When you post a question on Fixya.com, you obviously want an answer, but a large number of questions will never be answered. If you review questions that have gone unanswered for extended periods, you will see a pattern that insures that no one will be able to help. Questions that are not questions at all, but rather vague incomplete statements lacking understandable details are routinely passed over by the experts. For example, "my camera doesn't work" or "press shutter release again." Shorthand and sentence fragments work on Twitter, but they are useless to those of us on Fixya who try to help you. If we cannot understand what you are asking, how can you expect us to respond?
So what do you need to do to keep your question out of the "Dead E-mail Office"? First, take some time to compose your question in writing using your word processor before you post it. Review what you write and refine your question so it is understandable. Ask a friend (someone you have not discussed the problem with) to read what you wrote. That way, you will be able to judge if what you wrote is understandable by asking them to explain in their own words what your problem is. If they do not understand what you wrote, no one else will either.
As you write, make sure you do the following:
1) Phrase your question as a question in complete sentence. Since it is a question (if you have phrased it correctly) it should be followed by a question mark (?).
2) Make sure you specify the brand and model of the equipment in question including any connected equipment. For example, if the problem is an electronic flash unit, include the brand and model of the camera you are using it with. The problem might not necessarily be the flash; it might be the camera it is attached to. Also, make sure you post it to the correct category.
3) Include all of the details surrounding the failure. When we analyze your problem, knowing bothwhat is not working and what is working together can provide important clues.
4) Tell what you have done to try to resolve the problem before you posted your question to Fixya. That can save a lot of time.
5) When you are ready to post your question, copy and paste it from your word processor to Fixya.com under the correct category. As I review the photography categories, you would be astonished by the number of postings that are questions relating to such things as automobiles, microwave ovens, house painting, etc. There are also questions on photographic equipment that is posted to the wrong category. When I log onto Fixya to answer questions about lenses, I will not see your question if you posted it as an automobile.
By following these suggestions, you will greatly increase your chance of receiving a timely and useful answer to your question.
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