# How to get the most out of CPF



## carrot

I notice that a lot of people seem to struggle with getting accustomed to the forums here and getting the answers they need. I thought I could share a few tips on how to get the most satisfying answers out of CPF. I'd be delighted if others had pearls of wisdom to chime in with as well.


First, the obvious:
- *Read the rules!* - CPF moderators have a tough job keeping this place great and the rules are there for a reason.

- *Post in the right forum!* - CPF is divided into subforums, and each subforum is dedicated to a specific topic. Posting in the right forum ensures your target audience can answer your questions. Pick one, don't post the same question all over the boards.

- *Express yourself!* - Poor grammar, spelling, and internet speak are not appreciated here. We'll understand if English isn't your first language, but if it is, we expect you to write in a coherent and grammatically correct manner. Just think, what would your English teacher say? Also, be certain to appropriately use line breaks or paragraphs.

- *Learn to search!* - CPF has a real wealth of information and it is all searchable through the forum search and Google search provided at the top of each page. (thanks _sigsour_)


Secondly, the less obvious:
- *Use a descriptive thread title* - You don't need a catchphrase or a leading question, or worse a completely ambiguous title such as "Somebody help me please," "Newbie question here," or "Looking for a flashlight" -- instead, focus on the basics, and summarize in a short phrase what you are looking for. This helps you to target people who know what they are talking about. Good examples might be: "Small CR123A-based light, under $100?," "Please explain different LED types to me," "Need a serious headlamp for caving," or "Aspherics $200 and less."
-- Also, in your post, try to make the first line as descriptive as possible. (thanks _Kestrel_)

- *Explain your needs* - Too many people come to CPF thinking they know what they want and they just give a laundry list of specs. Sometimes you really do know what you want. Sometimes you don't. But in either case, explain what you plan to use your light for, such as: "I need a flashlight for backpacking in Peru; I'll use it on trails at night and sometimes in bed for reading" -- then we'll know to steer you clear of barnburners and recommend practical lights that have good runtime and several output levels. There are many experienced people here who DO go out and use their lights whether for work or leisure, and they know what works and what doesn't.


Thirdly, the positively obscure:
- *Never ask for the best* - If you ask "What's the best" without specifying a budget or a classification, you will get recommendations for lights that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It never ceases to fail. The OP gets mad, starts lashing out at posters, posters respond in kind, the thread gets closed and people get banned. Not a happy thing. It's better to ask, "What can I get for $100, I need the best throw I can get."

- *Don't ask about Surefire versus another brand* - It will inevitably start a flame war.


For posters/thread replies:
- *Qualify yourself and your recommendation* - If you recommend something, explain how your experience with it makes it worth the OP's time and money. I know this is hard to do over and over, but the OP will stand to gain so much more from it.

- *Outlandish answers aren't useful* - If an OP asks for a $100 light, do not recommend a $1000 light, unless it really does fit all his criteria. It's only funny once or twice.


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## get-lit

..don't post something unless you really think others will want to read it. ++Be as precise with thread titles as possible.


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## carrot

get-lit said:


> ..don't post something unless you really think others will want to read it.


Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.


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## Databyter

Good thoughts, nice writeup, but it will get lost down in the back pages soon.

This post would be very useful for alot of folks, but unless it's made into a sticky it just wasted your time somewhat.

Of course there is always timely bumps when you see alot of the mistakes you mentioned happening.

Maybe this is the intent here.

Cheers!


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## Kestrel

carrot said:


> *Use a descriptive thread title* - You don't need a catchphrase or a leading question, or worse a completely ambiguous title such as "Somebody help me please," "Newbie question here," or "Looking for a flashlight" -- instead, focus on the basics, and summarize in a short phrase what you are looking for.


Adding to this, it is very helpful to use the first sentences or two of your initial post to provide a concise summary. This way, we can use the 'hover-text' feature from the subforum thread listing to get additional information about the thread without necessarily having to open it.

Hypothetical example:
Thread title: *SureFire beam question*

Viewable via mouse-over 'hover-text' of two potential thread beginnings:
*"I know this has probably come up before, but when I was walking outside the other night, I started thinking about ... "*
(and that's it - that's all that might be displayed)​or:
*"How different is the beam profile of the new LX2 compared to the floodier L2 beam? Has anybody used both models ..."*​Being one who has drank deep of the SureFire Kool-Aid, I often jump into 'easy' SureFire question threads if I think I can be of help. Which of the two above examples lets me know that I can be of assistance? I may not 'enter' the first thread, but you can bet your last Z41 tailcap that I will open the second example and post, because in this case I know I will be able to contribute towards answering the OP's question.

