01
May
2009
2009
Got a Joomla problem? Ask the question the right way!
Joomla has a thriving Community of people ready and willing to help when you hit a problem.
But time and time again you will see ‘panic’ requests for help with post titles like ‘Help’, ‘Please answer today’ and post content such as ‘can’t make xxx work can anyone help’.
By posting like that you are doing two things – first you are losing the support of busy developers who might just have an answer if they knew what the question was and second, perhaps more importantly, it will be hard for people with the same question to be able to search and find the answer to their problem which you have already had an answer to.
So before you rush to print, think about what you are asking…
Have you searched the forums to see if the question has been answered before? Search both the forums and with Google. Most questions have been asked by someone else! There isn’t much new under the sun…
What do you have a problem with? Is it part of Joomla or is it a problem ‘third party’ extension (component, module, plug-in etc). Consider asking about third party extensions on their own forums, they often have them. Check in the Joomla JED (Joomla Extensions Directory) for the link.
Is your title relevant to your question? Make it count! A question such as ‘Component XXX – installation error’ will get looked at far more than ‘Help’.
Is your question posted in the correct place? Check out the Joomla Forum, look at the child boards and choose the one relevant to your question. Make sure you choose the board relevant to your Joomla – are you using Joomla 1x or 1.5x for example. [Ed. note to Joomla Fast Track Students - you are using the current version of 1.5x which is 1.5.10]
Have you given a Developer enough information to answer your question? True Developers are ‘Engineers’ – they work in a clear, logical way and generally aren’t concerned with emotions! They want a clear description of the problem – when it happens, what happens, how can they reproduce it.
Let them know your ‘environment’:
What system is your site hosted on – eg Linux, Windows,?
Is your site ‘live’ or are you working on your desktop using a local server? – if it’s live, give them the link!
What system are you using – Windows XP SP?, Win2k SP?, Windows Vista? Ubuntu? Mac?
What browser are you using and what version? Firefox 3x? IE7x? Safari? etc
What Joomla Version?
What is the version of the extension you have a problem with?
Include any error messages you have received.
Finally, don’t just ask a question and disappear! Subscribe to your question, go back and check the answers and if you find the solution yourself elsewhere, post the answer to the board and mark it as ’solved’.
Always thank anyone who helps you solve your problem and, whilst you are on the boards, check to see if there are any questions you can answer – that’s how a good Community works!
12 March 2009 at 22:20
Hello. I’ve been trying to figure this out and I can’t. I installed FCK editor version 2.6.3.9b to my Joomla site 1.5.9. At first everything looks fine. I can see all my styles in the editor window in the back end. I applied them, and save. But for some reason when I try to view my site using explorer or firefox, all the styles I had applied with FCK editor were removed.. I can only see my styles when using the safari browser. What could be the problem? Here is the page, the middle content is suppose to have styles that are not showing…http://thedaniellegreene.com/joomla/
Thanks in advance for your help!
13 March 2009 at 03:20
Hello Claudia – Just a couple of thoughts on your problem as this isn’t really the place for this kind of question! The modern way of coding is to remove the styles from the html. That’s why we have the style sheets. When you add style with a WYSIWYG Editor you are adding ‘inline’ styles to the content rather than to your stylesheet. One simple example of why style sheets are good is that if you wanted to change the whole site blue, you just change all the green styles in that style sheet and substitute them for blue rather than have to go through each bit of your html to find the green first. Styles applied by an editor should really just be for example to highlight one word in a paragraph – just for little bits of one-off styling!
As you are right at the beginning of your site, could I suggest that you check out some more up to date templates that don’t use tables? There are lots of free Joomla! templates that you can customise and, if you understand CSS you should check out this Joomlashack Template Tutorial – http://www.joomlashack.com/tutorials/226-joomla-15-template-tutorial – at the moment it seems that you have a non-joomla template so you really do need to style the Joomla! elements.
This should get you going in the right direction – but do check out some of the ‘Beginning Joomla!’ info on the Joomla! site eg where Joomla! stores images.
hth Hils
01 April 2009 at 22:34
How do you replace the standard sample data template (mostly RukMilkeyWay) after or before joomla 1.5.9 installation with my own template , so it becomes the first installed template with everything in place.
I hope someone can help me.
THX Fred
04 April 2009 at 08:38
Hi Fred
Install Joomla (now 1.5.10) then install your template via the Extension installer (extensions > install/uninstall). Then go to the Template Manager and make your new template the ‘default’.
Hils
20 April 2009 at 14:00
This is a staging site.
I want to add my logo on the right-hand side of the menu/tab bar. To the right of the Contact Us tab.
I’m using Joomla 1.5.10. I created the template using Artisteer.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to insert the logo.
btw: I have very limited knowledge of HTML and PHP.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Joe
23 April 2009 at 12:51
Hello Joe
Artisteer for Joomla! is still very new and in fact as I write this, the final version isn’t released yet. I have seen this question being asked before. From a quick look you would need to float the logo to the right in your css but perhaps the best place to ask the question would be in the http://artisteer.com forums – in the Joomla! section.
Good luck!
Hils
11 May 2009 at 09:27
Hello Hils
Thank you for finally saying what I have been yelling in my head for years while searching for answers on Forums. There is nothing more annoying then the subject being nothing about what the problem is. I find most answers on forums but I do not want to read everyone of them. Having a subject that briefly describes the problem is extremely important to getting quick answers.
I hope eveyone reads and understands your message!
02 November 2009 at 08:46
bot_jcs.component.v.1.5.x.zip
bot_jcs.content.v.1.5.x.zip
bot_jcs.content.v.1.5.x.zip
dear sir,
I istall those three plugins in joomla 1.5.14.When i publish those plugin in plugin manager then error comes “Direct Access to this location is not allowed.” and “Restricted access” my joomla administration page.How to solve it please give some help immediately.
02 November 2009 at 09:37
Hello Bikram
This isn’t the right place to ask this question, JContent Subscription is not part of Joomla! – it is a third party Developers Extension and they should be able to answer your question.
http://joomlaequipment.com/
Do make sure that you have downloaded and installed the correct version (for 1.5x) and that you have Joomla! running in legacy mode. If you cannot access your Admin, you can restore your site from the backup you made just before you installed that Component and it’s plugins.
Hils
28 April 2010 at 15:53
Hils:
I am at my wits’ end. I have done extensive web research on my problem, searched in the Joomla forum and asked in the Joomla forum (in the correct place and with plenty of accompanying information), but no one seems to be able to help me.
Is there a place you recommend that I might find help, perhaps for a nominal fee? It’s one simple coding question (how to change the text color of submenu items in my specific template), and I am running out of options as to how to go about getting the answer. Thanks.
29 April 2010 at 02:45
Hello Ratfink
Sorry you are not getting a response for the forums. Which template are you using? Is it one of the default templates that are packaged with Joomla? If it isn’t perhaps the Joomla! forums are not the place to get help. Let me know and I will try and point you in the right direction.
Hils