Message board help

[jacobtaxbook]

For the expert and long-time TTB message board users - Any advice how to specifically reply to a certain comment and/or an entire thread? Also any other helpful hints or tricks for new message board users?

Everyone: We can't thank you enough for the continued business and support of our company. From everyone at Tax Materials, Inc. - we truly appreciate everything you do!

All my best,
Jacob Meyer

[Uncle Sam]

Message Board Help

Just continue on doing the quality work you've been doing.

[Rapid Robert]

For the expert and long-time TTB message board users - Any advice how to specifically reply to a certain comment and/or an entire thread? Also any other helpful hints or tricks for new message board users?

Cut and paste is the simplest and most reliable. It's been noted that sometimes the "reply with quote" feature doesn't work very well.

Other advice: figure out the difference between display modes: hybrid, linear, and threaded (and let us know when you do!). I use hybrid mode. The browser uses cookies on your local device to track which posts you've already read, and which are new. Once you log out, all unread messages are marked as read (at least, they are for me). So, when you come back, whether logged in or not, you can quickly see which threads have new posts.

[FEDUKE404]

Unrelated question

I no longer receive email notifications that a member response has been posted to a thread I originated / have commented on.

Same ID, same password, same computer, same email address, same (Win 10) software . . .but the last "reply to thread" email I received was in late April.

I have not knowingly changed any TTB user settings.

Any ideas?? Thanks.

FE

[Guest]

Message Board Help

The option to "subscribe to your thread" and receive email notifications is on a per thread basis. In order to receive email updates when creating your thread you must select SUbscribe to thread and choose the option to receive updates via email.

I hope this answers your question.

Best regards

[FEDUKE404]

Notifications from TTB

The option to "subscribe to your thread" and receive email notifications is on a per thread basis. In order to receive email updates when creating your thread you must select SUbscribe to thread and choose the option to receive updates via email.

I hope this answers your question.

Best regards

That must be a recent (since April or so) change?

( Would this apply to any message I choose to answer, or only to a thread which I originated as the first post? )

In the past, especially in tax season, my email notifications would be numerous from various comments I had made within the past week or so. At least then, I never had to take an "extra" step (per post) for such notifications to arrive. Each notification would include the disclaimer "There may also be other replies, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again."

Guess I just need to check in more often, now.

FE

Just checked my settings in "Messaging & Notification"
The Default Thread Subscription Mode is set to "Instantly, using email" which I've never changed.
Also shown is "When you post a new thread, or reply to a topic, you can choose to automatically add that thread to your list of subscribed threads, with the option to receive email notification of new replies to that thread."

[Snaggletooth]

Some Suggestions

For the expert and long-time TTB message board users - Any advice how to specifically reply to a certain comment and/or an entire thread? Also any other helpful hints or tricks for new message board users?

Hi Jacob, I guess it's no surprise that you would hear from me - I've been accused of being a forum "police" on occasions, and probably justifiably so.

You probably know that I am personal friends (and business associates) with a number of forum members, as well as moderators. We have lost some of them and they are posting on other boards. I've been invited to look at these boards, and in the long run, they don't have anything which merits preference to this one sponsored by TTB. One of them has a very close and tight membership group, but this is because they do not yet have the large numbers as this one.

I will repeat some of the suggestions I've made before, and hope they are well-received. For responders:
1) Answer the question. Often those who respond go off on a tangent which remotely associates with the topic, but doesn't really give an answer. Of course, there are situations where there is no real "answer" but these are in the minority and does not justify sidestepping the question.
2) Do not insult the queror by asking if they have read the code, regs, pubs, or instructions. We should assume this has already been done by the time the question arrives on the board.
3) A variation of 2) above can occur if we tell the queror can get results by talking to a third party, e.g. a banker, a lawyer, stockbroker, etc. Some benefit may be had if the question is data-specific, but the usual result is these people will not talk to us without heavy prompting from the client, and in almost all cases are not qualified to discuss application of tax treatments. Lawyers are especially useless because they don't really want to talk to you, and also believe their tax knowledge exceeds yours.
4) Do not send links, unless the link can provide a succinct and authoritative answer. Most of the links open up a 75-page publication, or to a code/reg. Keep in mind the queror already has access to these, and is looking for quicker answers as opposed to extensive reading or heavy interpretation. I will use myself as an example - not wishing to spend 2 hours reading or researching, or wading through complex, cross-referenced regs when I can often get quicker results by asking my companions on this board. There have been times when a link can give a very fast answer, and that is certainly great, but this is the exception and not the rule.
5) Avoid "shooting from the hip" unless you are really confident in your answer. This is no doubt my worst violation for which I am guilty. Best to be knowledgeable in the subject matter than to go off like a loose cannon. You don't have to answer a post if you don't know what you're talking about.

