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Author Topic: Please read before reporting a bug or typo  (Read 9685 times)

Trerro

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Please read before reporting a bug or typo
« on: October 11, 2009, 07:21:44 am »
Please let us know about any bugs you find, as well as any other errors - even if it's just a typo. Here's a few things to help get the issue fixed ASAP:

Be clear about exactly where the error or bug occurs.
Good example #1: On the main page for (whatever), the last sentence has an extra "the" in it.
Good example #2: If you use use (skill name) followed by (item name), you get a weird decimal number of chaos credits.
Bad example #1: You forgot a period in that 12 page FAQ you wrote.
Bad example #2: ZOMGITLOGGEDMEOUTFORNOREASON!

In good example #1, we know exactly where the error is, and can fix it in minutes.
In good example #2, we know how to reproduce the bug, and should be able to track down the error in a reasonable amount of time.
In bad example #1, it could take hours to find where that period should be, if we find it at all.
In bad example #2, we have no idea where it dumped your login, or what you were doing at the time. We don't even know for sure that there even is something we need to fix, as opposed to say... you hitting a script as the server rebooted, or your security software eating your session cookie.

If you get an error message, please post it.
Sometimes it'll only give a general idea of what went wrong, but some error messages (to a programmer) are quite obvious, and are specific down to the exact function that's bugged... sometimes even the exact line of code. Even the more cryptic ones give us SOME idea of what failed, and can help narrow down the possibilities.

Try to repeat the error.
This is for 2 reasons - it ensures it wasn't just a fluke ('net connections cutting out for a few seconds can cause all sorts of weird issues, as can things like having the bad luck of trying something right as we reboot the server), and it lets you tell us how to trigger the bug, which makes it much easier to track down where the problem is.

Don't ridiculously overexploit things.
If you find a way to dupe items, get free chaos credits, etc, then test it a few times to make sure you know how to reliably do it, but then report it, along with what you got as a result of your tests. Try to do as little damage to the system as possible when testing - if you spawn credits for instance, don't spend them.

Don't flame.
Yes, stuff breaks. Yes, sometimes RL prevents us from fixing a bug the day it's discovered. It happens. Screaming and ranting isn't helping it get fixed, IS making you look like an ass, and is forcing us to read around the swearing to even see what the problem is... if you even bothered to describe it. This helps no one, yourself included.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2010, 01:23:22 am by Trerro »
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