In response to user requests, we have changed the subject of the email notifications to distinguish between when the Author of a question has posted a comment and when another user has posted a comment.

You may notice some new faces around the site; same names, but definitely new faces. With the October 1st release, you now have the ability to customize your EEple for all to see. Male or female, you can choose the color and style of your hair, facial hair and clothing as well as select various skin colors. Go to your profile and customize your EEple today!

For those of you who answer enough questions to earn a certificate and one of Experts Exchange's very cool t-shirts, suitable for wearing to your next meeting with boss to ask for a salary increase, they are now available in the 3XL size.

The Newsletter has been redesigned. The old layout, while familiar, was based on a site now 19 months in the past. The new layout is completely compliant with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and 2007, GMail and most other email clients. Feel free to send us your critiques, or sign up to receive the newsletter if you are not currently getting it.

The hall of fame has been updated to include 10 more experts than the previous one and allow you to see a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly total for all the top experts!

The Follow feature allows you to read the posts made by your favorite Experts. To use it, go to the member's profile, and click the Follow button.

The names of the people who are following you, and those you are following are shown in your profile. You can also block people who are following you.

The most recent activities of the people you are following are shown in a list on the home page, and it can be filtered for individual members.

The questions pages have a new feature called “Share-it!” located next to the “Printer Friendly” button. The “Share-It!” button allows you to share a logged in version of a solution with your friends. Not only can you share questions via email, it also lets you instant message a solution and create custom links to post on social sites, blogs and websites.

There are five ways:

1. Accept an Expert's comment.
2. Accept several Experts' comments.
3. Accept your own comment.
4. Accept your own comment and award the points
5. Delete the question.

Please see this section for more information.

Unlimited Points: You have unlimited points to use when asking questions.
Advanced Search: The advanced search gives you many more options for refining your queries.
Expert Skin: The Expert skin is less graphics intense and has larger type than the Premium skin.
Knowledgebase: You can keep a personal list of the questions and solutions important to you.
No Advertising: You don't see the advertising on Experts Exchange pages.
My Favorites: Links to your favorite zones.

The most efficient way is to create a filter, and then click on the links sent in the notifications. You can also just go to the Expert tab and see the filter results listed. You can also go to the All Topics page and browse through the zones you're interested in.

See this section for more information, along with this section on creating a filter.

Click the Ask A New Question button; the wizard will step you through the process. There are a number of tips located here, and a complete description of how the Wizard works is here.

If you are logged in, follow this link (you MUST be logged in to see it), and click the Print button next to any transaction. If you're not logged in, you can't see the purchase history of an account.

There is an automated system that kicks in when your question has gone 12 hours without a response; it alerts Experts that your question has been neglected, or it alerts the Moderators. You do not need to post for the system to work, although you will receive an email notification. If you go another 12 hours without a response, please use the Request Attention button, and the Moderators will assist you. For more information, please see the section on Neglected Questions.

You can offer from 20 to 500 points for your question. For more specifics, please see this section.

If you just posted the question and there are no comments, you can delete it and try again. If there are comments, then click the Request Assistance button and ask the Moderators to move it for you.

Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page, and enter your comment in the text box. For some tips on answering questions, see this section.

In the My Account box in the upper right corner of the browser window, click Edit. Click the My Preferences button, and then enter your new password.

If you are a Premium Services subscriber, you have Unlimited Points. If you do not have Premium Services, you can either earn them or buy them; please see this section for more information.

You cancel your Premium Services subscription through the Billing Info button in your profile. There are details here or you can simply follow this link.

In the My Account box in the upper right corner of the browser window, click Edit. Click the My Preferences button, and then Edit your new email address. You will receive a verification email at that address; until it is verified you will not be able to post. For more information click here.

You can't; once you have registered and chosen your username, you are not able to change it. This is clearly stated when you register at Experts Exchange. See this section for more information.

Our pricing structure is here. You can also register for free and earn your Premium Services subscription by answering questions.

To view all previous purchases to our subscription plans Log into the site

1. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the page.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so within the last hour) then click the Continue button.
3. On the next page you need to click on the Billing Info tab.
4. On this page you will see a Purchase History tab
5. You will see all of your previous purchases on this page
6. To print receipts for any purchase click the button with the printer symbol next to your purchase number.

Experts Exchange currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PayPal (not available to Corporate Accounts) as forms of payment. Experts Exchange is not able to accept checks, money orders, purchase orders, Western Union payments or telex transfers.

Premium Services subscriptions are recurring; that means that at the end of the billing cycle, we will attempt to process your subscription using the credit card we have on file for you. Your subscription does not automatically expire; you must cancel it.

The 7-Day Free Trial Membership is available to first-time, new members only.If you have ever had any type of account on Experts Exchange this membership is not available to you.

You are able to sign up for a regular Premium Service membership or a Corporate Account membership via the sign up pages.

For more information, see the Free Trial Agreement.

