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How to not be a spammer


Here are some specific behaviors to avoid - even with the best of intentions, these will nearly always result in your posts being flagged as spam:

  • Don't tell - show! The best way to avoid being seen as a snake-oil salesman is to demonstrate a solution rather than simply asserting the problem can be solved.
  • Don't include links except to support what you've written. Links are not a substitute for including information in your answer itself, and links should always be directly relevant to a part of your answer. See also:

If you're here to support your product, please see Can I support my product on this site?

Here are a few tips for writing well-received answers:

  • Always solve the asker's problem. A good answer should at minimum allow the person whose question you're answering to solve their problem. Not all questions can be answered this way, but if you don't think you can write up a complete solution then you're better off looking for a different question.
  • Answer for the ages. If you want folks to view your work positively, write with an eye toward answering not just the asker's problem but also the problems likely to be had by those finding the question in the future. In particular, always explain why the solution you're presenting is appropriate and how it works - this can enable others with very similar problems to learn how to solve them even when they aren't carbon-copies of the one you're answering.
  • Avoid poorly-written questions. Posting a well-written answer under a poorly-written question just makes your answer look worse. Also become familiar with what's on-topic here - and avoid answering questions on topics that aren't well-regarded.

