These newsgroups!

[Leslie Isaacs]

Hello All

I hope this will not be deemed to be inappropriate use of these newsgroups,
but here goes ...

Some of you will know that I have asked for, and received, a great deal of
help over the weeks/months(/years!) from the MVPs and others on these
newsgroups. I am consistently amazed by the fact that such high quality,
often quite in-depth help is made available to people like me by people like
.... you all. Not only do us amateurs nearly always get specific answers to
our current problems (well - our access-related problems anyway!), but the
help we get often goes further in educating us how to use the specific
answer in more general situations. I've even got to the point where I have
felt able to suggest some answers to others' questions (albeit only where
the questioner is evidently even more inexperienced that I am!). Rarely in
life have I come across anything that is so useful, and valuable (in terms
of the degree of expertise that is offered), and free! So on behalf of all
of us questioners, I'd like to raise a glass of nice, warm English beer, and
say "Cheers" - you are all great!

Just felt I had to say that.
Leslie Isaacs

 

[Keith Wilby]

Hello All

I hope this will not be deemed to be inappropriate use of these
newsgroups, but here goes ...

Well I help when I can and I have also recieved help so I can say both
"thanks" and "hear hear".

Keith.
www.keithwilby.co.uk

 

[johnlute]

My sentiments exactly! Except for the warm beer. I need to offer an
icy, cold one along with a bombastic American, "You ROCK!" type kinda
thing.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Thanks for your kind words. As an MVP for the last 9 years and a helper here
for half dozen years before that, I can say that the experience is quite
rewarding for us as well. I've watched and helped folks rise from newbies,
to in 1 case a member of the Access team at Microsoft. It is especially
rewarding when we see folks like yourself answering questions for others.
Keep up the good work, and thanks again. You made my day.

 

[Klatuu]

We all appreciate your kind remarks.
I as well have been more the beneficiary of the these groups. I began
coming here because I needed guidance. Over time, I found I could also
provide some answers.

Sometimes, I would have to do some research because I wasn't sure my
solution was correct. In doing so, I not only helped someone, I learned
something. The old saying "There is no better way to learn than to teach."
has proven true for me.

Keep asking, keep answering. Best to you.

 

[John W. Vinson]

Hello All

I hope this will not be deemed to be inappropriate use of these newsgroups,
but here goes ...

Some of you will know that I have asked for, and received, a great deal of
help over the weeks/months(/years!) from the MVPs and others on these
newsgroups. I am consistently amazed by the fact that such high quality,
often quite in-depth help is made available to people like me by people like
... you all. Not only do us amateurs nearly always get specific answers to
our current problems (well - our access-related problems anyway!), but the
help we get often goes further in educating us how to use the specific
answer in more general situations. I've even got to the point where I have
felt able to suggest some answers to others' questions (albeit only where
the questioner is evidently even more inexperienced that I am!). Rarely in
life have I come across anything that is so useful, and valuable (in terms
of the degree of expertise that is offered), and free! So on behalf of all
of us questioners, I'd like to raise a glass of nice, warm English beer, and
say "Cheers" - you are all great!

Just felt I had to say that.
Leslie Isaacs

Thanks for the kind words, Leslie. I just have to agree with Arvin and Dave...
and to warn you, "felt able to suggest some answers" is an early warning
symptom of incipient MVP-itis!

 

[Jack Leach]

"felt able to suggest some answers" is an early warning

symptom of incipient MVP-itis!

I still have some issues with this one... it's difficult sometimes to keep
your mouth shut if you're not 100% sure of what you're saying.

Sometimes, even, you think you know what you're saying, later to find out
that you really don't!

It definately is fulfulling to give back, but be careful, or at least try to
include disclaimers ("I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about here, but
maybe....")


--
Jack Leach
www.tristatemachine.com

"I haven't failed, I've found ten thousand ways that don't work."
-Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Thanks to Leslie for the kind words, and a "disclaimer" for Jack ...

As in many situations, there may not be "one (and only one) right answer"
.... stay flexible!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

We all try to guess what the OP is looking for. Sometimes we miss by miles,
sometimes by a few inches, and once in a while we're right on target. That's
the beauty of a newsgroup. If you see that you can add something, do it.

When I type code directly into the newsreader, I usually preface the code
with (untested) or (aircode). Any mistyping typically shows up in the IDE.
Or someone may spot the error and point it out. We are all friends here, and
everything is helpful. If you have a day where your forehead is flat from
all the head slapping, we'll still love you <smile>

 

[John Spencer]

If you think you know the answer, go ahead and post.

If you are offbase, you will get corrected in almost every case. And in
almost every case, the correction will come politely.