A similar recent example, someone posted a *WTS* thread in *CPF/M* with a thread title which didn't identify what items were being sold at all. Worse, when I placed my mouse pointer over the title, two sentences of boiler plate language came up (Paypal, CONUS, etc etc), with no additional information as to what items were actually for sale. I'm not going to spend my time opening a WTS thread that I can't even use the 'hover-text' for to find out anything about it.


Edit: and I'm surprised that this needs to be said, but please *read the previous posts* in the thread *before posting a reply* - quite often there is comparable information earlier in the thread.


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## paulr

Sticky!!!!!


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## sigsour

Get familiar with the search function and use it. Lots of info has been asked many times over.


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## saabgoblin

Databyter said:


> Good thoughts, nice writeup, but it will get lost down in the back pages soon.
> 
> This post would be very useful for alot of folks, but unless it's made into a sticky it just wasted your time somewhat.
> 
> Of course there is always timely bumps when you see alot of the mistakes you mentioned happening.
> 
> Maybe this is the intent here.
> 
> Cheers!


While the thread may eventually get lost, I have found that many of Carrot's posts have fueled some good food for thought and if that hits a few others, then I would say that the post is successful and hopefully it helps keep some traffic down for the Moderators.


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## scout24

This, and several others, could perhaps be made into required reading as part of the registration process... :twothumbs I wonder if that is possible? Excellent points, Carrot. Thank you for putting them out there in your usual constructive, thoughtful style.


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## jimmy1970

Yeh, speling is verry impertantt to mee to!!

Thankz four tthe advisse

James.....:green:


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## bansuri

Kestrel said:


> Adding to this, it is very helpful to use the first sentences or two of your initial post to provide a concise summary. This way, we can use the 'hover-text' feature from the subforum thread listing to get additional information about the thread without necessarily having to open it.



Fantastic addition to a fantastic thread! The hover-over is either super-helpful or useless if the post starts with apologies or caveats. 

Also, I wonder if people just feel that the thread title should be short or just a single line?


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## vali

Kestrel said:


> Edit: and I'm surprised that this needs to be said, but please *read the previous posts* in the thread *before posting a reply* - quite often there is comparable information earlier in the thread.



+1


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## Mange

sigsour said:


> Get familiar with the search function and use it. Lots of info has been asked many times over.




After finding this place I joined because of questions I had, but found every one of them in Search. This forum has a very good search function if you use it......:candle:


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## get-lit

For thorough well-tought posts, you may want to type your response into Notepad or whatever text editor you prefer, spell check it, and then paste it and submit it when you are done composing it. That way, if there is some connection problem during the post, all is not lost. You can go back and paste it again.


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## Th232

Good advice here for newcomers, and a refresher for some others.

Out of curiosity, why was this moved from General Flashlight Discussion to here? It's been my observation that this area isn't frequented so much by those who'd benefit from the above advice.


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## Empath

Th232 said:


> .....why was this moved from General Flashlight Discussion to here?



It wasn't about flashlights.


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## kaichu dento

Carrot this is great! Could you add a section II in the first post about how responses can help the OP and not hinder their search.

A couple of extremely bad examples here are shown when it's obvious that even though a thread might be opened with a clear request only to have posters respond with their own personal preferences or to call the OP ignorant for wanting what he has asked for. 

A classic example would be someone asking for a nice small one cell light for under $100, only to have posts suggesting they need an LS27, Stinger or 007 because they are the lights that will serve best. 

Hope this becomes a sticky.


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## cordlessmart

i cant get rid of errors like.

*cordlessmart*, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:


Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.


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## Empath

Cordless, read these two links:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/276561

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/276553

Our rules and FAQ should also be read.


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## jag-engr

i dont no if this is the right place to post this but i want the best ever 500+ lumen light that is very small takes one normal AA battery costs less than $15 and has at least a 5yr warranty which light should i get

...Just kidding!  

Carrot,

This is a great thread. Maybe the mods can make it required reading before someone is allowed to post, though I don't know how that would be implemented.

