+- Jellyfin Forum (https://forum.jellyfin.org)
+-- Forum: Support (https://forum.jellyfin.org/f-support)
+--- Forum: Troubleshooting (https://forum.jellyfin.org/f-troubleshooting)
+--- Thread: How to use the Troubleshooting forums (/t-how-to-use-the-troubleshooting-forums)
How to use the Troubleshooting forums - joshuaboniface - 2023-06-16
This post will help you understand what to provide, and what not to provide, in your post to give you the best chance of getting the help you need. It is organized into a series of do's and don't's.
0. Do search the FAQ threads and forum for your issue. It's possible you're not the first one to encounter it, and that someone already found and posted a solution.
1. Do provide as much detail as you can. The more detail about the problem you can provide, the better other people will be able to understand the problem. Saying "X is broken" is not useful or helpful towards finding an answer; provide more detail about what specifically isn't working and what you expect it to be doing instead. This can include, but is not limited to:
- The version of Jellyfin you are running (e.g. 10.8.10)
- Your installation method and platform (e.g. Linux Docker, Debian repository, Windows installer, etc.)
- A brief description of the issue as your thread subject, using the description for additional important context only if required
- A full explanation of what is happening, versus what you expect to happen
- What client(s) you are using and how the issue manifests
- Any other context you might think is relevant
3. Don't rant or get angry about things being broken. It doesn't help anyone, least of all yourself, and turns off other contributors. Stay calm, and provide the information you can or are requested to provide.
4. Do be responsive to follow-up questions and suggestions. If you don't want to check back on your thread regularly, consider subscribing to it for email notifications.
5. Don't fall into X-Y traps. If you're stuck on what you think is a solution to a problem, describe the root problem first, and only then describe the solution(s) you're stuck on. It's very possible there's a better solution to the root problem.
6. Don't post multiple issues together in a single thread unless you're sure they're interrelated. This makes troubleshooting each one harder as the replies ping back and forth between the issues. You aren't penalized for making more threads, so please do. However...
7. Don't spam the same questions multiple times. You may bump threads after 7 days if you do not get an answer, but please do not post a new thread.
8. Do feel free to "necropost" older threads that match your issue, if applicable. I personally think the concept of, and prohibition against, "necroposting" in support forums is one of the most insidious and cancerous trends that were common in forums throughout most of the lifetime of the Internet, hindering future searches by presenting useless "search the forums" results rather than actual solutions in search engines. That said, this has some limits. Only resurrect an old post if it precisely matches your problem and if the solution(s) do not work; if your issue is at all different, please do post a new thread about it, since it's likely unrelated.
9. Very closely related to 8, don't simply post "search teh forum" or "Google it" or "RTFM" to a valid question or query. Please provide a link, result, or answer instead, or simply do not post. Leaving posts like this is just clutter.