Need Help? Get Answered.

Tips to Better Board Answers:

1. Before you ask, search the FAQs. – See that question mark button right next to your neofriends beta list? That is a quick and easy way to get to the Neopets Support Center, where they have a list of frequently asked questions. This is a good place to start for any questions related to neopets events, games, or regular daily activities on neopets. Make sure your question is not in there before you ask. Another way to get to the FAQ is to type the topic of your question in the search bar on the right side of the page.

2. Pick the right boards! - Countless times, I see a number of questions for Neoquest or Habitarium on the games board. While it is certainly a reasonable place to get your questions answered (they are games after all), there is a more suitable board for both of those games, aptly named the Habitarium board and the Neoquest board. So before you post your question, make sure you are on the right board. Just read down the list of board names and then decide which one most likely fits your question. If you accidentally picked the wrong board, it is appropriate to post that you did, and move to the right board.

1. Check to make sure your question hasn’t been answered already! – This is pretty self explanatory. It is faster to look at the list of topics and find one similar to yours than to make a new post and wait for someone to respond. If the question has already been answered multiple times on the board, people are probably sick of answering that same question over and over. There might even be a guide posted on some of the boards for you to look at for your question. Some boards have chat groups about the subject that will answer your questions. Those are useful because they are usually experts at the subject. For instance, in the games boards, there is a whole topic dedicated to Plushie Tycoon that includes guides and people who play it regularly that will help you.

3. Make a valid topic name – While “I NEED HELP!” might actually get you help sometimes, you want to draw in the right kind of help. Put what your question is about in the topic name. Examples of good titles are “I have a Habitarium start up question” or “I have a Plushie Tycoon” question. Those who are knowledgeable in those areas are more likely to respond if they think they will be able to answer.

4. Be descriptive of your problem – If your question is “This game isn’t working for me”, you probably will not get a prompt answer, unless the problem is a recent problem that is happening to everyone, which is why you searched the boards first. So if you can’t find your answer on the boards already, then it likely isn’t happening to everyone. There are a number of reasons that that game could not be working properly. It could be that you did something wrong or it could be something that is normal that you have never seen before. So be descriptive. State what happened, when it occurred, and what you were doing when it happened.

5. Phrase your question in a way that gets your question actually answered – There is a difference between “what is the link to the Neopian pound?” and “Can someone tell me how I can navigate to the pound?” You probably want to make sure that your question and your answers are worded in a way where you won’t forget and need to ask again. So, make sure you are stating what you are really looking for.

6. Write clearly – How can we answer you if we don’t understand what you are writing? That one petpet has a name and unless you are asking for the name of it, use it on the board. Spell it correctly too. This also means NO CHATSPEAK! Most people will avoid you like a bad case of the hoochie coochies if you use chatspeak. Another good idea is to always use pronunciation marks in your sentences. People like to know where one sentence begins and another ends. Also, make sure your post is readable. Yellow fonts are cute and match that avatar quite well, but I can’t read a word of what you write.

7. Pay attention to the speeds the boards are moving at – You may think you are being ignored, but really, there is no secret group of people trying to prevent you from getting help. Some boards are just slower than others and there may be nobody on the board that can answer your question. Some boards, such as the pound chat boards, are very popular and have a lot of boards that move very quickly. You may have to rescue your post a number of times. Before you post on unfamiliar boards, pay attention to the board’s speed by refreshing a few times. If there are constantly new topics moving back and forth, odds are the boards are moving fast and people do not have a chance to see your question. If the boards don’t look like they have moved in several refreshes, odds are the boards are slower.

8. Do NOT make another board – More boards do not equal faster answers. The only exception to this is if your first board has already fallen to page two.

9. Do NOT bump your board – On the neoboard screen, the number of posts your specific board has is visible. If you are constantly posting in your own board, people will see the number of posts and assume your question has been answered. Unless your board is close to the bottom of the boards list, leave it alone. Someone will eventually see that nobody has posted in your board and try to respond to you. Exceptions occur if your description of the problem takes up several posts.

10. Have patience – While some problems may be more urgent than others, getting upset will not make anyone help you any faster. If nobody responds to your board, it is not because you are being ignored. Just check back every few minutes to see if your question gets answered. It is possible that nobody actually knows the answer to your question.

11. Don’t assume the first answer is always right – Take what you read with a grain of salt. Sometimes the best of intentions aren’t always the right answers. If you are getting conflicting answers, ask for clarification.

12. Pay it forward – I know I remember those who I see helping out on the boards a lot, and I try to help them in return, so I bet there are a few others on the board who try to as well.

13. Give thanks – You don’t have to do much. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. It shows people you appreciated their help and that you got your question answered appropriately.