To New Members; Please read

This is meant for new members of this forum. Welcome! 

When posting a question please incorporate this information in your post. The more information you include the better your chances of getting the help you need. 

1. SONAR version. This should include whether it is the Producer Edition or the Studio Edition. It is very important to also include what version number as well i.e. Ver 1.00 or Ver. 6.2.1. Without this information we will have to ask you what you are using. This will delay an answer to your question. Edited to add with the X series and the new Sonar 2015 be sure to note Artist Professional or Platinum. Also be sure to mention whether you are using 32 bits or 64 bits version of an OS and program.  

2. Audio gear. List any and all audio cards or audio interfaces you are using. Include driver version too. 

3. MIDI gear. List all pertinent MIDI interfaces you have in your system. The brand and drivers also. Any outboard MIDI gear may be useful as well to include in your post. 

4. System specifications. Processor, memory, hard drives.The operating system with any service packs should be noted. 

5. Judgment will help you to decide just how detailed you are in giving your specs. But more information is better then not enough. 

6. What you include will of course be dictated by the type of question. 
 
7. This forum is very active consequently if you stick around an answer will be soon forth coming. 

Certainly good advice and really when new probably best to toss that info in if you are unsure until you get used to things (or as noted just toss it in your signature) buuuuut... it should be noted this info is more needed for technical issues like the classic "I'm getting pops and crackles" or "Sonar keeps crashing/freezing" type problems.
 
If the program is working ok but someone just needs to figure out how to perform a task it's not really necessary to type up technical specs each time (usually). That does still kind of support the "Specs in Sig" thing... even though I'm a dum dum who hasn't done that. I do however type up my specs when Sonar (or more accurately my computer) is farting directly into my mouth.
 
;-)

I applaud the information but what happens when it's on page 2 or 3. It seems that unless it's a sticky or part of an existing sticky it will eventually lose visibility.

I'm assuming when you say "stick it in your signature" you're telling the new member to do that, Alex, about their specs? You will notice I don't do that. 
 
Thank you Bob. 
 
Mike, this thread can be made a sticky. We shall see if the forum wants it to be or not.
 
I don't want this thread to be hung up on problem reports. Its about basic advice for new posters. The hosts can deal with moving posts if it is needed. 
 
Totally agree Beep. Judgment is an important notion in what info to add for a particular problem.
 
Whats really important from my view point is a poster asking for help needs to stay around a bit so the poster can answer questions and take the actions suggested and report back. Problems can often be solved quickly with an active interchange of dialog.  
 
 

Now I better update my sig I just noticed LOL 

So if members and forum hosts aren't familiar with what's in the current lot of sticks why should we have an expectation that new users will read the sticky before posting.

Doktor Avalanche

John
I'm assuming when you say "stick it in your signature" you're telling the new member to do that, Alex, about their specs? You will notice I don't do that. 

This is probably a cultural US thing. I am not telling anybody to do anything, I am advising... of course. Why the heck would I tell them I'm not a Nazi am I? Try to image every time I post I do it with a smile. It's really helpful not only to know specs, but to know where they are placed for speed reading. If six different posters have similar problems, if they have sigs you can speed read down and read each post, and possibly identify similarities in their specs straight away. If you don't want to do it fair enough. but the question really is - why wouldn't you want to do it?

Why wouldn't I want to do it? Because how many times have I asked for help here or anywhere?  To me it is a waste of space with no practical use. When I have asked for help I have always added the pertinent information. That information changes over time and I don't want to update it either.
 
I am not advising anyone to add or not add their specs to their sig. Its up to them. 

Mike thats not what is in the OP. Some of it is but I also added more specifics and I added the need to stick around for answers. Also it can't hurt to make the point again. 
 
Mike I should tell you the hosts help write the COC.  
 

Doktor Avalanche
Also there is still a misunderstanding about the problem report forums, it is there so that people can validate their bug with other members of the community before they submit it in problem reporter... then they can alter the subject title with a CWBRN. Otherwise what's the point of it

 

pwalpwal
cough cough

 
Well here is it in official speak (edited for just my points above):


http://forum.cakewalk.com/Feedback-Loop-Handbook-Please-read-before-posting-m3151738.aspx
 

Handbook
Please note that this is a forum for reporting issues, and verifying that what you're experiencing is or is not a bug. If you are seeking troubleshooting help, your thread would be more suited for the corresponding forum for that product. If your thread is better suited for another forum, or is found to be an issue that can be resolved through troubleshooting, your thread may be moved to the appropriate forum.

