obvious spammers. If you don't want to use the forums anymore, log off and don't return. We'll miss you!
Usernames cannot be changed either. If you want to use a different username, then simply create the new username and stop using the old one.
Both of these are because of the myriad systems the forums hook into: support forums, make blogs, core SVN, plugins SVN, theme SVN, meta SVN, and so on and so forth. It's a technical mess and we know it's annoying when you want to walk away, or regret the username cocopuff as not professional, but it's just what we've got right now.
===Contacting the Moderators===
As the moderators are all volunteers (no one gets paid), we ask that if you need moderator help for any reason, you post your request in the forum and tag it with the term "modlook" - someone will come take a look. Do not abuse that tag, or your account will be disabled.
=== The Bad Stuff===
'''AKA what not to do...'''
We need to keep the forums friendly, so, occasionally, topic content will be moderated. This might mean anything from the light editing of some posts to complete removal of topics and deactivation of accounts. It should really go without saying, but the following are likely candidates for moderation -
Spam and affiliate links, duplicate posts, offensive posts, posts without content, flames, and references to adult content that have not been highlighted as NSFW.
Also, DO NOT post in all caps. This is considered shouting and is rude. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Every post is judged on its own merits.
Do NOT press moderators or anyone else to help with premium themes. We do NOT support premium themes as you paid for their support when you bought it and it is not our place to keep shady vendors in business. If someone wants to help, that is fine.
And that's all. Enjoy your stay at the forums! Oh.. And, when you're done, please mark your topic as "Resolved". Thanks.
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