Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. Its what you do for others. ~Danny Thomas
In developing custom themes for WordPress, which is comprises the bulk of my work these days, I regularly run into issues, questions about how to accomplish a client request, and sometimes problems that are just beyond me. Recently, while developing a site using WordPress, I ran into a problem that completely kerflummoxed me. Suddenly, all the pages that had been set up stopped working, and I couldn’t even get to them in the admin panel. Turns out it seems I encountered a goofy bug in WP when I erroneously tried to delete the Uncategorized category. (I know you’re not supposed to delete that one - just checked it by mistake) I tried to fix it multiple ways, but to no avail and was at the end of my options as to what to try next.
What do you do when that happens? Where do you go for help?
1. Online friends and colleagues. Make it a practice as you get to know others online, to understand what they’re experts in and share with others what you do best in case they ever need help. We’re not networking just so there will be people to call on when we run into problems, of course, but it’s a nice side benefit.
2. Google (or other search engine). Almost always the first place I go if I don’t know of someone who can answer my question quickly, because there will usually be someone who has run into the same problem and found a solution that they’ve published so others can benefit.
3. Twitter, or similar social networking tools. Toss out your question to the masses and see what comes back. In my case, several of my friends on Twitter, like kristarella, dereksemmler, and brianyerkes, jumped in with suggestions.
4. Support forums, such as the WordPress support forum. Just as with using a search engine, I find that most of the time, someone has already run into the question or problem I’m having and I don’t even have to start a new thread to get an answer.
5. Other forums, such as Performancing Hive. I’ve been a part of multiple forums in the past, and have found value in all of them, but the Hive is by far the best one for networking, help and collaboration with some of the big-timers in the blog world. This is where I ultimately found the answer. Ryan, Jeff, Hart, Martyn, and Raj jumped in and the problem was solved within a day.
The thing that continues to impress me the longer I work in this online environment, is how extraordinarily helpful my online colleagues are. I regularly encounter people who will go out of their way, taking time out of their busy schedules to help, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Ask anyone who has been around here for long enough and they’ll tell you the same. Why do you think this is? What is it about the type of person who gravitates towards the online world that makes them tend to be selflessly generous and helpful?
Anyway, enough psychoanalysis… I just wanted to say thanks again to those who helped me out last week. I appreciate it!
Please use your name when you comment- I would appreciate it. Using just keywords makes your comment seem spammy, and it's liable to get deleted. See my comment policy for more detail. Thanks!
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June 23, 2008 11:11 am
I watched as the Hive helped - very impressive.
I’ve also been astonished by the help freely offered to me, for example by someone who saw a CSS issue on my site on a Mac (I’m a PC user) and offered advice on how to fix the problem … I hope I’ve been able to offer others help in turn.
Why does this happen? I wonder if it is because of the rate of change - things change so fast around us that everyone is always in ‘learning’ mode, and therefore willing to work co-operatively?
June 23, 2008 1:05 pm
No problem, glad to see the site is back online and operational. On a related note, I tried to delete the Uncategorized category from my own blog one time and WordPress would not allow me to do so. I wonder how you were able to delete that category from your own installation.
June 23, 2008 1:11 pm
huh, now I’ve learned something new too — Uncategorized should never be deleted. I was always renaming it, but I could’ve deleted it one day without knowing the subsequences, now I know, thanks to your mistake and the help from others
June 23, 2008 1:18 pm
I prefer to put Google on first place, why bother anyone if you can find your answer by yourself with google?
June 23, 2008 2:10 pm
I actually never thought of using twitter for help, and now that you mention it, it seems like a good idea. Although I agree with Cayo, google should always come first, and it usually answers your questions easily.
June 23, 2008 2:46 pm
I´m wondering that first thing is friends.
Usually “Google” is the best friend …most of our problems have happened before …
Second step is a support forum.
For my experience any further step is difficult and usually takes more time than it saves !
June 23, 2008 5:32 pm
Your approach is very similar to mine, except that I hadn’t heard of Performancing Hive before reading your post. Thanks for the tip - I’m sure the day will come very soon when I’ll have to go there to chase up some help!
Good personal networks are invaluable and it feels good when you know you’ve good such a great group of buddies online.
June 23, 2008 6:33 pm
First I look around the various support forums.
Then I go to Google, after that it depends on what kind of problem I need help with.
