Suggestion to help CODE tagging

Suggestion to help people post Auto-Scans in a forum-friendly way: have VCDS write some BBcode tags right into the scan!

A simple mock-up:


Then, just copy the existing vBulletin CODE BBcode definition into a new one called VCDS. Done and done.

You might even see other forums with heavy VCDS use adopt the custom BBcode as well.

Jason

This forum uses BBcode tags, what do you want to show?

Keithuk said:

This forum uses BBcode tags, what do you want to show?

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Ross-Tech would like people to use CODE tags when posting Auto-Scans to the forum, but teaching all the new users that show up is like Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the hill over and over again. It's hard enough to convince them to post Auto-Scans at all. If the Auto-Scan were pre-tagged, this would be less of be a problem. Having VCDS put CODE tags in the Auto-Scan text would look a bit tacky, but if you call the tag VCDS instead of CODE, it blends in a little better. Adding custom BBcode to vBulletin is easy, particularly if you're just copying another tag, so that is the direction I suggested.

Edit: with a little custom vBulletin work, it could even be used to encourage people to post Auto-Scans. There are existing vBulletin mods which do similar things, which might be adapted to this purpose. If a user tries to start a thread in one of the Support forums without an Auto-Scan pasted into the body, vBulletin could be made to insert a step where the user is gently educated on the topic, and then asked "do you reeeally want to start this thread without an Auto-Scan, because more than likely, the very first reply will be someone asking you for an Auto-Scan."

Jason

I agree Jason - there must be something that can be done to simplify the process.
Until the R-T forum came along the idea of the CODE tag didn't make sense, and now I despise scrolling 17 screens worth of data.

A little rant, if I may....

• If there was a half a cent for every time I begged someone to "post a complete un-molested Auto-Scan" I'd be dictating this while lounging on a solid rhodium chaise being fanned and fed grapes
• Attached text files ain't getting downloaded, thank goodness Uwe had the good sense to not allow them here
• "P" codes? Really? <grumpy cat face> I flat out tell people on other forums I'm not looking them up unless there is something unusually relevant about them, and a sage man once said "we speak VAG here"
• The number of times there is more to the story is, oh, roughly 99% as seen in the Auto-Scan
• Replace your damn battery people - they aren't 9 volts by design and don't last 25 years, but if you can justify running it down through lack of knowledge I'll let it go
• We've all seen a lot of Auto-Scans, don't play games since we can smell the scamsters, $19 code readers, and get a wee bit suspicious if you have v10
• Buy access to erWin or Bentley - it's not 1976 anymore when there were 10 wires in a car ya cheap bastard !
• And lastly, I'm doing this in my spare time as an enthusiast, help me help you

From the company chatroom:

(9:45:30 AM) Dana_: I wish we had a Love this post button
(9:45:36 AM) Dana_: in regards to Jake's rant

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-Uwe-

jakematic said:

If there was a half a cent for every time I begged someone to "post a complete un-molested Auto-Scan" I'd be dictating this while lounging on a solid rhodium chaise being fanned and fed grapes

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Preach on, brother.

jakematic said:

Buy access to erWin or Bentley - it's not 1976 anymore when there were 10 wires in a car ya cheap bastard !

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I think a lot of people, myself included until recently, look at $35/day and say "hell no" to that. However, the PDF downloads seem to survive. It might be useful to put up a walk-through up to the effect of: sign up at erWin for a day, download your vehicle data sticker (PR code list), download every repair and SSP PDF you can lay hands on for your car, and just save that indefinitely. It would solve a lot of people's repair info problems for cheaper than they think.

jakematic said:

And lastly, I'm doing this in my spare time as an enthusiast, help me help you.

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Yup. I still can't believe the one guy we ran into that flat-out refused to post an Auto-Scan after being asked repeatedly.

On my Round Tuit list, behind some TPMS stuff I told Sebastian I'd gather up, is a running-edited post containing all the times I've seen an Auto-Scan be incredibly relevant and useful in ways the poster wasn't originally aware of. I thought it might be of use in persuading people. I had some rough notes set aside, don't have the direct thread links gathered up yet...

Why Auto-Scan?

Lots of cars being supported here

Clarifies problems when there are language barriers

Differences between model years
Also, UK plate numbers are useless

Differences between cars in the SAME model year
CECM/BCM midyear switch on some 2010 model??

Detailed information on each module helps with research
identifies software versions, if applicable
identifies coding values
helps turn up TPI/TSB info
identifies retrofits
identifies modules that may be the wrong for that car

VAG codes aren't P/B/U-codes

The same code can mean different things when present on different modules

Things that are missing can be just as important as things that are present
Modules missing entirely from the auto-scan

Nobody cares about your VIN, and you can X out the last 6 digits if you care

Sometimes Ross-Tech needs info to help improve VCDS for you
VCDS itself might have trouble on your car, particularly very new ones

Yes, piracy...
But everyone is pre-qualified already in the Ross-Tech forums

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On my Round Tuit list, behind some TPMS stuff I told Sebastian I'd gather up, is a running-edited post containing all the times I've seen an Auto-Scan be incredibly relevant and useful in ways the poster wasn't originally aware of. I thought it might be of use in persuading people. I had some rough notes set aside, don't have the direct thread links gathered up yet...

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Ah, but you presume that people will read! See my blog post on that subject! (http://forums.ross-tech.com/entry.php?6-Is-reading-really-a-bad-thing)

Bruce said:

Ah, but you presume that people will read! See my blog post on that subject!

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I assume no such thing. Pre-tagging the Auto-Scan within VCDS would have the advantage of working without any user intervention whatsoever.

As for getting them to actually post an Auto-Scan? Like I mentioned earlier, one possibility would be using a vBulletin mod to place a minor speed-bump in the way of starting a new thread that don't appear to contain an Auto-Scan. Sort of like a profanity filter, in reverse. Your post must contain a string that looks like an Auto-Scan preamble or you're sent back to edit it again, OR check this check-box that says "i am affirmatively choosing not to post an Auto-Scan because of some good reason." That's a lot more work though, and starting with CODE/VCDS tags would help a lot IMO.

Jason