Even if you do know the answer, there are times when you don't explain clearly
or make an error in the message that will cause the poster problems. Guess
what, the poster can post back and explain that your solution failed (and
hopefully tell you what that means). Then you get a second chance to help or
someone else will step in.

John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County

 

[Stuart McCall]

Thanks to Leslie for the kind words, and a "disclaimer" for Jack ...

As in many situations, there may not be "one (and only one) right answer"
... stay flexible!

<snip>

For every problem there is one answer which is simple, neat and wrong!

I echo everyone else's sentiment. It's nice to get some positive feedback
once in a while.

 

[Mr. B]

I just have to jump in here and add my thanks and appreciation to everyone
who had been so helpful to me over the years. I started hanging around here
several years ago and did not know much of anything. After all these years,
now I can really see how much I don't know. LOL. I do try now to contribute
to the group when I can.

I have received more help than most around here and I would not be doing
what I am doing today (making my living as and Access Developer) with out the
help of those around here.

Many times I don't even have to post a question, I simply search on the
subject and find several answers or at least several posting with possible
solutions.

I have made many friends here and look forward to making even more. It has
been my pleasure to become personally aquainted with at least one of the
Access MVP's and I can tell you that he is one fantastic guy and I consider
it a real blessing to have made his aquaintence.

Thanks again to all.

-----
HTH
Mr. B
http://www.askdoctoraccess.com/
Doctor Access Downloads Page:
http://www.askdoctoraccess.com/DownloadPage.htm

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I still have some issues with this one... it's difficult sometimes to keep
your mouth shut if you're not 100% sure of what you're saying.

Sometimes, even, you think you know what you're saying, later to find out
that you really don't!

It definately is fulfulling to give back, but be careful, or at least try to
include disclaimers ("I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about here, but
maybe....")

Nah, if I'm not quite sure I add weasel phrases such as "I don't think
you can do that".

Tony

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I hope this will not be deemed to be inappropriate use of these newsgroups,
but here goes ...

Some of you will know that I have asked for, and received, a great deal of
help over the weeks/months(/years!) from the MVPs and others on these
newsgroups. I am consistently amazed by the fact that such high quality,
often quite in-depth help is made available to people like me by people like
... you all. Not only do us amateurs nearly always get specific answers to
our current problems (well - our access-related problems anyway!), but the
help we get often goes further in educating us how to use the specific
answer in more general situations. I've even got to the point where I have
felt able to suggest some answers to others' questions (albeit only where
the questioner is evidently even more inexperienced that I am!). Rarely in
life have I come across anything that is so useful, and valuable (in terms
of the degree of expertise that is offered), and free! So on behalf of all
of us questioners, I'd like to raise a glass of nice, warm English beer, and
say "Cheers" - you are all great!

Thanks for your kind words. If I ever make it over to England for a
tourist trip you can buy me a pint, or two, of beer. <smile>

Tony

 

[Leslie Isaacs]

Tony

You're on - and that goes for any of you: if you can make it to Liverpool
I'll buy you all the lovely warm beer you can drink!

Les

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Leslie

Oh no! You may want to print your retraction right away, before any others
buy their airline tickets...

Jeff B.

 

[Stuart McCall]

Leslie

Oh no! You may want to print your retraction right away, before any
others buy their airline tickets...

Jeff B.

I'll beat you all to it. I live about 35 miles from Liverpool (and I'm
always thirsty, naturally)

 

[Jan Il]

Agreed! Those who come to these groups and give of their own personal time time and expertise, no matter how little or how much, to help others are truly deserving of our sincere thanks. I personally know many who are long time MVPs, and many who are not...it is their desire to help others that brings them here.

Jan

 

[Keith Wilby]

Tony

You're on - and that goes for any of you: if you can make it to Liverpool
I'll buy you all the lovely warm beer you can drink!

Careful Les, Barrow-in-Furness isn't too far away you know!

 

[Jack Leach]

Those who come to these groups and give of their own personal time time and
expertise, no matter how little or how much, to help others are truly
deserving of our sincere thanks.


Some time ago I was perusing around in the Windows XP General group, and
came across a post where the op was sincerely complaining about MVPs...
something along the lines of "screw all you MVPs because I know you know the
answers but you just sit back and laugh at us and not tell us... blah blah
blah", because he didn't get an answer to his question in ten minutes or
whatever the case was.

It's nice to be part of community of specialized professionals, where such
ignorance is rarely found. And even nicer to hear back when people who
express their gratitude rather than idiocy like the above!


--
Jack Leach
www.tristatemachine.com

"I haven't failed, I've found ten thousand ways that don't work."
-Thomas Edison (1847-1931)