GENERAL NOTICE to all forum users

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Thank you, MJ, for this thread.

I would add that something should not be considered (assumed to be) a bug immediately just because someone can't get it to work the way that person wants it to. The feature/program may not be designed to work that way, on purpose; there may be a mistake in the user's actions in attempting to use the feature; the index may be broken or the indexing is still incomplete; not all of the updates may have been downloaded; there's a basic, usually tiny, annoying error in the tagging/metadata of a resource; a reboot of the software may be required; the software can do something the user doesn't know about; the user may have misunderstood something; unexpected visual filters, resource prioritization, or not-purchased resources may be leading to unexpected results...and that's just what I can remember off the top of my head as being common causes of ostensible bugs.

A lot of things that get posted on these forums as bugs are not bugs, a number of things that get posted as not-bugs or potential bugs actually do turn out to be somehow related to bugs, and most bugs aren't quite the bugs that they first appear to be. And everyone on the forums (myself included), not just people new to FL products, misidentifies bugs from time to time.

My own suggestion relating to MJ's Rule 4 is to wait 48 hours when waiting for FL employees before bumping your own thread, or until roughly 3 PM Eastern Time on Monday if you started the thread on or after Thursday. This is partly because sometimes FL will notice your thread awhile before a post will be made in it, and partly because if you wait that long, you usually won't have to bump it.

Also, as a final rule of thumb, any logical (or illogical) argument that leads to some form of the conclusion, "At least some of the FaithLife employees who post on these forums are evil," is demonstrably unsound because the conclusion is false. [:)]

MJ. Smith said:

Just a reminder that it is far easier to make sure that your questions get answered if you follow some simple rules:

1. Put your question under the forum for the specific software you are using ...or the otherwise appropriate forum. I've often given wrong answers because I gave an answer for the wrong software.

2. Create your own thread - especially don't reuse announcement thread. Your problem may look similar but not be the same as whatever you tagged along after and you may well be missed entirely.

3. If someone asks for more information, give it.

4. If you haven't gotten an answer in 24 hours, assume you've not been seen by the right people and give the thread a bump

5. Ask a question rather than go on a tirade. It is quite reasonable to express frustration and be upset ... but don't take it out on forum users trying to help.

These guidelines brought to you by a user getting frustrated at the recent spike in the violation of the 2nd principle ... and the lag, for obvious reasons, in the Faithlife responses.

Thanks for this MJ, esp #5. 

I get discouraged easily because, presumably in my naïveté, some forum users spend so much time complaining and grumbling that nothing can ever gets resolved with them. They often are not looking for resolutions, but rather an opportunity to grumble, backbite, and put others down.

Those few form users who are so angry and bitter at everything spoil things for me– sometimes I stay away from the forms for weeks because I've read someone's tirade. The common, undergirding theme for all of us is Bible study, no matter which tradition we come from. As such, the Bible should be the basis for not only the expression of our faith, but the ethics by which we conduct ourselves in these forms.

I'd like to suggest a #6, as such, in light of Philippians 2: "complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." 

Even when we may be upset, and even when we feel victimized by a marketing strategy or higher-than-expected price, there's a level of Christian kindness, respect, and charity that should be demonstrated in our forum posts. Some seem to feel that the command to love "our enemies" doesn't apply when Bob and Faithlife are the "enemies." Yet no matter how right one may be in our arguments, there still should be an undergirding tone of love, gentleness, kindness, and respect in our posts, and our words should be seasoned with that which is pure, wholesome, kind, and gentle, and not vindictive, hateful, spiteful, or disrespectful.

My heart goes out to the folks at Faithlife... They take some really bad licks in these forms, especially Bob. Yet they always respond with meekness and kindness. I think that says a lot about Faithlife and their commitment to Christ. Let's let our commitment to Christ be the guide as we communicate in this virtual medium, as well. Let's commit to never write in ways that attack or demean others or the FL brand, even when we feel like we are victims. Let's write as Christ would, and let this mind that is in Christ Jesus be in us.