[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #2596: Add Default Text in Support form as a Template for Asking Good Support Questions

[Making WordPress.org]

#2596: Add Default Text in Support form as a Template for Asking Good Support
Questions
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 Reporter:  webdevmattcrom  |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement     |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal          |   Milestone:
Component:  Support Forums  |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                  |
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Comment (by webdevmattcrom):

 Replying to [comment:35 Howdy_McGee]:

 > The default text/questions may not even pertain to their question which
 they'll then have to select all and remove before proceeding. What if this
 case out weights the cases where the default text is helpful? Wouldn't it
 be annoying if you had to delete default paragraphs in WordPress when
 creating a new page every single time?
 >
 > Maybe if the new post section had it's own screen it could be customized
 a bit more but as it is now I don't think the forum overall would benefit
 from default text/questions.

 I think this speaks to a fundamental divide between how some interact with
 .org "forums" in different part of the forums. In the more general forums,
 I can clearly understand how any default text could miss the mark in terms
 of guiding the user in how they ask their question.

 But for those of us doing support for plugins and themes, generally
 speaking, every question needs to have some basic information in order to
 get productive replies. When that basic information is not there,
 additional time and friction in the discussion experience is spent just
 getting actionable information. In this way, the plugin and theme "forums"
 are not actually "forums" in the true sense of what a forum is. There
 isn't a lot of general chatter, or banter, or dissecting ideas or anything
 like that. It's plugin support, it's theme support, which is 9 times out
 of 10 between one user and one (or more) plugin author(s)/support
 technician(s).

 So while you might not see the value for the general .org forums, the
 value is immense for plugin/theme support. It's harder and harder to
 justify spending time in these forums when the support experience is so
 limiting and restricting both for the user and the plugin/theme authors.

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2596#comment:36>
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