ubuntu-answer team mailing list archive

[Steven Danna <stevensdanna@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

Below is version of the draft Wiki page I suggested with very minor
changes.  I've only made a few changes since I would rather work on this
once it is in the (version controlled) wiki.  I was going to post it to the
wiki myself but was unsure where it should go.  Also, I was wondering what
people thought of a couple of other ways we could generate more high-quality
participation on Answers:

* A 5-a-day initiative similar to the one that exists for the bug tracker.
* An IRC channel so that people contributing to answers can talk with each
other and exchange ideas.

Cheers,

Steven Danna

---
= General Advice =

* Be Polite

The users who ask questions on answers.launchpad.net are often
frustrated and confused.  Further, many will not know that those
answering their questions are simply volunteers from the Ubuntu
community.  Thus, it is important to represent the Ubuntu community
well by being polite.

Many people post in English despite the fact that English is not their
first language.  Further, tone is often hard to discern in written
discourse.  Because of this, questions may often seem rude despite the
fact that there was no intention of rudeness.  It is always advisable
to assume that the questioner asked their question in good faith and
did not intend to be rude.

* Write Clearly

Attempt to write in complete, grammatical sentences.  Technical
directions can be very hard to follow for those not comfortable with
computers and writing clearly is a good first step in ensuring that
your answer is understood.

= Guidelines for Writing Good Answers =

   * Break instructions into clear, discrete tasks.
   * Try to explain what a given command is doing to the system and
how it will solve the problem.
   * Give complete answers when possible.  If the user's question is
"How can I check my email?" then "Use Evolution" is not a complete
answer.
   * If the user is having a problem with a specific application
attempt to solve the problem before recommending an alternative
application unless there is a known bug or lack of functionality
preventing the user's preferred program from working.
   * Do not give links to direction without some explanation.
   * When possible, point the user to places where they can learn
more about the issue they had.  This may enable them to solve future
problems on their own.
   * If it won't adversely affect your system, test any instructions
you give to ensure that they do what you intend.
   * If available, use articles on the Ubuntu Wiki, official
documentation, or posts on Ubuntu Forum over random blog posts when
referring the user to an outside resource.

= Best Practices =

* Edit questions that are assigned to the wrong package or project but do
not edit the text of the question itself.

Sincerely,

Steven Danna

---