I'm going to link it in my sig line. Please let me know if you have any objection to this.

JAG


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## carrot

Hi JAG,
Please go right ahead!

Cheers,
carrot


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## kaichu dento

jag-engr said:


> This is a great thread. Maybe the mods can make it required reading before someone is allowed to post, though I don't know how that would be implemented.


It would be cool if they had to view the first post for a minimum of 60 seconds, then check a box that they'd read it before being allowed to post.


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## Swedpat

jag-engr said:


> i dont no if this is the right place to post this but i want the best ever 500+ lumen light that is very small takes one normal AA battery costs less than $15 and has at least a 5yr warranty which light should i get
> 
> ...Just kidding!
> 
> JAG



Thanks for giving me a good laugh, that was really funny! Humour enriching a great forum! :twothumbs

Best regards, Patric


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## Kestrel

Here are a few things that I've come across recently:

If the beginning of your post starts with something like "Maybe I'm missing something here, but ...", you probably are. I would suggest searching and reading more before posting your topic.
Use the 'Preview Post' button. If your post looks bad, silly, or offensive while you're reading it in the "Preview" window, it is.
And if you're in an argument and have to post your resume in order to back up your point, you've already lost.


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## kaichu dento

Kestrel said:


> Here are a few things that I've come across recently:
> 
> If the beginning of your post starts with something like "Maybe I'm missing something here, but ...", you probably are. I would suggest searching and reading more before posting your topic.
> Use the 'Preview Post' button. If your post looks bad, silly, or offensive while you're reading it in the "Preview" window, it is.
> And if you're in an argument and have to post your resume in order to back up your point, you've already lost.


Very excellent points and I might add, if you find any misspellings or other typos in your posts, even if it's months later, edit the post and fix them. Always proofread your written content.


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## Acid87

I think the most important thing is to treat others how you would want to be treated. I don't know if I've had my blinkers on in the past but recently it seems there's a lot of silly arguments.

Spread lumens not hate!


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## kaichu dento

Acid87 said:


> I think the most important thing is to treat others how you would want to be treated. I don't know if I've had my blinkers on in the past but recently it seems there's a lot of silly arguments.
> 
> Spread lumens not hate!


 There was nothing negative here for you to post about - my previous post certainly shows no hatred, and moreover, was posted last August. 

Part of how I treat others as I wish to be treated is to try and write in a clearly understandable fashion, with as few misspellings as possible and without any undue needling. Having your blinkers on is a mistake - realizing they're on and not doing anything about it is careless at best.


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## carrot

kaichu dento said:


> There was nothing negative here for you to post about - my previous post certainly shows no hatred, and moreover, was posted last August.
> 
> Part of how I treat others as I wish to be treated is to try and write in a clearly understandable fashion, with as few misspellings as possible and without any undue needling. Having your blinkers on is a mistake - realizing they're on and not doing anything about it is careless at best.


 
KD, I don't think Acid87 is targeting you...


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## mvyrmnd

He was targeting me, and I'm OK with that


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## kaichu dento

carrot said:


> KD, I don't think Acid87 is targeting you...


Oh, okay!


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## Norm

It's not necessary to quote a huge post full of pictures just to add "Beautiful lights" or "+1" etc.
How often do you see a huge quote with a one line reply. Quotes can be edited if you feel it's necessary to use a quote, you don't have to quote the post in it's entirety.
Norm


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## Phil828

I am relatively new to this forum but enjoying it immensely, it is full of good information, advice, and camaraderie. Please keep in mind that not everyone uses the full site. For me my iPhone is my computer most of the time and I have never accessed this forum on a desktop computer. I use an app called Forum Runner to get around and I am not always able to find what I am looking for. So persons like me are not working with the same set of tools everyone else is working with. Forgive me if I happen to start a redundant thread.


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## DSigg101

carrot said:


> Thirdly, the positively obscure:
> - *Never ask for the best* - If you ask "What's the best" without specifying a budget or a classification, you will get recommendations for lights that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It never ceases to fail. The OP gets mad, starts lashing out at posters, posters respond in kind, the thread gets closed and people get banned. Not a happy thing. It's better to ask, "What can I get for $100, I need the best throw I can get."