 

Handbook

• A problem has been identified and is reproducible by another member of the community. -> Once a problem has been submitted through the Problem Reporter, then the forum host, a Cakewalk staffer, or the person posting will modify the title in the format "[CWBRN-566789] - Topic title". 

 
Please pay attention to the "A problem has been identified and is reproducible by another member of the community." where you then modify the subject title afterwards, and the bit that says " "verifying that what you're experiencing is or is not a bug." and the bit that says "If your thread is better suited for another forum, or is found to be an issue that can be resolved through troubleshooting, your thread may be moved to the appropriate forum."
 
Anyway regardless what I paraphrased came from me so please ignore or post some other stuff about how wrong I am even though the forum handbook says it, I am always wrong by default. In fact please put in the forum handbook "Ignore Doktor Avalanche he just writes dribble nobody cares about".

Doktor Avalanche

Doktor Avalanche
Also there is still a misunderstanding about the problem report forums, it is there so that people can validate their bug with other members of the community before they submit it in problem reporter... then they can alter the subject title with a CWBRN. Otherwise what's the point of it

 

pwalpwal
cough cough

 
Well here is it in official speak (edited for just my points above):


http://forum.cakewalk.com/Feedback-Loop-Handbook-Please-read-before-posting-m3151738.aspx
 

Handbook
Please note that this is a forum for reporting issues, and verifying that what you're experiencing is or is not a bug. If you are seeking troubleshooting help, your thread would be more suited for the corresponding forum for that product. If your thread is better suited for another forum, or is found to be an issue that can be resolved through troubleshooting, your thread may be moved to the appropriate forum.

 

Handbook

• A problem has been identified and is reproducible by another member of the community. -> Once a problem has been submitted through the Problem Reporter, then the forum host, a Cakewalk staffer, or the person posting will modify the title in the format "[CWBRN-566789] - Topic title". 

 
Please pay attention to the "A problem has been identified and is reproducible by another member of the community." where you then modify the subject title afterwards, and the bit that says " "verifying that what you're experiencing is or is not a bug." and the bit that says "If your thread is better suited for another forum, or is found to be an issue that can be resolved through troubleshooting, your thread may be moved to the appropriate forum."
 
Anyway regardless what I paraphrased came from me so please ignore or post some other stuff about how wrong I am even though the forum handbook says it, I am always wrong by default. In fact please put in the forum handbook "Ignore Doktor Avalanche he just writes dribble nobody cares about".

You previously said the handbook needed updating lol

John
Alex I don't think you understand my position. I have the option to add specs to my sig and I chose not too. I was addressing only your question of why I don't have them in mine. What you have in yours is your business.  

For the third time John I said "advising". I wouldn't force anybody to do what they don't want to do. I'm not arguing about your right not to include a signature at all.

Great Alex!

I'm up late (or early) so send over a granola bar or two. Thanks.

mudgel
So if members and forum hosts aren't familiar with what's in the current lot of sticks why should we have an expectation that new users will read the sticky before posting.

Maybe our access should be suspended each year until we pass re-certification exams

John
Mike thats not what is in the OP. Some of it is but I also added more specifics and I added the need to stick around for answers. Also it can't hurt to make the point again. 
 
Mike I should tell you the hosts help write the COC.  

 

mudgel
Well if the hosts helped write it I'm surprised you didn't make mention of it. By your very posting in the first place implies that this is an area where there is a shortcoming when it fact it's already well provided for and you now say you were involved in its original writing. It's certainly far more concise than what you wrote in your first post.

But actually we're talking about the Cakewalk Product Handbook not the Code of Conduct. You do know they are 2 entirely different documents (threads). Still whoever wrote it the information in your first post is concisely addressed in Cakewalk Product Handbook in it entirety.

Cakewalk wrote it. We just threw in clarification in areas that were missing. I lobbied hard for the last major revision as the initial document was pretty confusing to say the least. Almost... all my points got in there (all to do with problem reports) apart from the forum name change, suggestions from other hosts were put in there as well, I say 'we' because I was a host at that period of time.

It's a reasonable document as it stands now but there's always room for improvement, although I hear there may be changes soon which means the problem reports forum may end up being wound up for good. If it means Cakewalk is going more for a public tracker/integrated ticket solution I wholeheartedly support it, forum software isn't really cut out for this sort of thing as there is no workflow.