June 23, 2008 7:19 pm
I think I am going to have to get on Twitter. Seems to be helping a lot of people out at the moment. Another amazingly addictive internet social media application though - that freaks me out.
June 23, 2008 8:29 pm
Happy to help, sorry I wasn’t of any actual help! Glad the problem got sorted. I love XHTML and CSS and WordPress, but I’m not much help when something goes wrong with the latter. Maybe when I’m finished honours I’ll have time to learn WP and PHP more.
Unfortunately the WP forums are not very helpful most of the time. I’ll have a look at Performancing Hive. I found the NearlyFreeSpeech.Net forums (at the hosting company I use) very helpful.
June 23, 2008 8:41 pm
I always go to Google first. I hate to bother my friends unless I’m sure it’s not a silly little mistake. A good tip, when you’re trying to resolve an error message, is to put the entire message in the google search field. Putting quotes around it sometimes helps, sometimes doesn’t, but I find that this technique in general helps me a lot. I’d love to hear if others have any tips on searching google for error resolution.
I like the idea at LinkedIn that you can get help from your network, but I’ve never tried it and don’t know how effective it is.
On why people in the community help: today I read something today about the link between Asperger’s syndrome and IT workers. In it, they point out that people with that syndrome can be motivated by the problem-solving aspect (which they are drawn to) more than the community aspect. Food for thought.
June 23, 2008 10:13 pm
Thanks for all the comments so far. I don’t know that the above is always the order I go in for help. If I’ve got a quick question about PHP syntax, for example, and I know a PHP expert then I’m probably going to hop on IM and ask. If I think it’s not going to take but a second for an answer, I don’t feel as though I’m bothering them much. If it’s a hairier problem, like this one, I prefer to throw the issue out to a group (after Googling), with the hopes that someone will point me in the right direction if they have the time.
Regarding deleting the Uncategorized category, it may be specifically a bug with WP 2.5.1.
June 23, 2008 11:19 pm
I tried to delete it in WordPress MU version 2.[something]. It only caused me headaches.
June 24, 2008 4:08 pm
The value of your network is definitely indispensible. I feel the same way about the graphic design bloggers I’ve become online friends with. They are excellent resources!
I’ve tried to delete uncategorized before and I’m not able to (I never use it), but I guess it’s a good thing I can’t!
Maybe all your WP friends can help Charity and me out with a problem? We’ve both been dealing with it for a while now and can’t figure it out. Every so often, a commentor will leave a comment with some links that will make the comment disappear. When in the admin panel, the comment shows up perfectly fine, but WP won’t spit out the actual text on the page, though it leaves a space with the person’s gravatar and info. The only way I’ve found to fix it is to adjust the links in phpMyAdmin. Recently I discovered that rel nofollow seems to have something to do with it (and I have the Do Follow plugin installed and active). Any ideas?
June 25, 2008 8:24 am
Lauren - I’ve never had this problem associated with NoFollow. I have been using the No Follow Free plugin for a while now though, so you might try switching and see if that solves it. One thing you and Charity have in common that you don’t with me is that I’m not using Gravatar. I don’t see how this could be causing the problem, but just looking for things you have in common…
June 25, 2008 12:23 pm
My list would be:
- Google
- Sitepoint (webmaster forum)
- amino.dk (danish online entrepreneur forum)
Most often I try not to involve friends or family. Often they would feel obligated to spend time researching a question before answering, this is even though they do not have the time for it.
/Michael
June 26, 2008 12:07 am
Thanks for the new plugin, Randa! I’ll give it a try. I would hate to take off the Do Follow feature of my blog. I like to give back to the people who engage in conversations over there.
June 26, 2008 1:07 am
I just stumbled upon your blog. I’m somewhat of a blog junkie and I’m impressed by your content. Expect to see me back, putting in my two cents now and again. This article was especially good. I never thought of twitter as a source for help…at first I didn’t think it was going to catch on anyway. But now I’m a believer.
June 26, 2008 4:02 pm
The amount of people who ask me for help when they could get the answer by ‘asking google’ is amazing. The internet is so large now that the chances are someone will have asked the question before hand on a forum and got an answer.
June 27, 2008 10:34 am
I’d say my friends first, Google, forums and then Twitter.