We require a credit card because if you choose to continue with your membership when the free trial is ended, we need a payment medium to charge it to. All of our accounts are automatically renewing until you cancel.

You can cancel this account at any time during the trial and still have full Premium Service Access to Experts Exchange until your free trial ends seven (7) days from sign up; once you have been billed, you can cancel at any time as well.

You are also able to sign up as a free limited member; this membership does not require any credit card information to set up. You are able to browse Experts Exchange and participate in questions. You are initially given 125 question points to ask a question and you earn five question points per day. With the Seven (7)-day free trial you have unlimited questions points and are able to search Experts Exchange and use all Premium Service features.

Corporate Accounts are annual group licenses designed for multiple users within an organization. Each licensee receives unrestricted access to the world's leading technology resource, including our knowledgebase of more than 2.3 million proven technology solutions and the ability to collaborate with the smartest IT professionals from around the globe.

All Corporate Accounts are annual. Additional licenses can be purchased by the account admin at any time after you've created a Corporate Account.

Workgroup Pricing
Small Workgroup	(5 Licenses)	$449 per year
Medium Workgroup	(20 Licenses)	$1,699 per year
Large Workgroup	(50 Licenses)	$3,749 per year
Business Unit Pricing
Small Business Unit	(100 Licenses)	$6,999 per year
Medium Business Unit	(250 Licenses)	$14,999 per year
Large Business Unit	(500 Licenses)	$24,999 per year
Enterprise Pricing
Enterprise Workgroup	(700 Licenses)	$45.99 per license/year

You can upgrade your Corporate Account to a larger account size at any time. To upgrade, login to your admin account and follow one of the following two sets of instructions, depending on whether your admin license is free or paid.

• Free Admin:
  1. Once you are logged in click on the Add Licenses tab
  2. From here there is an Upgrade Membership button.
  3. After you click on this button you will see the plans listed that you can upgrade to.
  4. Click on the bubble next to the plan you would like
  5. Click the Upgrade button.
  6. If you click on the Details hyperlink this will show you how much has been subtracted off of that yearly rate as you have already paid for part of your time.
• Paid Admin:
  1. Click on the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
  2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
  3. On this page you will need to click on the Corporate tab
  4. Then the Add License tab.
  5. From here click on the Upgrade Membership button, and then the available plans with pop up
  6. Click on the bubble next to the plan you would like
  7. Click the Upgrade button.
  8. If you click on the Details hyperlink this will show you how much has been subtracted off of that yearly rate as you have already paid for part of your time.

If you have any questions please Contact Us.

When you register your corporate account with us the Admin account is registered as a free account. If you would like to participate in the site you will need to make us of one of your paid licenses. To do this:

1. Log onto your Admin account.
2. Go to the Corporate tab.
3. Click on the Edit Account button.
4. On this page you will see Admin License Type: Free License-Paid License.
5. Click the Paid License bubble.
6. Click the Update button.

After this you will be redirected to the Account Info tab and you will see your admin account listed in your license summary.

Your corporate administrator controls the Corporate Account settings and can create new licenses, edit existing licenses, purchase new licenses and may or may not have access to the site depending whether they are a free or paid administrator. A corporate licensee has complete access to the site including unlimited access to 2.3 million solutions and 243,000 Experts, a personal knowledgebase, and history record.

To activate a new license on your corporate account you will need to firstly log into your admin account. Depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed.

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in click on the Activate License tab.
2. On this page type in the new Member ID, the email address associated with the person using this license and a password.
3. Click on the Activate button
4. You will be redirected back to the Account Info tab
5. Here you will see the new license added to the License Summary.

The new member will receive an email verification email (once their email is verified they can ask questions) and a welcome email.

• Paid Admin:
1. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. Click on the Corporate tab
4. Click on the Activate License tab
5. On this page type in the new Member ID, the email address associated with the person using this license and a password
6. Once this is done click on the Activate button, you will be redirected back to the Account Info tab
7. Here you will see the new license added to the License Summary

The new member will receive an email verification email (once their email is verified they can ask questions) and a welcome email.

If you have a license that is no longer being used and you need to deactivate it, you will need to log onto your Admin account first. Depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in click on the Edit License tab.
2. On this page type you will see all of your active licenses.
3. Type in the Member ID or the Email Address of the license you need to deactivate
4. Click on the Edit License button
5. Click on the Deactivate Button
6. This will redirect you to the Account Info page where you will see the deactivated license listed at the bottom of the License Summary.
• Paid Admin:
1. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. Click on the Corporate tab
4. Click on the Edit License tab
5. On this page type you will see all of your active licenses.
6. Type in the Member ID or the Email Address of the license you need to deactivate
7. Click on the Edit License button
8. Click on the Deactivate Button
9. This will redirect you to the Account Info page where you will see the deactivated license listed at the bottom of the License Summary.

If you have used all your licenses and need to add one or more license you will need to firstly log into your admin account. Depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed.

