Communities forums best practices and tips

Last revised: January 9, 2015

Communities provides a constructive, informative, and helpful environment for members to get information and ask questions about Bentley products. Please consider the following when using forums:

Best Practices

• Before posting, use the Communities' search function to see if the information you are looking for already exists on the site.
  
  
• If you cannot find the information you are looking for after searching for it, select the ONE community forum that is most applicable to the question you have (HINT: to locate the community forum that is most applicable to the product that you are using, go to http://communities.bentley.com/support).
  
  
• WHEN POSTING AN ISSUE, please post one issue per thread and include relevant information that might help with any investigation, including (as applicable):
  • The name(s) and version #(s) of the Bentley product(s) you are using (i.e. v#.#.#.#)
  • The steps you are using that demonstrate the issue you are having
  • The operating system (including service packs) and regional locale you are using on your workstation
  • The basic hardware configuration for the workstation you are using (e.g. CPU, RAM, graphics card, etc.)
  • Whether you are running the product(s) and/or accessing data over a network and, if so, the network operating system involved (including service packs)
  • Any first- or third-party product(s) or custom applications or macros you are running
  • Whether the situation you are experiencing happens on one file, more than one file, all files, or regardless of the workspace you are using
  • What you are ultimately trying to achieve, what you are expecting and not experiencing, what you are experiencing and not expecting
    
    

• Providing a small sample test case (e.g. DGN file, resource file, low resolution screen shot, msdebug.txt, etc.) can often help with the investigation of any issue -- you can attach multiple files by archiving them in a single ZIP or RAR file. If the file is less than 20MB, attach it to a reply by clicking on the "Advanced Reply Editor" link and then select the Insert/Edit Media button. If the ZIP file is larger than 20MB or if your data is confidential, follow the instructions found on Communities Secure File Upload (files uploaded to Bentley ShareFile can only be accessed by Bentley colleagues).

Tips

• Post test messages only in the Communities Forums Sandbox.
  
  
• Make sure that the date, time, and time zone on the computer you are posting from are correct. This helps ensure the chronological order of posts.
  
  
• Before posting, double-check where you are sending your message. It can be very embarrassing to accidentally post a message to a forum when you meant to send it via e-mail.
  
  
• Use a meaningful subject line. Instead of saying that you need help urgently, summarize the problem in your subject line. If you are getting an error message that you need help understanding, put the text of the error or a summary of it in your subject.
  
  
• Ask one main, on-topic question in each thread and post it in the forum that is most applicable to your inquiry. A post with more than one question on different topics is often less likely to get the same attention as a post that is focused on one issue/inquiry/topic. That also makes inquiries and replies easier to follow (not to mention find).
  
  
• Do not ask questions in a way that invites everyone to answer in the negative, because the likelihood of getting an answer to such a question is very low. Simply state the problem and ask for help.
  
  
• Do not be annoyed by receiving a half-dozen conditional answers from different people. Make it work for you by noting the suggestions that are not pertinent to your immediate situation. They may become pertinent, and sooner than you think.
  
  
• Be prepared for follow-up questions. The people who respond to your message will be trying to recognize what the problem might be based solely on what you write. If they do not recognize the problem from your initial description, then you will be asked to provide more details, like what product version, simple test/example cases, steps to reproduce the issue, sample code, etc.
  
  
• Do not assume that nobody wants to help you if you get no answers to your inquiry. Ask again in the same forum (preferably in the same topic/thread), with the timing of the second request determined by the urgency of the problem. You might want to consider adding more details that might help in any responses. State that it is a second request. If your issue is of an urgent nature, you should consider taking advantage of the support options that Bentley provides.
  
  
• If you have a legitimate complaint, it does not do any good to make your entry onto the forum by stating that the product is terrible, the company is criminal, and the users of the product are idiots, and then demand assistance or else. Stick to the facts, eliminate the hyperbole, and register your complaints through the appropriate channels.
  
  
• Stay on topic. When you post a reply to a message ask yourself, "Does the original subject line describe the contents of my message?" If the answer is no, you should start a completely new thread so other community members can decide whether they are interested in your message.
  
  
• Pursue off-topic discussions using Communities private messaging system or separately by e-mail. Often a technical thread will evolve into a friendly chat on some other, unrelated topic. This is good because it is part of what makes these forums so useful. When the discussion has moved away from the original topic and it is likely no longer of benefit or interest to the greater community, consider moving the conversation off the forum.
  
  
• Do not ask for assistance via e-mail. If someone spends time answering your question, spend the time to retrieve the answer.
  
  
• Write conservatively, read forgivingly. Communication in a pure text medium, such as a forum, is prone to misunderstanding, often due to the lack of nonverbal cues such as inflections, facial expression, and body language. Given this, it is best to be conservative with expressions of anger and sarcasm when writing. When reading, assume good intent; if a message can be taken two ways, assume the friendliest meaning.
  
  
• Remember that written words will last a long time. Anyone with a Web browser and access to the Internet can read your words long after you have written them. Think twice about what you say (sometimes it is more important to know when to say nothing than it is to say something).