carrot
Flashaholic
I notice that a lot of people seem to struggle with getting accustomed to the forums here and getting the answers they need. I thought I could share a few tips on how to get the most satisfying answers out of CPF. I'd be delighted if others had pearls of wisdom to chime in with as well.
First, the obvious:
- Read the rules! - CPF moderators have a tough job keeping this place great and the rules are there for a reason.
- Post in the right forum! - CPF is divided into subforums, and each subforum is dedicated to a specific topic. Posting in the right forum ensures your target audience can answer your questions. Pick one, don't post the same question all over the boards.
- Express yourself! - Poor grammar, spelling, and internet speak are not appreciated here. We'll understand if English isn't your first language, but if it is, we expect you to write in a coherent and grammatically correct manner. Just think, what would your English teacher say? Also, be certain to appropriately use line breaks or paragraphs.
- Learn to search! - CPF has a real wealth of information and it is all searchable through the forum search and Google search provided at the top of each page. (thanks sigsour)
Secondly, the less obvious:
- Use a descriptive thread title - You don't need a catchphrase or a leading question, or worse a completely ambiguous title such as "Somebody help me please," "Newbie question here," or "Looking for a flashlight" -- instead, focus on the basics, and summarize in a short phrase what you are looking for. This helps you to target people who know what they are talking about. Good examples might be: "Small CR123A-based light, under $100?," "Please explain different LED types to me," "Need a serious headlamp for caving," or "Aspherics $200 and less."
-- Also, in your post, try to make the first line as descriptive as possible. (thanks Kestrel)
- Explain your needs - Too many people come to CPF thinking they know what they want and they just give a laundry list of specs. Sometimes you really do know what you want. Sometimes you don't. But in either case, explain what you plan to use your light for, such as: "I need a flashlight for backpacking in Peru; I'll use it on trails at night and sometimes in bed for reading" -- then we'll know to steer you clear of barnburners and recommend practical lights that have good runtime and several output levels. There are many experienced people here who DO go out and use their lights whether for work or leisure, and they know what works and what doesn't.
Thirdly, the positively obscure:
- Never ask for the best - If you ask "What's the best" without specifying a budget or a classification, you will get recommendations for lights that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It never ceases to fail. The OP gets mad, starts lashing out at posters, posters respond in kind, the thread gets closed and people get banned. Not a happy thing. It's better to ask, "What can I get for $100, I need the best throw I can get."
- Don't ask about Surefire versus another brand - It will inevitably start a flame war.
For posters/thread replies:
- Qualify yourself and your recommendation - If you recommend something, explain how your experience with it makes it worth the OP's time and money. I know this is hard to do over and over, but the OP will stand to gain so much more from it.
- Outlandish answers aren't useful - If an OP asks for a $100 light, do not recommend a $1000 light, unless it really does fit all his criteria. It's only funny once or twice.
First, the obvious:
- Read the rules! - CPF moderators have a tough job keeping this place great and the rules are there for a reason.
- Post in the right forum! - CPF is divided into subforums, and each subforum is dedicated to a specific topic. Posting in the right forum ensures your target audience can answer your questions. Pick one, don't post the same question all over the boards.
- Express yourself! - Poor grammar, spelling, and internet speak are not appreciated here. We'll understand if English isn't your first language, but if it is, we expect you to write in a coherent and grammatically correct manner. Just think, what would your English teacher say? Also, be certain to appropriately use line breaks or paragraphs.
- Learn to search! - CPF has a real wealth of information and it is all searchable through the forum search and Google search provided at the top of each page. (thanks sigsour)
Secondly, the less obvious:
- Use a descriptive thread title - You don't need a catchphrase or a leading question, or worse a completely ambiguous title such as "Somebody help me please," "Newbie question here," or "Looking for a flashlight" -- instead, focus on the basics, and summarize in a short phrase what you are looking for. This helps you to target people who know what they are talking about. Good examples might be: "Small CR123A-based light, under $100?," "Please explain different LED types to me," "Need a serious headlamp for caving," or "Aspherics $200 and less."
-- Also, in your post, try to make the first line as descriptive as possible. (thanks Kestrel)
- Explain your needs - Too many people come to CPF thinking they know what they want and they just give a laundry list of specs. Sometimes you really do know what you want. Sometimes you don't. But in either case, explain what you plan to use your light for, such as: "I need a flashlight for backpacking in Peru; I'll use it on trails at night and sometimes in bed for reading" -- then we'll know to steer you clear of barnburners and recommend practical lights that have good runtime and several output levels. There are many experienced people here who DO go out and use their lights whether for work or leisure, and they know what works and what doesn't.
Thirdly, the positively obscure:
- Never ask for the best - If you ask "What's the best" without specifying a budget or a classification, you will get recommendations for lights that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It never ceases to fail. The OP gets mad, starts lashing out at posters, posters respond in kind, the thread gets closed and people get banned. Not a happy thing. It's better to ask, "What can I get for $100, I need the best throw I can get."
- Don't ask about Surefire versus another brand - It will inevitably start a flame war.
For posters/thread replies:
- Qualify yourself and your recommendation - If you recommend something, explain how your experience with it makes it worth the OP's time and money. I know this is hard to do over and over, but the OP will stand to gain so much more from it.
- Outlandish answers aren't useful - If an OP asks for a $100 light, do not recommend a $1000 light, unless it really does fit all his criteria. It's only funny once or twice.
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