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The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
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Be sure all comments and threads you post are respectful. Posts that contain any of the following content will be considered a violation of your agreement as a member of the Alpha Software Forum Community and will be moderated:
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If a thread or post is found to contain any of the content outlined above, a moderator may choose to take one of the following actions:
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Moderators may also rename posts and threads if they are too generic or do not property reflect the content.

Moderators may move threads if they have been posted in the incorrect forum.

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The owners of Alpha Software Corporation (Forum Owner) reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason; or ban any forum member without notice, reason, or explanation.

Community members are encouraged to click the "Report Post" icon in the lower left of a given post if they feel the post is in violation of the rules. This will alert the Moderators to take a look.

Alpha Software Corporation may amend the guidelines from time to time and may also vary the procedures it sets out where appropriate in a particular case. Your agreement to comply with the guidelines will be deemed agreement to any changes to it.



Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

Try a Search First
It is highly recommended that a Search be done on your topic before posting, as many questions have been answered in prior posts. As with any search engine, the shorter the search term, the more "hits" will be returned, but the more specific the search term is, the greater the relevance of those "hits". Searching for "table" might well return every message on the board while "tablesum" would greatly restrict the number of messages returned.

When you do post
First, make sure you are posting your question in the correct forum. For example, if you post an issue regarding Desktop applications on the Mobile & Browser Applications board , not only will your question not be seen by the appropriate audience, it may also be removed or relocated.

The more detail you provide about your problem or question, the more likely someone is to understand your request and be able to help. A sample database with a minimum of records (and its support files, zipped together) will make it much easier to diagnose issues with your application. Screen shots of error messages are especially helpful.

When explaining how to reproduce your problem, please be as detailed as possible. Describe every step, click-by-click and keypress-by-keypress. Otherwise when others try to duplicate your problem, they may do something slightly different and end up with different results.

A note about attachments
You may only attach one file to each message. Attachment file size is limited to 2MB. If you need to include several files, you may do so by zipping them into a single archive.

If you forgot to attach your files to your post, please do NOT create a new thread. Instead, reply to your original message and attach the file there.

When attaching screen shots, it is best to attach an image file (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) or a zip file of several images, as opposed to a Word document containing the screen shots. Because Word documents are prone to viruses, many message board users will not open your Word file, therefore limiting their ability to help you.

Similarly, if you are uploading a zipped archive, you should simply create a .ZIP file and not a self-extracting .EXE as many users will not run your EXE file.
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Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

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    Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought


    Please direct all responses to Jeannette, Alpha Software Customer Service, [email protected]

    I'd like to research how Alpha can make the Forums more user friendly.

    My ideas below are where I feel we can begin:

    1. A brief memo on how best to utilize the forums (i.e. search topic first, alternate resources to utilize, proper posting etiquette, etc.) This would appear at the top of each forum heading.

    2. An updated, searchable FAQ of the most frequently asked questions. Where needed, a topic may be documented, and response provided in a PDF format. (again, to be very visible at the top of each forum.)

    Would you like to supply a list of what you feel to be the most frequently asked questions? I would also appreciate your answers to the question(s) or a link to a posted response on the forum that you liked.

    Do you know of a web site that handles their FAQs/Forums well? Provide the URL so we can go see how they do it.

    Please note: This thread is to secure feedback on how Alpha can improve their FORUMs (i.e. not for feedback on product)

    Send responses to Jeannette, Alpha Software Customer Service at [email protected]

    Thank you.

    -Jeannette

    #2
    RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

    Jeannette,

    I don't know if it is feasible, something that would help me would be the ability to search all forums at one time rather than having to search them individually. A full search would be slower but given the option, it would be the search I would perform most of the time. I learn a lot from earlier version forums.

    Perhaps it would be possible to categorize the threads more than just by version, i.e. reports, forms, xbasic etc.

    My two cents,
    Jerry Gray

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

      I wish to thank everyone for their feedback.

      Please continue to keep us posted (oh no, a pun! ;-)

      When resources permit, other changes (implementing many of your suggestions) will also take place.

      -Jeannette

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

        The best method is to dump your current board and replace it with something more robust, like Ultimate Bulletin Board (www.infopop.com) or any of the other full features boards.
        Steve Wood
        See my profile on IADN

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

          Just a matter of personal opinion but I like the way this board is laid out better than most forums.


          I like the fact that everything for one thread is on one page and I don't have to keep jumping around to other pages to see responses. Scrolling up and down is much faster than waiting for another page to load. If I had to wait for pages to load I wouldn't read as many responses. And, yes, I have a cable connection and they do load fast but (a) scrolling is faster and (b) scrolling is somehow "easier" - I know from using other forums that I tend to skip a lot of responses when I have to actually click on a link to see the response.


          I also like the fact that this forum doesn't have a bunch of other stuff like chat rooms and photo albums.


          Is this forum the "norm" for today - no. Is this the most modern looking forum - no. Does this forum do the job intended - I believe it does it better than most of the "modern" forums would.


          Cal Locklin

          www.aimsdc.net

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

            I have to second Cal's comments.

            I visit other forums, but I usually get tired of clicking on all the links to read one topic.

            This forum (phorum) is the best for breezing through subject matter. The layout is to the point and the speed to read through a topic is better than most other boards. The scrolling option is what makes it so easy.

            Please don't change this forum into one of those "modern" forums.

