<< The SBS Newsgroups Posting FAQ >>

The following tips are designed to help you get the fastest
and most appropriate answer to your questions.

Following these tips will help us to help you.

===================================================
- Post to the appropriate newsgroup -

For SBS 4/4.5: microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz
For SBS 2000 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz2000
For SBS 2003 : microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs

Microsoft News Server: news.microsoft.com

The SBS Newsgroups provide a free forum for threaded discussion
and peer support on issues related to Small Business Server by
users, service providers and interested parties.

Please remember when posting that non Microsoft people don't get
paid to be here, and MVPs are -not- Microsoft employees.

- Who are the Microsoft MVPs ? -
Frequently asked Questions about the Microsoft MVP Program

Everyone here is giving generously and freely of their time, experience
and expertise to enhance the Small Business Server Community.

Join it, support it, respect it and enjoy it. - SBS Rocks !
 
===================================================
- A Web interface to the SBS 2003 newsgroup is at -

http://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/?pr=newsgsbs2003

You'll find the Rules of conduct on the Microsoft Website at:
Welcome to Microsoft Discussion Groups

===================================================
- Do some advanced research for previously posted solutions -

( It's most likely been posted and solved before. )

Advanced Google Search:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search
Domains: microsoft.com,  experts-exchange.com

Advanced Google Groups Search of the Usenet archives:
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search

Advanced Microsoft Search
http://search.microsoft.com/search/search.aspx?st=a&View=en-us
Note: You can also just enter a KB Number , Q Number or Error Number

Search via an Error Event ID
http://www.eventid.net
http://search.microsoft.com

Your Public Interface:
http://www.dnsreport.com
http://www.dnsstuff.com

View your network settings on Servers and Workstations:
Start > Run > cmd : ipconfig /all

View your Ports Status:
Start > Run > cmd : netstat -an

===================================================
- Post with a meaningful subject line so those with expertise or interest
in the topic can find it quickly.
Posting with a purely attention seeking topic such as "DISASTER"
or "No-One Ever Responds to Me" may get you noticed -once-
but is likely to get you ignored or dropped in future.

Remember: -everyone's- issue is important to them, so queue jumping
certainly won't enhance anyone's opinion of you within the newsgroup,
and you may need their help again sometime.

===================================================
- If posting a Question, post with sufficient information for a complete
stranger to understand your SBS version, environment; your issue, what you
have tried and what failed. You're not cutting down on the typing as you'll
be asked anyway, and it can only enhance the speed to diagnosis and resolution.

Please state all messages and IDs in failure notices and/or in the event viewers.
Also what may have been installed/changed/updated prior to or during the issue.

A secondary benefit to this is that in correctly framing the question,
the resolution often presents itself.

Note:
Stating your SBS version ( 4, 4.5, 2000, 2003 ) is particularly important as is
whether your SBS 2003 is Standard or Premium and whether you have ISA installed.

===================================================
- Posting In capitals on is considered SHOUTING! ...Please don't.

===================================================
- Don't overlook or discount Paid Support.
If the Issue is urgent or complex, the time you spend searching for a "free"
solution. ...and cost factors such as Worker Downtime, Customer Irritation,
Lost Productivity, and Hair Replacement costs will likely far outweigh the
cost of a support call to Microsoft PSS (Product Support Services ) or a
local IT Support Professional with experience in Small Business Server.

Note: Hot-fixes are free of charge. Just ask for the specific Hot-fix.

===================================================
- It's difficult to convey human emotions on Usenet (Humour, Pathos,
Sarcasm, Tongue-In-Cheek ) so use of emoticons and/or acronym tags is advised.
.... and no; you -don't- have to be serious all the time.
It's a community. Enjoy !

===================================================
- There are many paths to a solution and as many experiences in getting
there as there are posters.

Sometimes the paths are well worn, tried and true. Sometimes paths diverge,
sometimes converge and sometimes new trails are blazed. Understand and respect
that and use what suits you and your particular situation.

Posting back the solution that helped you will help others
with similar scenarios and issues and add to the overall knowledgebase.

===================================================
- People are different, but people are people -  you should be nice to them.
This is a technical newsgroup and not a place for Egos or Flame Wars.
As a community we try to leave them at the door and respect each other.
What you post here is archived and available to anyone, anytime.

Remember: ...."Please don't feed the Trolls!"

===================================================
- Newsgroups are not your only source of Information / Help.

Many of the members of the Small Business Server Community
provide support via Websites, Lists and Blogs such as:

http://www.sbslinks.com ( Susan's Links to all things SBS)
http://www.smallbizserver.net ( Mariette's SBS Website and Forum )
http://www.sbs-rocks.com/articles.htm ( Andy's SBS Articles & Resources )
http://www.sbsfaq.com ( Wayne's Website )

Small Business Server Groups on Yahoo.
sbs2k@yahoogroups.com ( SBS Forum on Yahoo )

Blogs by: Chad, Charlie, Kevin, Susan
http://www.msmvps.com/cgross
http://blogs.msdn.com/canthe
http://www.msmvps.com/kwsupport
http://www.msmvps.com/bradley

The Microsoft SBS Websites:
Small Business Server Homepage for all sorts of Information,
Demos, Whitepapers Upgrades, Migrations Events and Training
http://www.microsoft.com/sbs

Small Business Community Sharepoint Site:
http://sbcomm.sts.winisp.net

===================================================
- Don't be shy about posting a Question ....or an Answer.
SBS encompasses a lot and has been known to make even corporate
SysAdmins Cringe and MCSEs cry. None of us knows all the answers.

We were all "Newbies" once and none of us has experience with every
permutation, combination, setup and environment SBS is deployed in,
so there are -no- stupid or dumb questions. That's the domain of
answers that imply that there are.

If you're asking a question and know the answer to another one on the
page, muck in and post it. The poster may get a faster resolution than they
would have, and an additional member may get a response
they wouldn't have otherwise

Your solution may be a something that we can all learn from.
- What goes around, comes around.-

===================================================
- It's not only Break/Fix. Anecdotes, Wishlists, Insights and Brickbats
are all grist to the mill of SBS Topics and all on-topic for the community.

===================================================
- Don't Multi-post*.
( * the same Posting within different newsgroups or within the same thread.)

If you must post to several newsgroups, Cross-post to just the relevant ones.
A response in one will then show up in the others and all can follow the thread.

===================================================
- Be patient.
Newsgroups are not Instant Messaging, and people aren't on-line just waiting
for you to post. If the situation -is- that urgent, then Paid Support will pay
for itself. Remember: No-one owes you a response.

===================================================
- Things get missed.
Things do get lost or missed, or someone with the appropriate skills
or experience may not be available, so if you haven't had a response
after 3 Days or so, post again, perhaps with more detail and things
you've tried in the interim.

============================================
- Lastly, -enjoy- and remember, SBS Rocks !

For and on behalf of the SBS Community.
SBS FAQ Poster