Hi, Dawn.
As it said on the signposts you passed on the way in here, these
"Communities" actually are "newsgroups". Newsgroups have been around for
many years; they work like the old BBS (Bulletin Board System). You post a
message on the board. Others come along and read your message. Most of
them will read and move on, but a few will post a response. Others may then
respond to your original message or to the earlier responses, creating a
"thread". It's a community of peers. In other words, we are mostly just
users like you. Some of us have been on this learning curve a long time.
We've been helped by others in the past and we like to repay the favors.
Some of us are experts; most are just experienced amateurs who want to help.
Some of us have posted enough messages - mostly right and helpful - over the
years to be noticed by Microsoft. MS has offered us the title of Most
Valuable Professional (MVP). They don't make us pass a test or swear a
loyalty (to MS) oath or authorize us to speak for MS. Mostly, they just
encourage us to continue to do what we have been doing and probably would
continue to do anyhow, with or without the MVP label.
Most MVPs have been using Outlook Express (or competing news readers) for
years and are much more familiar with that program than with the new
Web-based interface, which you are using. We find Communities to be clumsy
to use, especially for newbies, which are the ones most likely to use it.
:>( Probably the most frustrating aspect is the number of newbies who post
a question, then never come back to get the answer. Some lose interest or
find their answer elsewhere, but many are simply unable to find their way
back into the Community or, once they manage to return, they can't find
their original post and the replies to it. Often, they post the same
already-answered question again, complaining bitterly that they are being
ignored. Thank yous are not required; bare thanks messages just clutter up
the place, but "Thanks, that worked" messages help others by confirming that
the advice given was correct.
The most important point, I suppose, is that this is NOT Microsoft Tech
Support. In a newsgroup, we all learn from each other.
Welcome to the newsgroup - or Community, if you prefer. ;<)
RC
