| title | updated_at | extra_styles |
|---|---|---|
Helper Tools and Commmands |
2023-10-15 |
roles |
This page details the tools that are available to helpers within help channels and the help forum.
An "occupied" or "pending" channel can be closed at any time by either its owner or by people with the @Helpful role using the .close command. When used in #help-forum{: .mention}, this functions the same as .solved.
If a channel is "closed" or "available", it can be reopened by the previous owner or by people with the @Helpful role using the .reopen command. Note that, after a short period following closure, help channels are locked and are unable to be reopened. When used in #help-forum{: .mention}, this functions the same as .unsolved.
Marks a forum post as solved. Can be used by the previous owner or by people with the @Helpful role.
Mark a forum post as unsolved. Can be done by the owner of the thread or by people with the @Helpful role.
A factoid is a short command that can be used to prompt @Bot to recall a single message containing text. Factoids can be triggered by a command-like syntax: !<name of factoid>. The name can be followed by anything, and the bot will choose the longest prefix that matches a known factoid. Below is a list of all help-related factoids, alongside their content. These can be used by all users.
Please only use the Helpers ping once if your question has not been answered for 15 minutes. Please do not ping or DM individual users about your question.
To ask for mathematics help on this server, please open your own help channel or help thread. See #how-to-get-help{: .mention} for instructions.
What step are you on?
- I don't know where to begin
- I have begun but got stuck midway
- I got an answer but I'm told it's wrong
- I got an answer and would like my work checked
- I have a question about someone else's worked solution
- None of the above
Show your work, and if possible, explain where you are stuck.
Please stick to your channel.
Helpers are just people volunteering their time to help you. Be polite and patient.
As a helper, please do not give out answers that could be copied as a homework solution. Have the student work through the problem themselves and guide them along the way.
Please do not advertise your help channel or thread in other parts of the server. There are many people who need help, and no one person can be prioritized over other people, so please patiently wait. Anyone who chooses to help you is a volunteer who is doing so out of their own kindness.
Please don't repeatedly close and claim a new channel with the exact same question. This erases all previous progress made towards your problem and is confusing for helpers, making it more difficult to help you. Please be patient, even if your channel has not received much attention.
Someone else is already using this help channel. If you need help with a question, please open your own help channel/thread (see #how-to-get-help{: .mention} for instructions).
This channel is only for on-topic discussion. Please take casual conversation to #discussion or #chill.
Please wait patiently, and do not interrupt other channels with your question. Helpers in this server are volunteers, and the server does not guarantee that someone else will help you. By being impatient or begging, you will only turn potential helpers away.
In the meantime, please make sure your channel contains the original question and clearly describes what you have already tried and what you are having trouble with. This increases your chances of getting a response.
The original post of this help channel has been deleted, and it will abruptly close and possibly lock. (This is irreversible.) Please claim a new channel, and don't delete the first message of any future channel you claim.
Please show the original problem, exactly as it was stated to you. A picture or screenshot is best.
If the original problem is not in English, then post it anyway! The additional context might still help helpers help you. Do your best to translate.
No need to ask "Can I ask...?" or "Does anyone know about...?"—it's faster for everyone if you just ask your question! See https://dontasktoask.com/
Please do not ping individual helpers unprompted.
Please do not trust ChatGPT or similar AI tools for mathematical tasks, as they often generate output which "sounds correct" but has numerous factual or logical errors. Use of these AI tools to answer other people's help questions is strictly against server rules (see #rules{: target="_blank" .mention}).