Tip #9

Find answers to common problems in Groups.

Google Groups monitors the content of Newsgroups on the Web.

I find that a lot of people are completely unaware that newsgroups exist.

If you don't know about them you're missing something.

Fifteen years ago we called them BBS (Bulletin Board Service). There is a group set up on a given subject and you get people who post questions or comments and other people who post answers.

If you have a problem with your computer or with your car or your soufflé won't rise, it's probable that someone else has had the same problem and has posted a solution to it on a newsgroup.

With computer problems I just enter the exact error message and I always find a discussion thread on that problem and usually end-up with a solution in a few minutes.