stuck on playlist creation

[cooljibbinx]

how do i compile a playlist without erasing what was on it before everything i do replaces it

[Llorean]

Check out the "Insert" option in the playlist menu. It's described in the manual.

[Febs]

First, could you please use punctuation, as required by our posting guidelines?  Your post is very difficult to read.

Second, what have you tried so far?  Have you read the sections in the Rockbox Manual related to playlists?  How are you trying to add songs to your playlist currently?

[imsjry]

As someone new to this forum, I cannot believe how rude people are here. It makes me want to uninstall the software just by coming here. Lighten up people!! It is only a music player software! What is the point of a support forum if every response is "read the manual" or "use the Wiki"?? Both of which are almost impossible to digest for the average user I might add. Unreal....

[Llorean]

We aren't paid. You start paying me, and I'll start dedicating more time to this forum. As it is, we only have so much time. We spent a lot of it writing the manual.

To ensure that we have enough time to answer the questions that AREN'T in the manual, we require people to read the manual first.

If you can't be bothered to do that, leave. Honestly, we don't mind. We're volunteers, so you leaving means less work, while still not getting paid, an actual net gain. So while I don't want to run anybody off, I'm not going to stay up nights crying if they decide that what we consider simple requirements are unacceptable. Of course, what we'd *prefer* is that instead of simply complaining about the manual, you contribute back by suggesting how it can be improved. We didn't TRY to make it hard to understand, but of course everyone who complains it is never contributes by writing new parts to it.

No, their solution is simply "Your manual is bad, so YOU should waste more of YOUR spare time doing things for me like answering every little question I have that you've already answered 400 times, because I can't waste any of MY spare time trying to improve things, because my time is so vastly more valuable than yours."

Seriously, where exactly is there something that says "Because we wrote the software and give it away for free, we're suddenly obligated to answer every little question about someone else who installs it?" Or even "because we host a forum, we're obligated not to have rules, or not to expect people to follow them?"

[AlexP]

"read the manual" or "use the Wiki"?? Both of which are almost impossible to digest for the average user I might add.

Please tell us where and how and we will try to improve it.  It is very hard to anticipate what other people will find difficult.

[Febs]

As someone new to this forum, I cannot believe how rude people are here. It makes me want to uninstall the software just by coming here. Lighten up people!! It is only a music player software! What is the point of a support forum if every response is "read the manual" or "use the Wiki"?? Both of which are almost impossible to digest for the average user I might add. Unreal....

What exactly would you suggest I do to help this person?  He has written a post that is very difficult to understand.  He hasn't given me any guidance on what difficulty he is having.  He hasn't provided any of the information that our posting guidelines require for support questions, like the version number of the build he is using, the platform on which he is running Rockbox, or what he has done so far that is causing a problem for him.  I asked him three questions that are specifically designed to elicit information that will help me to help him:

1.  "What have you tried so far?"

This is basic support information.  It is required to be provided by our posting guidelines.  If he doesn't provide it, then we have absolutely no way of knowing where to start in trying to help him solve his problem.

2.  "Have you read the sections in the Rockbox Manual related to playlists?"

I am trying to establish a baseline for how much knowledge this particular person may have with respect to creating playlists.  Oof course, if he has not read the manual, then my first suggestion to him is going be that he do so and then come back with specific questions.  There are several reasons for this.  First, it is more efficient to put an explanation of how to do certain things in one place--the manual--than in forum posts in response to every single user who has a question.  That is why the manual exists.  Second, of course, it is more likely than not that the manual will actually answer his question.  Third, even if it doesn't directly answer his question, it may give him a better general understanding of how playlists work and the terminology that we use to refer to playlist items, which will make it easier for him (a) to articulate the problem that he is having, and (b) to understand whatever suggestions that we are able to provide once he articulates the problem.

3.  "How are you trying to add songs to your playlist currently?

Again, this is basic information that is required by our posting guidelines.  He hasn't provided this information.  Thus, any suggestions I make would be pure guesswork that may not relate to the particular difficulty that he is having.  It is simply not very efficient or productive for me to sit here and guess what he has done that is causing the problem when he could provide that information to me.  If he had done that in his initial post, then his question might have been answered immediately (and in fact, Llorean's original post in this thread may be the answer, but we don't know because he hasn't provided us with enough information to understand exactly what it is he is doing wrong), but since he has not done so, it is perfectly appropriate for us to pose this question to him.

Finally, imsjry, I note that you have not made any attempt whatsoever to answer his question, and have chosen instead to simply whine.  To be perfectly honest, I find THAT to be rude, not our response to the original post.  We always welcome constructive suggestions about how the manual could be improved.  If you have constructive suggestions, please feel free to post them in a forum thread with an appropriate title, or, better yet, in the "patch tracker" part of our Flyspray tracker under the category "Manual."  If you do not have constructive suggestions and just want to complain, please save your breath.

[imsjry]

First off, I don't have the foggiest idea how to help the user. I would assume there are many on here that do. But most posts I read here where someone asks a question, it's always read this or read that or follow the rules. It's a general tone of being scolded for even having the nerve to post a question that is covered in the 150 page (!) manual. The time it takes to post something like that, you could be engaging in actually helping the person. Isn't that what the forum is for?

Of course I appreciate all the hard work people have put into the freeware and documentation. Some posted that you don't get paid. Well, by many of the responces I would assume you do and that we are taking up your work time with our silly questions. And you guys need to realize Rockbox it isn't as simple to manage as most of the original product software, so of course people are going to have many questions. I assume that is what the forum was created for in the first place, right?

[Febs]

First off, I don't have the foggiest idea how to help the user. I would assume there are many on here that do. But most posts I read here where someone asks a question, it's always read this or read that or follow the rules. It's a general tone of being scolded for even having the nerve to post a question that is covered in the 150 page (!) manual.

That is because our posting guidelines REQUIRE that the user consult the manual before starting a thread.

The time it takes to post something like that, you could be engaging in actually helping the person.

False.  You apparently have not read, or at least have not understood, my last post.   The original post does not contain sufficient information to allow me to help the original poster.  Thus, I ask questions designed to elicit the information that I need in order to help the user.  If you still do not understand this, then I strongly suggest that you read the "How to Ask Questions the Smart Way" link in my signature.

[AlexP]

Some posted that you don't get paid. Well, by many of the responces I would assume you do and that we are taking up your work time with our silly questions.

None, absolutley none, of us get paid.  The software, the support is all voluntary in our spare time.  We try our best and want to help, but we just ask for a little help in return, such as reading the documentation that we (and most a lot more than me) have put in lots of time in our spare time to write.  Just because someone can't be bothered to read a 150 page manual in their spare time doesn't mean I am going to continually type out the same response that is already in the manual in my spare time.

However, I will admit that sometimes I can get a little short, and for that I apologise.  We all of us have real lives, and sometimes pressures can mount up.  Rather than stop helping altogether during these periods, I like to still try to.  Some may say that is the wrong decision.