# Other active Excel message boards



## MrKowz (Dec 9, 2010)

Hey all,

I'm looking to branch out more to the Excel community and am wanting to know what other Excel message boards are out there that are around as active (or more active) than MrExcel.

Thanks!


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## RoryA (Dec 9, 2010)

Microsoft's Answers
Excel Forum
VBA Express
Experts Exchange

to name a few.


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## MrKowz (Dec 9, 2010)

Sweet - thanks!  I'll be posting in those forums as MayfieldTech


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## diddi (Dec 9, 2010)

thats funny (strange) that you are wanting to post further afield. i don't know whether its just me or not, but i seem to have found that recently many of the questions being asked are not very interesting to me, or they are one-off posters that dont give enough info and dont reply if you ask for more details. i haven't been posting elsewhere tho, just doing some other activities. hmmmm.  ozgrid is not too bad either btw.


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## Michael M (Dec 9, 2010)

I'm not saying I'm too smart, but I think one tends to get disinterested in the posts when the poster doesn't really know what they want.
Not getting any further response or a reply that the info you have provided worked is, sadly, part of the game these days.
It's a bit like, "I want my problem fixed, download it here ".
I'm generally not allowed to do any downloads, so the OP misses out.


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## diddi (Dec 9, 2010)

im not so much complaining that people don't say thanks, thats just the way it is. Some do, some don't and its my choice whether i look at their later requests or not, but i do think it a valid gripe when people post a question, but don't stay around long enough to help their own cause and provide relevant info.

it a bit like you say, michael m, in that because there is no 'interprit my obscure problem and send me the finished solution right now' button some posters are too impatient to do the courtesy of engaging in some form of 2-way conversation to get any benefit from this site. i have on several occasions pulled posters up who complain that nobody has helped them 'yet' as if they have their credit card out and MrExcel is recieving something for the effort put in by volunteers.


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## diddi (Dec 9, 2010)

michael m, i see your location...  a bit wet around your way? it is here, just near shepparton, vic


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## Michael M (Dec 9, 2010)

Hey diddi
Yeah, as of lunchtime, there was no way out......just have to stay in town and have a drink and game of golf.
Strange coincidence also, that our avatars are both dogs and our tag line is almost identical !!!


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## diddi (Dec 10, 2010)

i made that tag up, even though it prolly doesnt look very original. yeh its a bit x-files, isnt it.  it would be a lonely life without my sausage dog.  we are expecting peak around nightfall, but not as bad as september. a few road closures have been in place for about a week now, but i can still get around.  a lot of crop and fruit tree damage tho. produce will be dear for the city-ites this season! listen to them winge. i can hear it already. you in broken hill or out that way? i think the drought might be over for now.


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## Michael M (Dec 10, 2010)

The tag is spot on, that's why I use it. I usually input something to the Board and I think I'm a bit clever, and then a real poster puts something up that trumps me, so I just go curl up in the corner .....LOL !!!
No, I'm Central West in Parkes.
But I cover everything west of the sandstone curtain from border to border, so Murray river to Broken hill to Goondiwindi is all mine....73% of NSW.
Yeah, I get so sick of how tough life is in the city......don't get me started !!


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## RoryA (Dec 10, 2010)

diddi said:


> ozgrid is not too bad either btw.



Unless it's changed a lot recently, I'd disagree with that. Unless you happen to like *really* strict rule enforcement.


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## Jon von der Heyden (Dec 10, 2010)

For VBA, I recommend Xtreme VB Talk and VBAX.

But for me MrExcel is where it really happens.  The traffic here is huge and I don't tend to have much more time for the other forums.  I'm not going to say anything specifically negative about Ozgrid, but I will say that it wouldn't feature in my top10 favourites!


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## SydneyGeek (Dec 10, 2010)

Jon von der Heyden said:


> I'm not going to say anything specifically negative about Ozgrid, but I will say that it wouldn't feature in my top10 favourites!



...and it's quite a lot smaller. Much less traffic than here. 