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in click on the Add License tab.
2. On this page you will be able to choose how many licenses you need to add.
3. Enter in the amount of licenses and our system will tell you the price.
4. Once you have added the amount of licenses you need click on the Add License button.
5. There is a Details hyperlink next to the cost per license which will show you the break down of how this cost gets calculated.
• Paid Admin:
1. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. Click on the Corporate tab
4. Click on the Add License tab
5. On this page you will be able to choose how many licenses you need to add.
6. Enter in the amount of licenses and our system will tell you the price.
7. Once you have added the amount of licenses you need click on the Add License button.
8. There is a Details hyperlink next to the cost per license which will show you the break down of how this cost gets calculated.

If you need to print a receipt for one or more of your previous purchases you will need to firstly log into your admin account. Depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed.

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in you will need to click on the Account Info tab.
2. On this page you will see a box titled License Summary
3. In this box there is a View Receipts hyperlink.
4. Once you click on this link you will be directed to a page that has all of your previous billing.
5. Click on the receipt number of the transaction you need a receipt for and this will direct you to your receipt.
• Paid Admin:
1. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. On this page you will need to click on the Corporate tab
4. Then go to the Account Info tab.
5. On this page you will see a box titled License Summary
6. In this box there is a View Receipts hyperlink.
7. Once you click on this link you will be directed to a page that has all of your previous billing.
8. Click on the receipt number of the transaction you need a receipt for and this will direct you to your receipt.

You are able to cancel your account at any time and still have full access to our site until the paid time is up. If you need to cancel your corporate account you will need to firstly log into the Admin account, depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed.

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in you will need to click on the Account Info tab.
2. On this page you will see your Membership information.
3. Next to your Member Since date you will see a Cancel hyperlink.
4. You will need to click the Continue Cancellation button
5. Then follow the instructions given to cancel the account.
6. A confirmation cancellation email will be sent to the email address on file, if you do not receive this email please Contact Us.
• Paid Admin:
1. Click on the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. On this page you will need to click on the Corporate tab,
4. Then the Account Info tab.
5. On this page you will see your Membership information.
6. Next to your Member Since date you will see a Cancel hyperlink.
7. You will need to click the Continue Cancellation button and then follow the instructions given to cancel the account.
8. A confirmation cancellation email will be sent to the email address on file, if you do not receive this email please Contact Us.

If your company name has changed and you need to change it on your Expert Exchange accounts and invoices you will need to firstly log into your admin account. Depending on the type of your Admin license, please follow the instructions listed.

• Free Admin:
1. Once you are logged in you will need to click on the Account Info tab.
2. Then click on the Edit Account button, which will bring you to your account information.
3. Type in the new Company Name
4. Click the Update button, this will redirect back to the Account Info tab.
• Paid Admin:
1. Click on the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the homepage.
2. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so in the last hour) and then click the Continue button.
3. On this page you will need to click on the Corporate tab,
4. Then go to the Account Info tab.
5. Click on the Edit Account button, which will bring you to your account information.
6. Type in the new Company Name
7. Click the Update button, this will redirect back to the Account Info tab.

To upgrade from your Premium Service account to a Corporate account follow these instructions:

1. Log into your premium service account.
2. Click the Edit hyperlink next to My Profile within your My Account box located on the right hand side of the page.
3. You will be prompted to enter your password (if you have not done so within the last hour) then click the Continue button.
4. Go to the Billing Info tab.
5. Click on the Edit Plan next to your listed Membership Plan.
6. Here you will see the regular accounts listed and under those you will see a hyperlink that says Create a Corporate Account.
7. Once you are here you will see your current card listed, if you need to change this you can click the Change hyperlink next to the card.
   • The details hyperlink in the top paragraph will tell you the breakdown of your charges.
   • The charges listed for the workgroups are pro rated charges taking out the remainder of your current membership.
8. Fill in the needed information and click the Upgrade Your Account button.

Experts Exchange currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover as forms of payment for Corporate Accounts. Experts Exchange is not able to accept checks, money orders, purchase orders, Western Union payments or telex transfers. Please check back with us periodically to see if the payment options have changed.

Purchase Orders

Experts Exchange is currently exploring the possibility of accepting purchase orders as a form of payment for Corporate Accounts only. If you would like to be contacted when purchase orders are accepted as forms of payment please contact us and ask to be added to our mailing list.

The most common issues with logging in are either you have forgotten your login or password, or have entered them incorrectly (both are case sensitive). You must also have cookies enabled.

The zip code is only required for the US resident who is the cardholder making the purchase on the account. The credit card transaction system verifies the card number against the ZIP code (among other information). If you are not a US resident or cardholder, you can simply leave the ZIP code field blank.

If you are a US resident and the cardholder making the purchase and your zip code is not accepted please contact our customer service department at cs@experts-exchange.com or by calling 805-787-0603.

If you are getting an error that your email address or username is already in use, you already have an account with us. Please Contact Us so we can further assist you in finding that information.

If you are getting an error saying your username is invalid you may be entering a space or symbols that are not allowed.