June 27, 2008 11:21 pm
BTW, just in case anyone else comes to this post with the same problem with comments sometimes not displaying because of links, I do believe it’s due to the DoFollow plugin (not the same as the one Randa recommended above). If you experience this problem, try emailing Denis. Maybe if they have enough samples of it happening, they can fix it.
June 29, 2008 9:47 am
I use google first, ask my friend and go to the forum
June 29, 2008 1:11 pm
Google, then forums and last techie friends.
June 29, 2008 5:26 pm
I tend to use google alot. Although it seems lately that its getting hard to wade through the results. I will try and use twitter seems like a good use for it.
June 30, 2008 7:20 am
In my opinion Google is the best ‘Online friend’ (in this case).
June 30, 2008 12:46 pm
This is a GREAT example of how a blog can help you showcase your “expertise”. So that when your blog comes up in a Google (or other search engine) search, you’ve got plenty of posts or articles demonstrating your expertise.
July 1, 2008 10:00 am
I always wanted to start a website to pool the knowledge of friends to help solve problems, I think it’s the primary place most people turn to even though Googling something is becoming more common - it can feel overwhelming to know who is an authority on whatever subject you are looking into.
July 1, 2008 10:05 am
I usually start by Googling, but if one of the results is a forum that’s probably what I’ll click on.
I also have a small clique of online buddies that I’ll tap into when something’s got me completely lost.
July 1, 2008 11:23 am
I prefer Google search on what we do not know. I certainly find the answer to and if not find it, use the forums
July 1, 2008 1:44 pm
me too, but I use the forums sometimes too..
July 2, 2008 9:06 am
I have been amazed by the level of support we have received through networking with others. After sharing experiences and benefitting from others knowledge it is good to give some back. Of course google now answer most questions but not every one.
July 2, 2008 10:23 am
Excellent post — once the monetization efforts took over with websites, it became somewhat difficult to remember the original ideas behind the web — great of you to harken back and share your experience regarding those very fundamental issues: selflessness, assistance to strangers, ease of access to information.
Appreciate the thoughts very much.
Matty
July 3, 2008 5:19 pm
I work at a company that does web design and SEM. I started in design and really served as the go to guy. Now I do marketing and even today, more than a year later, I had one of the top designers asking me design and CSS questions. I just kind of laugh because so many people don’t take the time to actually learn things on their own or just search for an answer.
July 4, 2008 2:21 pm
Digital Point forum is my first point of contact. The members there are so helpful and I get answer to all my design woes from DP.
Secondly I rely on some of my designer frnds whom I can catch up wth IM, but I do not want to disturb them unless the need arise.
July 5, 2008 8:29 am
Google, google and then google. How long till it has 100% search dominance?
July 5, 2008 8:52 am
i always google if i need anything on the net…hehe..too much playing on forum sometimes make us look lame, just google and find answer
July 5, 2008 11:01 am
Google is usually the first place I check when I need a solution to something. If I phrase the right search term, usually I’m able to find the answers I need to solve the issue. There aren’t too many questions that haven’t been asked by some one.
July 5, 2008 11:22 am
Always Google!
July 6, 2008 5:52 am
Daniel thats a tad harsh! Great post by the way.
July 6, 2008 11:55 pm
Google is first on my list, search for the question or important keyword parts of it and you should be able to find the question or answer on a blog or forum somewhere.
July 7, 2008 3:13 am
Whenever I need help, I often ask Google’s help. It really works. My second option is asking a friend.
July 7, 2008 9:18 pm
Randy,
Great list… Like some of your other readers I had never heard of performance hiving before either… but I like the concept.
I think my current list would go:
1. Google (with leads me often to Suport forums)
2. A few trusted friends (Most online)
3. Back to Google….
And I have have been rebelling against twitter but I see so many other bloggers/tech/designers/garbage men using it that I may have to give it another look…
Either way..thanks so much for the list. Great ideas.
July 8, 2008 2:12 am
Hi Randy,
Thanks for the list. It’s remind me about Twitter.
For me, when ever I have problem I usually go to support or support forum first but if I still cannot find the answer, I will then go to Google search, then Google’s help, the last choice is to ask from friend as I don’t want to bother any friend before to try it by myself.
July 8, 2008 11:49 pm
When things don’t work all of a sudden, I usually replace the file one by one using the original files. This way I know which file is the culprit.