Thank you very much! I am EXTREMELY new to the forum, and in my first few posts, i asked for "The Best" and this post was very helpful to ensure i get the best out of my posts in the near future! Thanks again!!


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## UPTHEORG

Google has a neat feature if you want to search the entire website for a phrase or a word. You type "site:website.name[space]searchword" in the google search field. Here is an example:

site:www.candlepowerforums.com sunwayman fenix

to return a list of all threads in the site that have both "sunwayman" and "fenix" in them. 
_
NOTE: The website is NOT underlined when you do this -- CPF software underlined it as part of this post!_

Naturally, this can be used for any website, not just this forum!

Cheers,

Jim


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## Norm

UPTHEORG said:


> Google has a neat feature if you want to search the entire website for a phrase or a word.



You can also just use the Google search box at the top of the page and achieve the same results.

Norm


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## Cataract

Norm said:


> You can also just use the Google search box at the top of the page and achieve the same results.
> 
> Norm



Wouldn't you be able to do more than 1 search every 30 seconds by going straight on Google?


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## Peace Train

How do I post a named link (not sure what it's called - tiny url?)?. I remember reading something about it in the forum rules, so tried going advanced and clicked on the globe icon, but it doesn't seem to shorten the link much. I've searched CPF and even scrolled through the sticky's. (There really are a LOT of sticky's by the way. Kind of defeats the purpose?) Anyway, thanks in advance for the input!


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## AnAppleSnail

Cataract said:


> Wouldn't you be able to do more than 1 search every 30 seconds by going straight on Google?



Not if you're in China! I've been here 2 weeks and CPF search doesn't work. Had to use Yahoo search in the same format.


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## AnAppleSnail

Peace Train said:


> How do I post a named link (not sure what it's called - tiny url?)?. I remember reading something about it in the forum rules, so tried going advanced and clicked on the globe icon, but it doesn't seem to shorten the link much. I've searched CPF and even scrolled through the sticky's. (There really are a LOT of sticky's by the way. Kind of defeats the purpose?) Anyway, thanks in advance for the input!



Do you mean a named link like this? Cree XP-L Press Release

If so, let's see... The format is "Hey Web site, here is a link (www. stuff). Here is what to call it (name)." On CPF, we use BBCode, where the 'code signal' is a Square Bracket: ][. Since the web site reads all the brackets as code, I will write the code with parentheses instead of brackets. Replace )( with ][ and you're golden.



Code:


(url=http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPL)Cree XP-L Press Release(/url)




Code:


[URL="http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPL"]Cree XP-L Press Release[/URL]


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## Peace Train

Could you spell that out step by step? 
This is what's been happening for the past ten minutes when I tried...

[http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPL] 
[Cree XP-L Press Release]

Edit: (did this work?)

http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPL

Cree Press XP-L Release


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## Peace Train

TO: *AnAppleSnail* - CLICK ON THIS


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## AnAppleSnail

Peace Train said:


> TO: *AnAppleSnail* - CLICK ON THIS



Uh oh. Next you'll try to see if you can un-underline links to hide them 

I'm glad to help a bit.


To the topic:

CPF is a great place because of the community. To invest in that, be pleasant to others, even when they are (rassum frassum) wrong.


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## Peace Train

AnAppleSnail said:


> CPF is a great place because of the community. To invest in that, be pleasant to others, even when they are (rassum frassum) wrong.



I agree, this actually applies to all facets of life. But isn't there an etiquette that says don't dangle the bb code carrot before the newb without providing an answer? In keeping on topic, of course this would be followed by pleasantries from both sides. 





​


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## LAtraffic

Awesome thread, glad I saw it on the bottom of "Norms" post. I have already broken a rule or two inadvertently. I was lurking on here for months but had to join in the fun eventually. Anyways, this is a great thread. glad i found it sooner than later.


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## bykfixer

scout24 said:


> This, and several others, could perhaps be made into required reading as part of the registration process... :twothumbs I wonder if that is possible? Excellent points, Carrot. Thank you for putting them out there in your usual constructive, thoughtful style.



With a quiz requiring 70% correct answers...

The search feature is a massive library that is super-easy to navigate.

I have made many an eductated purchase after reading the plethora of threads on certain products. On the contrary I have avoided some as well.

I say thank you to the staff (past, present and future) along with the numerous members. 
This is a great site...great communuty... and
coincidently it's about my favorite hobby.


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