If the check box is not working you may not have your computer set up to enable cookies. To change the setting in:

• Internet Explorer: Click the menu item Tools then Internet Options from this window click on the Privacy tab and set your settings to Medium.
• Firefox: Click on the menu item Tools then Options Once you are here click on the Privacy button. On this page make sure your Accept Cookies from Sites box is checked.
• Opera: Click on the menu item Tools and select Preferences. Click on the Advanced tab, and select Cookies from the menu at the left of the window. Click the radio button that says Accept Cookies.

If you are still having a problem, delete any Experts Exchange cookie and try logging in again.

You can cancel your Premium Services subscription at any time by Editing your profile, then clicking the Billing Info button. You will be required to re-enter your password, and from there you can cancel. You can also follow this link.

When you cancel the Premium Services, you will still have use of them through the remainder of your billing cycle. Experts Exchange does not offer refunds.

A link to your Profile is located in the My Account box in the upper right corner of your browser window. You can also reach it by clicking on your username.

The Edit hyperlink will take you to a page that allows you to edit your account information. Once you have gotten past the verify password page you will find tabs titled:

My Preferences

Password; add, change or delete email addresses; newsletter and marketing emails; HTML or text emails; time zone; default skin and search; and whether you want to see posted images as thumbnails or links.

My Profile

Name; age; gender (for your avatar on the Premium skin); preferred language; country; personal provile (visible to membership); optional information about your expertise, system, employment background, education, skills and accomplishments, and hobbies and interests

Billing Info

This tab has two additional tabs and lists all of your billing information. On the Credit Card Information tab, you will see the last four digits of the current card being charged, information about your renewal date, receipt information, and the credit cards you have on file. On the Purchase History tab you will see a list of all of your previous purchases and you are able to print these receipts

For Experts (appears only if you have answered a question)

• Expert Signatures tab (visible only if you have earned a Certificate) allows you to create a custom signature for emails.
• Expert Certificates tab shows the certificates you have earned and allows you to print them.
• Expert Shirts tab shows the t-shirts you have earned; the date, zone, rank you have earned the t-shirt in, and provides the mechanism for redeeming them.
• Goodies tab tab has our limited-edition wallpapers.

Clicking View will take you to your profile which shows your public information, your question, comment and answer history, the certificates and other awards you have earned, and links to your Member Rank and Zone Rank.

Your open questions are visible by clicking the link in the My Accounts box, located in the upper right corner of the browser window. You can also see all of your Asked questions, Commented questions and Answered questions by looking at your profile.

Questions you comment in are shown as Commented unless you are awarded points; they are then moved to your Answered questions list.

When you register at Experts Exchange you are automatically sent an email verification. If you do not receive the email please check your email filter. If you do not receive your verification notice please contact our customer service department.

You are able to add email addresses, edit your current address and change your email address by clicking Edit in the My Account box in the upper right corner of the browser window. When you change your email address, you will receive a new verification, and until you have verified your email address, you will not be able to post a question or comment.

Locked/Pending Paid Account

Your account goes into a pending/locked status if Experts Exchange can not process your billing information. Usually, this happens because either your card is expired or your credit card has been declined. Contact our customer service department for assistance.

Pending Qualified Free Account

Your Premium Services have been suspended because you have not maintained the 3000 Expert points per month requirement. There is a one-month grace period; when that expires your Premium Services will be suspended. Once you earn your 3000 points within this month you will qualify for your free Premium Service again.

Suspended Account

If your account has been suspended, you will not be able to log in. Should your account be suspended, you will receive a notification to that effect; contact the Moderator who posted the notification for information on how you can get your account back in good standing.

Sometimes when you copy and paste a space is added that looks like an extra character. You will need to manually enter your temporary password. If you are still having trouble please contact our customer service department.

After registration you are unable to change the username. If you wish to change your username, you will need a different email address and you will lose any question and answer history; they cannot be transferred to a different account.

To unsubscribe from the either the newsletter or the marketing emails follow the Unsubscribe hyperlink found at the bottom of the mail. You can also unsubscribe by editing your profile.

There are two simple search systems at Experts Exchange. The default search uses Google's engine; this can be changed by editing your profile to one built by Experts Exchange. The simple search looks for your terms on any part of the Experts Exchange page, and the results include a list of zones so you can narrow your search.

At the left, you will see a list of criteria: Terms, Query, Date, Zone, Points, Type and Display. Below is a list of what each one does. The technology used to create filters is the same as the Advanced Search. There is also a specific help page for the Search system.

As you go through each of the criteria -- none are required -- you use the Update button for the query. Once you are done with all the options click on the Submit button.

Click on the Experts tab and create a filter. You can think of the Filters as a "saved Advanced search" that can send you notifications of new questions asked.

When you create a filter, you are asked to name the filter, whether or not you want to receive the notifications, and how you want to receive them (immediately, hourly or daily). You can also "run" the filter at any time and see the list of open questions that meet your filter's criteria. There is no limit to the number of filters you can create.