I then use a Firefox extension called “Web Developer Toolbar” (which I just made a blog post about), to identify the CSS that may have caused it to malfunction
July 9, 2008 8:29 am
Please Please Please HELP !
I have a big blank space (height 40-50 px) in just above the comments section i.e. below adsense 336×280 image block of my blog*spot blog .This space makes my blog look very ugly.
My blog is: http://ivilla.blogspot.com
and my xml template can be found at: http://ivillax3w.googlepages.com/template-7706362956094556981.xml
Please inspect my template and give me the solution for which I will remain ever grateful to you.
Thanks in advance.
July 9, 2008 7:28 pm
[...] Randa Clay, musing about online community (or communities) in Where to Go for Help? [...]
July 11, 2008 6:33 am
Thanks for these article. Usually, when I got a problem, I often use Google and if I can’t find the answer, that’s the time I ask friends and forum experts.
July 12, 2008 8:28 am
I agree with Cayo Medeiros aka. yogodoshi comment. Being able to find anything you want to know about, on Google is very helpful. But on the other hand if you type in a question on Google such as “how to install a hardwood floor” for example, there are websites out there that offer free videos and instructional manuals online for free. But how far are you willing to search for a site that might offer that. A site that offers free videos on showing such a craft it probably took someone years to learn, and now you want to learning in less than minutes? How can that be? A site like that probably does not exist. Or probably it does. Most first 10 pages that would show up on Google for the term, might all consist of sites that will sell you a video, or a manual. This is because the owner of the site probably is not willing to just give you that information for free. Thats because the owner probably knows that for that particular term, the probability of you running into their web site, are high. Most people are just willing to look at the first 10, 20, 30 pages or so, if that, when doing research on something. You would probably find over a few thousand plus pages a particular search. On the other hand there are probably other search engines like for example yahoo or msn, for example, that might have a site, a helpful site with so much features on first page. You never know. Not all search engines operate the same way. Yahoo and MSN for example use a different algorithm formula to decide which sites come up first on a search. Google on the other uses a different formula.
July 23, 2008 3:36 am
Of course Google, but like you I am consistently impressed - bowled over really - at how helpful the online community is and how prepared they are to spend their time working on a problem you may have. In my case it’s usually some coding issue or other or some weird behavior in IE (oh really?). I post a forum query and sometimes within minutes ‘a complete stranger’ (meant in the nicest possible way) posts a solution. Unreal.
July 25, 2008 5:35 am
I then use a Firefox extension called “Web Developer Toolbar” (which I just made a blog post about), to identify the CSS that may have caused it to malfunction
July 28, 2008 3:17 am
Thanks for this article.
and i usually use Mater Google to solving any problem, asking friends and surf any web that relevance with problem.
August 2, 2008 10:22 pm
I usually Google things instead of asking the wordpress forums
August 11, 2008 4:28 pm
Thanks for this article it`s really useful for me. I am blogger and your blog is great knowedge resource for me. Thanks for this great article!
August 16, 2008 4:03 pm
Having just started my blog, besides the obvious Google or generic Blog forum help, I found the best resources are just to do it yourself.
I’m running the BlogEngine starter kit from Microsoft and anything that was busted or I wanted to enhance, a few minutes of .NET code and TA DA…I’m ready to roll.
Wordpress is overrated
August 19, 2008 2:55 pm
debating on whether to implement wordpress into our site. I always turn to our IT guy, otherwise he gets paid for doing nothing.
August 29, 2008 12:57 am
In my opinion Google is the best ‘Online friend’.
August 29, 2008 8:40 am
I have a certain internet marketing forum that helps to answer most of my questions. I won’t mention it here, but it is very popular. This is where the gurus hang out. Some love to give advice, but some want to keep the secrets to themselves. I hang around a lot to learn and to ask questions and this where I get most of my learning. I love forums.
September 28, 2008 2:49 am
I tend to use google alot. Although it seems lately that its getting hard to wade through the results. I will try and use twitter seems like a good use for it.
October 1, 2008 10:10 pm
The first place you should go for help is friends and family. They’re the closest to you, and most likely to help you to the best of their abilities. Secondly, I would search google. There is simply so much useful information google. Lastly, I would recommend you ask on a popular forum.
October 6, 2008 1:51 pm
Twitter can be a good service in the future, but nowadays, Internet basic users don’t know anything about twitter or other similar applications.