Denis


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## JamesW (Dec 10, 2010)

I wouldn't recommend ExpertSexchange (How dare they add a hyphen!).  Had nothing but problems there, plus it's full of adverts and you have to sign up to view the answers!  My own opinion though 

MrExcel is by far the best one imo.


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## MrExcel (Dec 10, 2010)

Any ideas on how we can help those first-time posters do a better job of posting questions? 

I did a small test on Weds night to pop-over a form to get new people to sign up for a newsletter. Maybe a better use is a pop-over form that gives them 3 quick suggestions of how to help us help them. Something that they can read in 14 seconds as they reach for the mouse and click the "X" to close the form.

That is one idea. I am sure there are better ones out there.

Bill


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## RoryA (Dec 10, 2010)

One of the things I find useful at ExcelForum is that the user's profile specifies what version they are using. It's not always accurate, but it does help tailor your responses quite a lot.
I don't think I've ever really seen any good ways of getting first timers to post clearer questions: when the questions are *really* unclear, it's more often than not because the user is trying to phrase things according to the way they think Excel might work, when they don't really know. Perhaps something to suggest they explain in simple terms *what* they are trying to achieve, as well as *how* they are attempting it?


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## JamesW (Dec 10, 2010)

Maybe a sticky with an 'example post' would help?  Nothing fancy.  I think it will saves everyones time as you won't get responses such as "Can you post example code" and "Please explain what you mean".

I have also seen forums where new users are sent directly to the 'Guidelines' sticky before they do anything.  Can't remember if it's on this forum, but it's a nice touch.

Speaking about 'Guidelines' the one's here, I feel, can seem very intimidating to a new user.  I see it as a wall of text and most users will attempt to read them and give up!

My 2 pence.


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## MrKowz (Dec 10, 2010)

Edit: I'm going to start a new topic on the lounge forums here so we can further discuss the issue Bill brought up.

New topic can be found here: http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=514659


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## Joe4 (Dec 10, 2010)

> I wouldn't recommend ExpertSexchange (How dare they add a hyphen!). Had nothing but problems there, plus it's full of adverts and you have to sign up to view the answers! My own opinion though


ExpertsExchange is a different kind of forum. Its more of a "pay-to-play", where you can award points.  Because we have a company wide license with an unlimited amount of points, we can get some REALLY good help when we need it.  We don't use it for Excel though, mostly for SQL stuff.  And it seems to be pretty good for that.



> Speaking about 'Guidelines' the one's here, I feel, can seem very intimidating to a new user. I see it as a wall of text and most users will attempt to read them and give up!


Unfortunately, they are necessary.  With all the traffic we get, the rules really need to be spelled out.  Trust me, every one of those rules is there because that particular situation has come up numerous times.  And there are many other circumstances that aren't covered that come up.

It is valuable to us Moderators, else some people think we are just making up rules "willy nilly" as we go along, being inconsistent, they may think we are just picking on them for no good reason.

We try to word the rules so we don't come off being "too harsh", but at the same time need to be clear and concise.  It can be a fine line...


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## RoryA (Dec 10, 2010)

EE is actually very good for Excel too, and you don't have to "pay to play" in spite of what they may lead you to believe (I never have).


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## Joe4 (Dec 10, 2010)

> EE is actually very good for Excel too, and you don't have to "pay to play" in spite of what they may lead you to believe (I never have).


I have always just used our company's existing account.  
I wasn't aware that there were other options.


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## Michael M (Dec 10, 2010)

Hey Diddi
Hope you're all OK down there.
I saw Sth Shep on the news this morning.....I guess you're getting our stuff filtering down south

Cheers.


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## diddi (Dec 11, 2010)

@michael m

yeh my feet are a bit wet but its not too bad.  the news is good at finding the absolute most sensasionalist image and exploiting it. most everyone is just goiung about their normal business. a 'real' flood would see the river up at least another 1.2m thats what we got in 1993.

see the new thread...  i think we've caused a bit of a stir =)  i see someone suggested including xl version in profile.  i put up a thread in the other forum about that after asking whether there was a suggestion box somewhere. that would be good too.

happy flood watching, under the shadow of the 'big dish'!


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