A note about the hourly summary: Every night, Experts Exchange reindexes the stored filters and new questions, which takes nominally four hours. During that time, the hourly notifications are not sent; however, the new questions will appear on your list.

If you have found a Previously Asked Question that doesn't quite answer your question, click on the Ask A Related Question button. For more information, please see this section.

If you believe your solution to a problem is better than the one accepted as the answer, please feel free to post it in the thread. However, no points will be awarded for your comment in a closed question.

There is no system built into Experts Exchange's programming for contacting an Expert. Many Experts do have their contact email addresses posted in their profiles, but please remember that Experts Exchange does not condone the use of emails or other personal contact to answer a question posted, and will not allow points to be awarded for questions that do not have a posted solution.

With a Premium Services account, you have Unlimited Points. If you do not have Premium Services, you can either earn them or you can purchase 1,000 points for $12.95. In the My Account box in the upper right corner, click the Buy Points link or go here.

There are two kinds of points: Question points that are the ones you offer for your question, and Expert points, that the Expert receives when you close your question.

When you close your question, the points you offered are multiplied by a factor dependent on the grade; an A uses a factor of 4, a B uses a factor of 3, and a C uses a factor of 2. So if your question is worth 300 points, and you give a B grade, the Expert will receive 900 points.

Those points are added to his overall total, and are also added to his total for each of the zones you ask your question in.

The Experts on Experts Exchange are all volunteers. The points they earn get them their Premium Services membership, certificates and t-shirts for the certificates earned. The points you award them is part of their motivation, so please keep this in mind when setting the point value for your questions.

When your comment is accepted as a solution to a question that is cross-posted, you receive points towards certificates in each zone that the question is posted in. However, the points are added to your overall total only once. On your Answer History, only one of the Zones will appear. However, the points are awarded in all of the zones listed in the question itself.

Bonus Points are points that are awarded to Neglected Questions.

If you post a solution to a neglected question and your solution is accepted, you will receive bonus points for that question: Question Points + (Grade Multiplier x Question Points ).

You split the points. Each comment box has a button that says Accept Multiple Solutions. Click that, and you will see a page that allows you to assign points to any of the comments in the thread. There is a grade box at the bottom of the page.

Note: The total of the point splits must equal the original amount you assigned to the question, and no comment can receive fewer than 20 points. The Comment that was posted first is the Accepted Solution, and the rest of the comments are Accepted Solutions.

To ask a question click on the Ask a New Question button found on the right hand side of your browser window. The Wizard is a four-step process:

Step 1: Question Title and Tags/Related Terms

This is the most important step in getting an answer to your question. Keep your title short and direct; include tags that are specific. You can also enter pertinent information about your system.

Step 2: Questions Description and Details

This is where you add the details of your question. You want to include enough detail to describe your problem, but not any extraneous detail. If you have tried solutions, list that. You can add images and code to your question.

Step 3: Select One or More Zones

The Wizard will suggest zones for you, but you are able to select or deselect any of them. It is a rare question that cannot be posted in at least two zones; most can be posted in three. Try to be specific, but being too specific can reduce the exposure your question gets, so always take advantage of being able to post in three zones.

Step 4: Assign Points

Points are your advertising; the more points you assign, the more likely you are to get a quick response. Points are not the reward you give for your answer. For example, if you ask how to do something, and an Expert tells you that you can't, that's the answer, and all of the points should be awarded, even if you don't like the answer.

There are two versions of the wizard -- the Premium version that goes through the four steps on four pages, with a lot of explanation, and the Expert version that has all of the steps on one page.

If you feel like you need some help please see our Question Tips.

When someone comments on your question you will receive an email notification informing you that a possible solution has been added to your question. Experts Exchange is a collaborative site, where you and the Experts work towards a solution, so it is critical that you respond to the notification promptly. If the comment does not solve your problem, post a comment in your question explaining what you did, and what the results were.

If your question goes 12 hours without a response, it is tagged as Neglected, and a notice is sent to Designated Experts asking them to take a look at it. After 24 hours, you can click the Request Attention button, and ask the Moderators to review your question and get more help for you.

The Moderators may take some actions, like adding to or changing the zones your question is asked in; that also sends a notice to the Designated Experts. They may also offer you some advice regarding your question; this is solely to help you get the answer you need.

Please remember that all of the Experts are volunteers, so sometimes they have real life issues that arise. They are not paid for answering questions; they earn certificates, t-shirts for those certificates and their membership to Experts Exchange. The most important reason for them being here and participating is because they enjoy being here and helping people.

If there are no comments in your question, you can delete it and start over. If there are comments, use the Request Attention button to ask the Moderators for assistance.

A note about zones: There are about 970 Zones at Experts Exchange; the most important part of getting your question answered asking it in the right Zone. For example, you could ask your Microsoft Access question in the Databases Zone, but you will get better results if you ask it in the Access Zone. See a complete list of all of the zones here.

