now this page is my own thoughts and beliefs ~ not anyone's rules, just some suggestions that should help you no matter where you decide to get help. it's understandable ~ real life is bad enough, but computers.. geesh don't get me started....

couple of things to keep in mind ~ these are mostly related to chat help ~ on yahoo there are no moderators, so help is a free for all... and on other chat servers, you will probably be asked once to comply to the rules there ( msn says NO RED FONT PERIOD in help...) then banned for a period of time.

• ALL CAPS is screaming. and rude....we see you. we may be busy. even looking for a fix for you. be patient.
• spam filters in chat may block your post if you use capitols or repeat keys, like ?????????????????????? so we wont see you! 
• and don't post over and over and over. again, spam filter will ignore you. and they you definitely won't get helped
• asking can someone help, usually gets no help ~ details will help people know if they can help or not. 
• make sure you do not use YELLOW , RED , OR GLOW GREEN!  these colors will get you negative attention. if those are your preferred colors,  fine, but opt for solid blue or black if you want to be legible. 
• please don't private message the helpers with out asking. they may already be helping. have pms off. or do not know the answer. your best chance for help is to asking the main chat room.
• as for voice, then rudest thing is coming in and immediately yelling in the mic for help. pay attention to the conversation, and wait for a break in conversation please. and for goodness sake! don't come in voice chat and demand help because you can talk but not hear! post that in the room!!
• when you do ask for help, don't be vague. questions like ''who can help" or just vague yelling of "help!" are useless, waste bandwidth  and frustrate everyone. 

  • again.... ask nicely....like " is there anyone who can help with ___(insert actual question here)_____ " fill the blank with exact details..... like  "is there anyone who can help with my messenger not scrolling" or ".......with preventing getting booted"  or  " .........with setting up voice chat

• please give details of what you have already tried when someone offers to help. no one likes to post a fix..... even look up a fix then post...only to be told. done that.
• but! keep it brief! we don't need to know every component on your comp! details like  " i am on win 98, with 256 in ram and my screen wont scroll in chat  ~ i haven't tried any thing to fix it yet." is a good start, if someone can help, they will ask for more info.
• no answer to your question? well how long did you wait? 2, 3 lines? get real folks!! give it a full  2 minutes or about 30 lines of chat, then feel free to ask again. sometimes lag / yahoo can eat a post, or room is busy or as stated above, people are digging up a fix. 
• if no one knows...try later. help depends on who is in the room. different people have different areas of expertise.  
• PLEASE do not embarrass yourself by saying anything rude if you need help ( example "yo nerds, help me!" ) or if you do not get the help you need.  and if you do act less than nice, .... expect the room regulars to band together and help embarrass you further.
• and finally pay attention to what is said. and don't forget to say thanks....the helpers in  yahoo  aren't employees. they are your fellow chatters. they do this to help......... and deserve respect for their knowledge and time. 
• if you give respect, you will get respect.  hope this helps... and good luck!!

ask nicely....like " is there anyone who can help with ___(insert actual question here)_____ " fill the blank with exact details..... like  "is there anyone who can help with my messenger not scrolling" or ".......with preventing getting booted"  or  " .........with setting up voice chat

an important note here!! many people have been scammed by people in pms reporting to be yahoo staff, and being able to fix the problem if they just share password. no yahoo will ever ask for your password!!! and no helper needs it to fix your yahoo. if there is a problem that can be fixed, it is most likely fixable on your computer, or not at all.

now, a few other insights here ~ if you are having problems with your printer,  dvd drive, cam, or speakers, do not forget to check the manufacturers site for help. SOMETIMES they really do have the help you need.  and you can also try searching the web some info as well.  the more information you can gather on your problem  and possible fixes, the more likely it will get fixed. but keep in mind that sometimes, the fix is no where, and you may need to try several things. but that's how some help pages are born...  

done better.. and with more humor... ycprfaq.html 

don't care to use chat help rooms? try a forum, or search the web. and good luck, you may find that your problem is well documented and has many fixes available.