            Thanks,

            Dan
            Dan

            Dan Blank builds Databases
            Skype: danblank

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

              I agree with Cal that a message forum that requires you to click to see other posts in a thread is bad.

              My personal favorite is

              vBulletin Version 2.2.8 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.

              It shows whole threads (paged if you like so that one page does not get too long), has sticky threads, thread notification, attachments, forum and global searching, Personal Messaging (for those who prefer to be anonomous), signatures and lots of other features.

              As far as arrangement, I would have an A4 section, A5/WAS section and a general anoouncement section and any other independent section. Under each appropriate area, I would have further subdivisions by version # and code areas specific to the versions

              Regards,

              Ira
              Regards,

              Ira J. Perlow
              Computer Systems Design


              CSDA A5 Products
              New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
              CSDA Barcode Functions

              CSDA Code Utility
              CSDA Screen Capture


              Comment


                #8
                RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                I agree with the section breakdown ... with that you can add two different search buttons, one for the specific version and one for the section itself. A lot of a5v5 and a5v6 issues are similar this would save from the searching many different forums ... it would give us the choice if we want to search the current forum or the section we are in at the time :)
                Cheryl
                #1 Designs By Pagecrazy
                http://pagecrazy.com/

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                  My two cents worth? I agree with Cheryl. Her proposal made the most sense.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                    Hi,

                    I agree with Call. This board is simple, lean and mean but I miss a better search function. This one is to withspread in it results and it must be hyperlinked. A user can link solutions together.

                    I use other boards but the are to fragmented in their subjects. Most of the time I have difficulties to find the right place to put my question. Mybe a simple category list will do.

                    Marcel
                    Marcel

                    I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
                    ---- Confusius ----

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                      Al,

                      What was my idea, CHOPPED LIVER?

                      That's what Cheryl was referring to! :?)

                      But that's why I suggested that breakdown of areas when using other Forum software. It allows doing global searches at what ever the level you are at to the levels below.

                      Regards,

                      Ira
                      Regards,

                      Ira J. Perlow
                      Computer Systems Design


                      CSDA A5 Products
                      New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
                      CSDA Barcode Functions

                      CSDA Code Utility
                      CSDA Screen Capture


                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                        I'm with Cal on the general approach of this forum and agree also with Ira and Cheryl on searches - I don't think there's any real incompatability in those comments.

                        DON'T want to see forum have all the cutsie "features" so common in many boards.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                          The boards I am speaking about are not any more complex than this board. Browse the full contents of a thread by scrolling up and down, etc. Some of the kiddy forums are horribly infused with graphics and other nonsense. I was proposing a solid business forum expertly designed for customer support, user/expert interaction, etc., but still allows for ad-hoc chatter, various levels of flagging, advanced search, etc. My model is UBB (ultimate bulletin board), but there are plenty of others.

                          Here are the things I find lacking in this forum:

                          1) The initial "Topics" header that lists everyone's response by title and contributor - the titles are most often all the same, so no value there other than displaying hierarchy and contributor.

                          2) Related to above, the "Reply" buttons are by message, not by thread, so I have to decide WHO (or whose message) to respond to when I really just want to reply to the overall thread. Ideally, the thread is a discussion around one topic submitted by the originator; but this forum treats each message as the potential start of a new thread. That's would be sensible if our threads were fifty-plus messages long and the subject meandered -- but our average is two to twelve focused around answering the originators question.

                          Besides, most people do not use this Reply correctly. They click reply on the message that they last read, even if they are responding to the originator or a different message somewhere above, possibly at a different level of hierarchy. So what you get in a thread is a bunch of levels of hierarchy, some that are proper, most that are meaningless. I reviewed a dozen threads before making this comment; this particular thread is a good example.

                          3) I cannot tell at a glance, what topics I have seen or not seen; and what topics have been updated since my last visit. I think our updated topics migrate to the top, is not easy to catch. UBB uses cookies so that the forum I see is flagged and highlighted based on MY most recent previous viewing.

                          4) When I originate a thread, I cannot flag my topic as a question, comment, complaint, information only, etc.

                          5) I can't limit my search by date, etc.

                          6) I don't have a place to provide my own profile.

                          7) I can't edit my own messages after I post them.

                          8) Lots of other small management and informational items that I am used to elsewhere.

                          9) Can't add a big splashy smiley face with pulsating hearts and music spewing out a big Thaaank Yooous! Just kidding, wanted to make sure you knew where I wasn't coming from.

                          These are my thoughts. I use boards a lot, and I manage a few.
                          Steve Wood
                          See my profile on IADN

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                            >>9) Can't add a big splashy smiley face with pulsating hearts and music spewing out a big Thaaank Yooous! Just kidding, wanted to make sure you knew where I wasn't coming from.

                            You mean like this?

















                            Sorry ... but I just couldn't resist :)
                            Cheryl
                            #1 Designs By Pagecrazy
                            http://pagecrazy.com/

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: Utilizing Alpha Forums: Feedback sought

                              I deserved that; I knew I was being too thorough!!! I spend much of my time in a business that provides service to attorneys. You would think these attorneys would be relatively conservative. But when it comes to email they are attracted to Incredimail and Yahooligans. So their emails us contain bouncing happy kids in diapers, gushy Gee I'm Sorry caractactitures and occasional references to bad jokes. (Fortunately, Outlook 2003 now strips all of that out.)
                              Steve Wood
                              See my profile on IADN

                              Comment

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