**Note: The Community Support Zone is not for posting technical questions. If you post a technical question in one of these Zones a Moderator will advise you to repost and will close your question automatically.

Points are used to indicate the urgency or difficulty of a question; the more points you offer, the more likely you are to get a quicker response. The points are not a reward for an answer; they are your advertising. The maximum number of points that may be offered for a question is 500.

Go to your open question and using the Increase Points feature located near the comment box, type in the number of points that you want your question to be worth, and hit enter. This will automatically change the number of points that your question is worth.

You can cross-post your question in up to three zones, and doing so increases the number of Experts who will see it -- so you should always take advantage of cross-posting whenever you can. A complete list of all of the zones is here.

Grading at Experts Exchange is not like school. It's more like the "10-point Must" system in professional boxing; in other words, an answer is worth an A, unless it doesn't resolve your issue. If it requires you to do a little more research, or figure out one more piece of code, then it's worth a B. If you think it's not worth a B, the custom is to offer the Experts an opportunity to earn a better grade.

Giving a higher grade has no impact on your Available Points.

If you feel you have graded a solution incorrectly, click the Request Attention button and the Moderators will change it for you. If another member disputes the grade you have given, you will be asked to explain your reasoning; please respond to those requests.

Sometimes, you will get an answer that isn't what you want to read, but it still may be the correct answer, and you should award points to the Expert that gave you that answer.

There are four possible reasons:

You have not verified your email address.

A verification email was sent to the address you used when you registered. If you have not followed the instructions to verify it, the registration process has not been completed. Contact us and we will help you resolve the issue.

You are not logged in.

Look in the upper right corner of the browser window. If you are not logged into the site, you cannot ask a question.

You do not have enough points.

If you do not have the Premium Services, the points for your question come from your Available Points. If you do not have enough, you can buy more points or you can upgrade your membership.

Your account is suspended or locked.

This can occur when your Premium Services subscription has expired and your credit card is declined. It can also occur if you have violated the Membership Agreement. Please contact us to resolve the issue.

There are five ways:

Accept an Expert's comment as the solution

If an Expert has given you the solution to your question, or has led you to the solution, select this option.

Accept multiple solutions

If several Experts collaborated to provide a solution, use this option and split the points among them.

Accept your own comment as the solution

If you solved your problem with no assistance from any Expert, post your solution and then click the Accept As Solution button in your own comment.

Accept your own comment, and award points to Experts for their assistance

If you answered your own question, but wish to award points to Experts for their attempts to help, use this option.

Delete your question

If you are not getting the kinds of responses that will lead to a solution, you should consider deleting your question and trying again. The Delete Question button is located near the text of your original post.

If you are not certain which selection to make, click the Request Attention button, and the Moderators will help you with the proper choice.

When you try to delete a question or to accept your own comment as the answer, the other participants have the opportunity to object or to try to give you enough information that you will select their comment as the Answer.

If someone disagrees, s/he will click the Object button. That causes a request for review to be placed in the Community Support zone, and the Moderators will work to resolve the issue.

Click the Request Attention button, and ask the Moderators to change the grade for you.

Click the link titled My Open Questions in the My Account box, located in the upper right corner of the browser window. You can view a list of all of your questions by clicking on the Question History link.

There are any number of reasons this could be happening, from your question being in the wrong zone to a three-day weekend. Please see our Question Tips, and if you need assistance, click the Request Attention button in your question.

If your question goes 12 hours without a comment, a notification is sent to Designated Experts to encourage responses; if there are no Designated Experts for the zones in which your question is asked, the Moderators are automatically notified; they will take steps to find people to assist you.

If your question goes 24 hours, you can use the Request Attention button to ask the Moderators for more help.

Your deleted questions are always visible in your profile. There are four ways your question can be deleted:

The AutoDeleter

The AutoDeleter is an automated process that finds questions more than three weeks old that have had no responses and your points are refunded automatically. If your problem still exists, you can still see your question in your Question History.

Cleanup

The Cleanup team is a group of volunteer Experts that examines questions that have been abandoned and makes recommendations regarding them. If your question has gone three weeks without a comment and has no potential answer, the Moderators will usually delete it.

You requested deletion

If you clicked the Delete Question link, and no one objected, your question is automatically deleted.

Your question violated Experts Exchange Guidelines

Some of the common examples of inappropriate questions are

• Those containing inappropriate language
• Those that threaten or flame other members
• Attempts to get answers to homework or test questions
• Questions concerning the defeating of security of networks or defeating the licensing of software
• Questions that exist solely to award points to another member
• Double posting of your question
• Posting questions with more than one account

If you have found a question that mostly answers your question but is lacking some information you need, you can click the button that says Ask A Related Question. When you do so, you must change both the title and the text of the question, but in addition to sending the normal alerts to those Experts who have filters looking for your question, it will send a notification to all of the participants in the question you found.