We have some excellent respondents, who are able to answer with cites, and with good common sense. I apologize for leaving many members out of such a list, but we have NYEnrolled Agent, Uncle Sam, Roland Slugg, Kathy2, and Rapid Robert, with whom I have had issues but is extremely accurate in responses. The moderators are excellent as well, but they rarely post as they have in the past. We have had others who no longer post, and the forum would be better if they returned.

I would like very much for this forum to return to its position - being the very best in bringing questions and answers from tax professionals. Jacob, we appreciate your post, and stand with TTB as it sponsors this forum and supplies a critical need for people like us.

[Super Mom]

I love this message board just as it is! Thanks!

[Uncle Sam]

Message Board Help

Thank you for the compliment Snaggletooth - I appreciate that.

One of the things I have noticed in using this board is that many times the poster of the question asks a general question - but does not provide adequate specification of facts surrounding the situation to make clear enough what is being asked. When that happens, it is then necessary to poke around and ask questions to make sure a complete set of facts are present in order to properly respond. Perhaps if a new policy can be set, that in order to respond, the poster must provide an adequate set of facts - not necessarily every detail as that will later be uncovered - but adequate enough to make a logical fact pattern of a situation. It should be assumed, that if posting here, the poster is knowledgeable enough to at least took the subject up in TTB materials to get a clear picture to describe on the board.

[Snaggletooth]

Others should be mentioned

The roll-call of excellent members left out several. Burke is certainly one of them - extremely helpful. MacToolSix sounds like a motor engine, but he is good! There are more...

[mastertaxguy]

message board help

[QUOTE=Snaggletooth;188180]Hi Jacob, I guess it's no surprise that you would hear from me - I've been accused of being a forum "police" on occasions, and probably justifiably so.

'You probably know that I am personal friends (and business associates) with a number of forum members, as well as moderators. We have lost some of them and they are posting on other boards. I've been invited to look at these boards, and in the long run, they don't have anything which merits preference to this one sponsored by TTB. One of them has a very close and tight membership group, but this is because they do not yet have the large numbers as this one.

I will repeat some of the suggestions I've made before, and hope they are well-received. For responders:......."[balance of his scintillating post deleted for space conservation]

My Response:

1. I do not consider it insulting when a reply to one of my posts/questions refers to TTB publications, rulings, regs or code provisions which I probably overlooked. It think is fair game to point such things if replying to a question as posted. It is not showing off; it is directing the "postor" to appropriate materials which may also, in the future, prove a useful research tool to that person. Yes, I am embarrassed at times to find my issue was solved with a RTFM or OTDB response, but it happens.

2. It is somewhat embarrassing for postors and me as a viewer to see posts which are clearly the subject of specific provisions in TheTaxBook individual or small business reference books. At times during tax filing season it seems like 65% of the questions raised are specifically covered by TTB. I wonder if this is more of an issue with "new" forum participants (not just a "member" or junior member). Oh, they are interesting, and yes from time I print up the post/thread and keep it on file in the office or a particular client file for future reference (more often in a digital format).

3. The related prior posts shown at the end of some 'new' posts are helpful in exploring, as I often due, issues and situations. Wonder if TTB could also include references to TTB publications (recognizing that not all of us have yet signed up for the web versions), with 'hot links'

4. Question (probably irrelevant): Do the moderators screen out or delete references to other non-Code/non-Reg/Non-IRS publications, like CCH (r) , Checkpoint(r), Parker (r)?

5. I do not care for, in particular, those "emergency" posts that often come up from some who seem to waiting for responses to finish a return. I have adopted a practice of not chiming in to those and others, where if it were to have occurred in a non-forum setting, I might be deemed a preparer. Seems to me this past filing season saw a lot of (I presume) new preparers asking how to enter this, that, and those almost line by line. Scary in a way.

6. I do find posts regarding specific software issues interesting and informative. And probably less sanitized than the "official" support webpages for Drake, Pro Series, etc.

7. It is hard at times not to make political comments regarding U.S. tax issues and proposed changes by whomever is in political power. I suggest those be permitted on any day of the week which, under the current English language calendar, is spelled with a Q or q.

8. Wonder if TM has considered compiling, for the annual editions of their reference books, a summary of the most common questions raised on the Forum in the prior year.

9. Also wonder if it would be appropriate to incorporate some of the commonly raised issues (such as those who want to treat certain workers as W-2 employees and then a few weeks later with essentially same state facts, want to treat another group of workers as Independent Contractors) in the normal text. Or even as part of the "what's new" sections.

10. Would like to see a forum for U.S. State income tax issues, and maybe one for Canadian/Canadien income taxes.

[New York Enrolled Agent]

For the expert and long-time TTB message board users - Any advice how to specifically reply to a certain comment and/or an entire thread? Also any other helpful hints or tricks for new message board users?

Everyone: We can't thank you enough for the continued business and support of our company. From everyone at Tax Materials, Inc. - we truly appreciate everything you do!

All my best,
Jacob Meyer

Free Bees Knees from the frozen tundra of the Arctic (or wherever else he is stashed away). I miss his Simon Cowell type answers on this Board.