Using Piazza

I. Looking for Answers

1. Always start by using the search function (#1) to see if someone else has posted a
similar question already.
2. Browse appropriate folders (menu bar above #2) to see if the same question was asked
using different wording.
3. If you can't find the question you want to ask, click on New Post (#3) to ask your
question.

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II. Posting on Piazza
1. Choose your post type. Explanations are given beneath each type. Since, in most of the
cases, you will be asking a question, therefore, make sure that you select the first post
type (i.e. Question).
2. Choose who will see your posts, either the whole class or the instructor alone. I would
recommend that you post your questions to whole class, so that all of us can benefit
from the discussion.
3. Select what folders (categories) your post will appear. You can select more than one,
and more people will be able to find your question if you select all that may apply.
4. Enter a brief and meaningful summary of your question
5. Enter as many details as you can. Remember that the more details you give, the more
likely you are to get a useful/helpful answer.
6. Decide how your name will be displayed. It can be the name you signed up with, or
anonymous to other students.
7. Post your question or save it as a draft to post later.

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III. What is a “GOOD QUESTION”?
 Asks only one question per post.
 Asks something that canNOT be found in the lab document, assignment statement etc.
 Includes exactly enough detail to answer the question without including solution.
 Is NOT "How do I correct my code" or "What is wrong with my code?" or "Please correct my
code" or "Give my solution of task 5".

IV. Piazza Tips

a. Ask questions!
The best way to get answers is to ask questions! Ask questions on Piazza rather than emailing
your teaching staff so everyone can benefit from the response (and so you can get answers
from classmates).
Usage tip: Search assignment and piazza first. If there is a similar question, it is best to post a
follow-up instead of a brand new question. This means less duplicates and better more
complete discussions.
b. Add a follow-up to comment or ask further questions.
To comment on or ask further questions about a post, start a follow-up discussion. Mark it
resolved when the issue has been addressed.
Usage tip: Follow-up posts help keep all discussion about that topic in one place (called a
thread). Be sure to also add any relevant information back into the Q&A above.
c. Tag your posts.
It's far more convenient to find all posts about your Assignment 1 or Lab 5 when the posts are
tagged. Type a hash tag or pound symbol (#) before a key word to tag. Click a blue tag in a
post or the question feed to filter for all posts that share that tag.
d. Format code.
Click the code button in the question editor to add pre-formatted text. Pre-formatted text
preserves your indents and spacing and makes your code easier for all to read.

V. Need More Help?

See the following link: https://support.piazza.com/support/solutions/48000185443

References:
The above material and pictures has been adapted from the following URLs:
 https://rutgers.instructure.com/courses/35/pages/piazza
 https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~deppeler/cs400/piazza.html
 https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~deppeler/cs400/piazza_tips.html

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