The most tangible reason is that you can earn Premium Services? by earning 10,000 points overall and 3,000 points in a month; when you reach those levels, you will see a "You Qualify" link in your profile. You can also earn certificates for reaching specific levels in individual zones:

• Master: 50,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Guru: 150,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Wizard: 300,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Sage: 500,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Genius: 1,000,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Savant: 10,000,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Elite: 25,000,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Technocrat: 50,000,000 Expert Points in a single Zone
• Legend: 100,000,000 Expert Points in a single Zone

For more information on rankings, click here. Experts Exchange is currently awarding shirts for any certificate earned; to redeem a shirt, Edit your profile, then click the For Experts button, and then click the Shirts button. They normally take six to eight weeks to deliver in the US, so be patient.

It's pretty simple: Register at Experts Exchange, and start posting helping someone find a solution to his/her problem.

There are two ways, generally speaking. The first is to visit the All Topics page, and find the zones you are interested in. You can browse to the landing page for each zone, and you will see a list of open questions.

The more efficient way is to create a filter that includes the criteria for the questions you want to answer.

Unlike many other sites, Experts Exchange is collaborative; the Asker of a question and Experts work together to arrive at a solution. The following guidelines will help make your career at Experts Exchange much more satisfying.

• Understand the question: Take the time to clarify what the user is trying to find out.
• Understand the author's goal: Technology can be daunting to a new user; he or she may be trying to do something in a very complicated way, when a very simple solution is available.
• Understand the author's level of expertise: Occasionally, you'll find that your technically perfect answer gets overlooked in favor of the simple, less-correct solution. The reason: Your solution was too complex for the user's technical know-how.
• Keep your answers clear: Keep your comments to the point and clear; make sure your code is clean and free of extraneous detail. If you use a link, make sure it is a good one, and do not copy and paste a solution from someone else's site. Avoid using too many acronyms, and never use IM, chat, or "l337"-speak.
• Use common sense: Changing a post a little bit and then posting it as a completely new solution, or repeating a previous post word for word is rude. If you have something new to contribute or you can expand or add to a previous comment, then make sure you give credit where it is due.
• Read previous posts before commenting: It is important to read the entire thread so that you know the current situation. That will keep you from posting a duplicate answer or one that has already been shown not to work. If you basically agree with another comment but have something more to add, remember to give credit for the original suggestion -- mention that Expert by name -- in your post.
• Be professional: Treat the asker and your colleagues as professionals. Check your ego and your attitude at the door; rudeness, derogatory comments, and sarcastic remarks are uncalled for and unnecessary.
• Be prepared to follow up: Be prepared to give follow-up information and assistance to the asker. Abandoning a user in mid-question is almost worse than having the question abandoned by the asker.
• Patience is a virtue: Frequently, an asker is under some time pressure, and needs an answer quickly; you won't help the situation by being impatient with him. Give him your attention; offer the best workaround you can if there is no direct solution.
• Avoid criticizing: There's nothing to be gained by criticizing another Member when disagreeing with his/her suggestions. Don't take a critical comment personally; stay focused on the object -- solving the asker's problem.
• Smile: Presentation counts. Sometimes it's not just the solution, but how the solution is presented. Stay positive with the user; make him/her feel like the two of you will solve the problem.
• Test your solution when possible: Take the time to test your code to ensure that it works; you'll come across as a professional, and it will keep the thread a lot cleaner.

Click on the Expert tab, and you will see a box titled Expert Tools containing a button titled Create Filter. You will see seven tabs along the left side. As you click the appropriate ones and set the content, you must update the filter; otherwise, the criteria is not added.

Below the box is another one titled Filter Properties Query. It shows the filter as it is being created. The seven tabs are:

• Simple Search: You can select specific words, and also select the asker of the question. The default is an "OR" query, meaning that if you ask for several words, the filter will find questions containing any of the words.
• Custom Query: You can create your own query; however, your created query will essentially be the same as if you use the filter creation system. For more information see the Advanced Search help page.
• Activity: The activity field allows you to specify ranges of dates in which questions are asked, answered or have comments.
• Zones: You can select from the entire zone list the ones you want to search.
• Point Value: You can specify a range of values from zero to 500 (the maximum).
• Question Type: You can select Solutions (closed questions), In Progress (open questions) or Any. You can also specify that the Neglected Questions from the zones in which you are a Designated Expert be shown at the top of the results.
• Display: This sets the length of the list shown on the Expert tab.

You can set your filter to send you alerts for each question as it is asked, for hourly digests, or for daily digest. You can also select to have no alerts sent to you.

You can create as many filters as you need; when you want to see the filter results on the page, simply Run the filter. To change the parameters, click Edit.

To turn off the new question notifications, go to the Expert tab, and Edit the filter that is sending the notifications. In the Filter Properties Query box, set the alerts to None. Clicking the On and Off buttons shown next to the filter does not stop the notifications.

Go to the question. At the bottom of the question text is a link/button that will say Unsubscribe. Clicking that will remove you from getting the notifications. If you are the asker of the question, you will not be able to unsubscribe until you have closed the question.

