How to request help (based on opinion)

[Supreme2k]

Taken from another thread, this should (hopefully) stop some flames (most of which are my own )

My own personal gripe (I was speaking in general terms before) is about too much information (TMI).

It's like the warez kiddies and their "I just downloaded The Prisoner of Azkaban, and I need to put it on DVD". Why not just say "I have a video. How do I find out its format, and how do I burn it?" or some such.
Or the topic titles like

"I NEED HELP NOW!"

, as if their question is more important than anyone else's.
Why do we need to know that it is your customer's problem, where we (may) assume that you're getting money, while us "professionals" get nothing? Since you are fixing it, you may as well say "I have this problem with a/my laptop..."
Seriously, we need more "My problem is X, my PC specs are thisandthat" versus "I grew up in a log cabin in Vermont. My dog is 1/4 terrier. Winters are harsh here. My cousin, who has a bad leg, is trying to watch this video. How can he do it?"

I'll never understand why people feel they must include the name of their pirated movie in a post, or why they feel it's ok to discuss pirate movies in the first place. I'm not passing judgement, just keep your ******* mouth shut about your illegal activities.

teegee420, Supreme2k - I agree!

but BTW:
Aren't we all hypocrites?
All (most) of us would try to help guy who says "i have a video in avi format, need it on dvd", but not if the same guy says "i just got 'the day after tommorrow' screener in avi, help me put it on dvd because there are 100s of ppl waiting to buy it from me".
Same thing, isn't it? just put in different words.

Not exactly. Someone saying "Someone should take care of that guy could mean "Kill that guy", "Beat that guy" or "That guy is an invalid. He needs assistance."

When someone wants to convert a video by saying "I have an AVI file. How do I convert to SVCD?" the grey area is there, and it could be a home movie, movie trailer, or a number of other legal things. When someone posts "I downloaded Spider-Man 2 off bittorrent", they are pinpointing the illegality.

On kind of the same note, if a panhandler/homeless guy walks up to me for "change for a bite to eat", I'll often say "I don't have change, but I'm grabbing some food right over here. Want something?" Half the time, they walk away muttering obsceneties because the "change" was for booze or drugs.

Point is, some of these people should take the hobo's stance and say video (food), instead of "downloaded SM2 from kazaa"(drugs/booze).

[mujahid7ia]

About the first quote, too much information, sometimes just technical stuff gets boring (at least for me), and it's nice to have some context for the problem, might actually help answer the question.

[Supreme2k]

But the context ALWAYS has to be technical. It doesn't matter if your stomache was full, or it's Shrek 2 downloaded from the net, the technical nature is paramount (PC specs, type of burner, media, etc.)

[bengsj]

Some Humans talk different langs. Unlike Cats there all the same

[Supreme2k]

Some Humans talk different langs. Unlike Cats there all the same

Apparently.

[teegee420]

Just to clarify, I don't care if someone downloads pirated movies or even if they sell them for that matter. Just don't put this site in jeopardy by foolishly thinking it's ok to discuss your activities here. Would you talk about being a drug dealer at church?

[Supreme2k]

No. That's where you (don't) talk about being a pedophile :P

[teegee420]

Yikes! I'm not even gonna touch that one.

[DereX888]

The most important, vital informations should be about *the problem*, otherwise no one can answer/help.
I don't mind extra non-problem-related informations to go along with it, but personally I won't even touch answering to post where someone already stated right up front he is going to make money of off my potential free answer. That would make me feel liek sucker, and thats what I think about those who reply to such posts.
Putting the site in jeopardy is another thing, and on the other hand I never understand why anyone would want to mass-inform couple hundred thousands of people he broke the Law in his country. Kinda masochistic approach to me.

[DereX888]

teegee420:

Would you talk about being a drug dealer at church?

Supreme2k:

No. That's where you (don't) talk about being a pedophile

Thats where you don't talk about being *gay* since there are naked man's figurines around... :P

[indolikaa]

Just tell us what you want done. Not what you are doing.

GOOD: How do I convert an XVid to DVD?
BAD: How do I convert this XViD of Spiderman 2 to DVD?

GOOD: I don't understand frameserving, and I'm not very technical.
BAD: It's society's fault I can't count my testicles twice and get the same answer. And you're contributing to the failure of society if you don't tit-suck me through every single step of the process AND provide me with the tools I need.

GOOD: Am I breaking the law if I backup my own DVDs?
GOOD: Jack Valenti is a ****-sucking goat molestor and can burn in hell, and I'll backup my DVDs whether he likes it or not!
BaD: How do I rip this Blockbuster rental DVD?

GOOD: How do I use bit torrents to find and download a file?
BAD: How do I use bit torrents to find and download Spiderman 2?

GOOD: How do I create a DVD with nested menus for multi-episode programs?
BAD: How do I squeeze 8 episodes of ST:TNG on one DVD?

GOOD: When will Dr. Khan be offering his next Newbies seminar? I'd like to learn more about how to keep videohelp.com alive and well by keeping my conduct inline with the Forum Rules/AUP.
BAD: When will Dr. Khan be offering his next Newbies seminar? I'd like five minutes in private with his more initimate nuclear weapons technology.


It's not rocket science, y'know.

[DereX888]

GOOD: Jack Valenti is a ****-sucking goat molestor and can burn in hell, and I'll backup my DVDs whether he likes it or not!

I SECOND THAT!
Im going to Fwd this post to him in a sec


BTW indolikaa - you were watching too much of Deadwood

[jimmalenko]

Good work everyone.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

You can display site rules and make people agree to them, but you can't make them follow them.

You can make a guide to do any conversion, but you can't make a NOOB read/follow it.

I downloaded Spider-Man 2

As it stands, you can say this, as long as you don't say "off P2P" and as long as the movie has already been released.

[indolikaa]

I invented Spiderman.

[teegee420]

I downloaded Spider-Man 2

As it stands, you can say this, as long as you don't say "off P2P" and as long as the movie has already been released.

Are you shitting me? Jesus Christ, where's my ******* beer.

[indolikaa]

assing wine cooler to fellow vcdhelp.com member:

[teegee420]

Why thank you, sillybuns.

[indolikaa]

Sillybuns?!


Is that some ******* 'Big Gay Al' line from South Park?

[jimmalenko]

I downloaded Spider-Man 2

As it stands, you can say this, as long as you don't say "off P2P" and as long as the movie has already been released.

Are you shitting me? Jesus Christ, where's my ******* beer.

I shit you not.

That's how I interpreted this:

Downloading movies and tv-shows is basicly okey.

But if you mention that you downloaded an unrelased movie/tv-show, rent and copy, downloaded something from a p2p network, from my huge warez server or similiar it isn't okey.

[johns0]

Why thank you, sillybuns.

Always good for a chuckle