Getting Help
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Having a problem with Elgg? The best way to get help is to ask at the `Community Site`_. This site is community supported by a large group of volunteers. Here are a few tips to help you get the help you need.

.. _Community Site: https://community.elgg.org/

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Getting help
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Don't be a `Help Vampire`_
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We were all newbies at one time, but we can all learn. Not showing that you are making attempts to learn on your own or do your own research is off putting for those helping. Also, very generic questions like "How do I build a forum?" are almost impossible to answer.

.. _Help Vampire: http://slash7.com/2006/12/22/vampires/

Search first
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Be sure to search the documentation (this site), the `Community Site`_, and Google before asking a question. New users to Elgg frequently have the same questions, so please search. People are less inclined to reply to a post that has been answered many other times or that can be answered easily by Googling.

Ask once
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Posting the same questions in multiple places makes it hard to answer you. Ask your question in one place only. Duplicate questions may be moderated.

Include Elgg Version
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Different versions of Elgg have different features (and different bugs). Including the version of Elgg that you are using will help those helping you.

Have a reasonable profile
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Profiles that look like spam or have silly names will often be ignored. Joviality is fine, but people are more likely to help Michael than 1337elggHax0r.

Post in the appropriate forum
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Check to make sure you're posting in the right forum. If you have a question about creating a plugin, don't post to the Elgg Feedback forum. If you need help installing Elgg, post to Technical Support instead of the Theming group.

Use a descriptive topic title
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Good topic titles concisely describe your problem or question. Bad topic titles are vague, contain all capital letters, and excessive punctuation.

Good title: "White screen after upgrading to 1.7.4."

Bad title: "URGENT!!!!! site broke ;-( losing money help!!!!!!!!!!!"

Be detailed
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Include as many details about your problem as possible. If you have a live site, include a link. Be forthcoming if community members might ask for more information. We can't help you if you won't give any details!

Keep it public
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This is a public forum for the good of the Elgg project. Keep posts public. There's no reason for anyone to ask you to send a private message or email. Likewise, there's no reason to ask anyone to send a private email to you. Post in the public.

Guidelines
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In addition to the `site-wide Terms and Policies`_, following these guidelines keeps our community site useful and safe for everyone.

.. _site-wide Terms and Policies: http://community.elgg.org/terms/

Content
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All content must be safe for work: PG in the US and UK. If your Elgg site has adult content and you have been asked to post a link, please mark it NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so people know.

Excessive swearing in any language will not be tolerated.

Mood
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Working with technical problems can be frustrating. Please keep the community site free of frustration. If you're feeling anxious, take a step away and do something else. Threatening or attacking community members, core developers, or plugin developers will not help solve your problem and will likely get you banned.

Advertising
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Advertising is not allowed. Posts with any sort of advertising will be moderated.

Asking for money / Offering to pay
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Don't ask for money on the community site. Likewise, don't offer to pay for answers. If you are looking for custom development, post to the Professional Services group. Posts asking for money or recommending a commercial plugin may be moderated.

Links
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If you're having a problem with a live site, please provide a link to it.

That said, the community site is not a back linking service or SEO tool. Excessive linking will be moderated and your account may be banned.

Signatures
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There's a reason Elgg doesn't have an option for signatures: they cause clutter and distract from the conversation. Users are discouraged from using signatures on the community site, and signatures with links or advertising will be removed.

Bumping, +1, me too
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Don't do it. If your question hasn't been answered, see the top of this document for tips. These types of post add nothing to the conversation and may be moderated.

Posting Code
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Long bits of code are confusing to read through in a forums context. Please use http://elgg.pastebin.com to post long bits of code and provide the Paste Bin link instead of directly posting the code.

Good Ideas
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Not policies, but good ideas.

Say thanks
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Did someone help you? Be sure to thank them! The community site is run by volunteers. No one has to help you with your problem. Be sure to show your appreciation!

Give back
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Have a tip for Elgg? See someone with a similar problem you had? You've been there and can help them out, so give them a hand!