A Designated Expert is a member who has either earned a Guru certificate in a zone, or has been assigned Designated Expert status by a Moderator. A more complete description is here, but essentially, Designated Experts receive bonus points for answering Neglected Questions.

PAQ is an abbreviation for Previously Asked Questions. When a question is closed, it is added to the PAQ.

You are welcome to post your comment in the thread, but if it has been closed, it is unlikely that the question will be reopened, or that you will be awarded points for it.

If the question has been closed by the Asker, and he has awarded the points to another Expert, you can click the Request Attention button, but unless there is an obviously serious error, the Moderators will tend to accept the decision of the Asker; after all, she/he knows what worked for her/him.

If the Asker is trying to close or delete his question, then you should click the Object button, and clearly explain why you believe your comment should be selected as the Answer. The Moderators will be notified, and will work to resolve the situation.

Your question is tagged as Neglected when it has gone 12 hours without a comment. At that point, Experts Exchange sends a special notification to Designated Experts, who earn bonus points for helping you (the points do not come from your account). If you do not get a response within 24 hours, use the Request Attention button, and the Moderators will help you.

Designated Experts receive notifications when a question goes more than 12 hours without a comment posted. Designated Experts are assigned by zone, and receive bonus points based on the original value of the question if their solution to a Neglected Question is accepted as the answer or as an assist.

There are two ways to become a Designated Expert: earn a Guru certificate, or petition the Moderators for assignment. By earning a Guru certificate, you are automatically designated in that zone.

If you have received a notification saying you are a Designated Expert, click the Edit button in the box in the upper right corner titled My Account. Click the For Experts button, and then click the Question Alerts button. You will see the list of zones you have been assigned. You may accept the question alerts for any of the zones listed, and you may opt out of the system at any time.

If there are zones you want to help in, other than the ones you are automatically qualified for, contact the Moderators by posting in the Community Support zone.

A Moderator or Zone Advisor may invite you to a Private Discussion thread. These threads are hidden from public view and are generally used to help resolve issues on the site that are better kept out of the public zones. A Zone Advisor may want to discuss an issue within the context of a single zone that does not affect the rest of the site, or several Moderators may want to discuss with some members a dispute in posting styles.

If you receive an invitation, please visit the thread and participate as quickly and candidly as possible.

The File Upload system at Experts Exchange allows you to attach files to your questions. Currently, the file types that may be uploaded are bmp, doc, gif, jpeg, jpg, log, mdb, pdf, png, txt, xls and zip, and there is a maximum size of 5mb.

Experts Exchange's system does scan files, so zipping a file that is not permitted will still result in an error message if you try to upload it.

The rich text feature is only available when posting a response in a question; it is not available when posting the original question. The default setting is for Plain Text, but you can change this by editing your profile. You can also change it for individual posts by clicking the link in the comment box.

Its features include:

• Bold, italic and underscored text: Highlight the text, and click the appropriate button.
• Ordered and unordered lists: Highlight only the items -- not the list heading -- and click the appropriate button.
• Links to another page or site: Highlight the text and click the T button. To link to an external site, enter the entire URL (for example, http://www.google.com. ). To link to a question at Experts Exchange, enter http:// followed by the question page. (For example, http://Q_12345678.html).
• Aligning text to the left: Highlight the paragraph and click the appropriate button.
• Pushing the text to the right: Highlight the paragraph and click the appropriate button. The text will be pushed to the right side of the window; however, it will not be flush right.
• Checking the spelling in your post: Note that the spell-check does not work on code snippets or on files that have been uploaded.

There are also Undo and Redo buttons.

Experts Exchange sends out notifications on virtually everything: New questions (if they match your filters), comments posted in a question, changes in your account status, your open questions, and myriad other situations. So please make sure you have whitelisted noreply@experts-exchange.com as an accepted email address.

The Experts Exchange newsletter is issued every other week (except around the winter holidays, during which time the schedule is a little more flexible). To subscribe, Edit your profile and change the setting to Yes; you should also whitelist the server newsletter.experts-exchange.com. There is an archive of past newsletters here.

Most of your questions about Experts Exchange can be answered by posting a zero-point question in the Community Support zones:

• Community Support: This is where the Moderators live. You will get assistance here regarding questions, answers and other members. If you click the Request Attention button in any question, your request is posted here automatically.
• New To EE: This zone is where new members can get more detailed advice about things like formulating your question, how to grade answers, and what zones to select.
• Announcements: Informaton about new features and changes to Experts Exchange are posted here.
• New Topics: In this zone, you can request new zones for addition to the Experts Exchange zone list.
• Suggestions: Here you can request new features, or improvements to existing features at Experts Exchange.
• EE Bugs: This zone is for reporting bugs with the Experts Exchange site.
• Expert Input: Members use this zone to discuss policies and procedures at Experts Exchange.
• Feedback: If there is an issue you wish to report to Experts Exchange that cannot be resolved by posting in one of the other zones, please post your issue here.

The Request Attention button automatically posts in the Community Support zone.