Sometimes, it seems that you don't get very many responses to threads/posts - especially layout threads. Why is that?

There are a few factors involved in getting responses:

• Issue: Weekends...especially summer and holiday weekends, are usually not very active here - especially if it takes any time to respond. I recommend posting during the week and late afternoon/early evening Eastern time so your thread is on page 1 and will be seen by more people - especially those just stopping by for a few minutes after work and b/f making dinner or heading out for the evening. After dinner can also be a good time...

• Issue: Subjects...I know there isn't a lot of space for a subject (70 chars), but make the subjects
  1. Relevant to the topic of the post and
  2. Descriptive - cryptic subjects like "counter" or "need help" aren't very useful and may not draw in the people who can help!

• Issue: Formatting...It would also be helpful and more productive not to post in one long paragraph. Instead, break it up into paragraphs and lists, organizing the content with white space b/w paragraphs so people can read and comprehend things quickly and easily.

• Issue: Pictures that are too small. In many cases, people ask for help but the pictures are too small to read (layouts) and/or see to answer questions.

• Issue: Ignoring responders. Another deterrent is a poster who does not at least acknowledge those who have responded. Even if you don't like the response, at least acknowledge it. There have been many times in the past when someone has spent a couple of hours (or more) working on a layout for the poster and the poster never responded or responded to others and completely ignored what that person did - no comments at all. While we don't expect gushing and over the top thank-yous, it would be nice to know
  1. That the poster read and reviewed what the person did and
  2. Whether the person produced something useful or if there were some things that could be changed/tweaked for them.
  "Silence is Golden" is definitely not a rule here!

• Issue: Links instead of Pictures. Post actual pictures - not links to pictures. It's much more convenient and easier for us to see the picture in the message than to have to go elsewhere to see it.

• Issue: Lack of visual aids. Pictures! Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words around here! When asking for advice on layouts, color combinations, problems, or just about anything else that has a "visual", post one or more pictures. We need to see what you're talking about. Often people will just give the names of their selections and expect readers to go off and search the internet for them - but most of us don't have time for that!

• Finally, much as some might not like to hear it, we often do go the "extra mile" to respond to posters who have also been contributing on the Forum - even the "old timers" who aren't here that often anymore will probably get more responses.

• You don't have to be an expert to contribute to the forum. You can start by commenting on in-progress or finished kitchens. You can learn a lot by studying other people's kitchens (in progress and finished) and asking questions about them. So take the plunge and start responding and helping others - it will help you in the end as well!

Please remember that we are all volunteers here, we are not getting paid to do this - we do it out of our love of kitchens and helping others to get the best designed kitchen possible that meets your needs (and budget!)

Some of the regulars don't have the time we used to to respond with full-blown layouts or lengthy layout critiques...b/w family and job, my time, for example, has become very precious - and family comes b/f Kitchens! (I do occasionally have time and will stop by...) However, what is great about this site is that "new regulars" seem to appear who take the time to learn how to help (e.g., learn best practices for designing a kitchen) and can fill the gap when others begin to drop off the site - so welcome old and new!