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Seeking Help

(16 posts) (10 voices)

Started 14 years ago by ibwebb
Latest reply from copmom

ibwebb
Member

I know that I have benefited greatly from the knowledge of the staff and members here on GOTD. I also know that I am not the only one who has, has appreciated, and tried to help others. I think it is a testament to the 'family' we have built here and how helpful/wonderful everyone is to jump right in and help someone in need.

I was just wondering if it would be possible that instead of just posting it under one of the general topics if it would be possible to perhaps make a topic that is just for this reason. Maybe "Seeking Help" or such; where people could put these kind of questions or needs. It would make it easier to find them and also make it clear when someone is actually looking/needing help instead of a suggestion of something to others. Yet, maybe I am over thinking the the whole thing, but thought I would ask/suggest it.

ibwebb

Posted 14 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

Sounds like a good idea.

Posted 14 years ago #
notblocklox
retired

Hi, ibwebb,

I don't know if I understand you correctly. You suggest that we should have a topic with the title "Seeking Help" ?
I don't think that it is very useful when everybody puts different questions under the same topic. Very soon that thread would look like our word games - nobody could find the answers on his question from 2 days before.

We exist to discuss software, share tips and help one another.
As BuBBy wrote.

From this point of view the entire forums are designed for seeking and finding help; even software suggestions are a kind of help.
Well, we have a lot of chit chat topics too, they help us not to forget to smile now and then :)

graylox

Posted 14 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

may be Help me Please, or Need Help Please,The only one can see is Talks – Off-topic forum, Installation and activation problems, and may be make one all windows or windows XP, Vista, Windows 7

Posted 14 years ago #
watcher13
Member

Although I like the idea, I agree with NBL that it needs more refinement. Just a general seeking help topic would end up with everything but the kitchen sink - to quote the cliche - because it's certain that you'd end up with multiple discussions at the same time, since someone would need to bring up a new topic before the last one(s) is (are) finished.

On the other hand, NBL, it seems you (was it you?) closed a topic on Wills because it was off the software topic. Do we need to stick to software here, or can we broaden it out? I'm concerned that we accidentally look hypocritical when we tell someone that they're too far afield and then have all these - admittedly entertaining - deviations. Maybe you and our other good moderators need to kick this around some. I'm concerned that we might have gotten a little mechanical in accepting what we're used to and rejecting something just because we're not used to it. I'm very big on not accidentally sending mixed messages to our new members. If we do that, we may end up just talking to ourselves. On the other hand, I realize we have to draw the line somewhere or the forum may become too unwieldy.

Posted 14 years ago #
ibwebb
Member

Well honestly, I left it open with the assumption that it would be questions about software/computers as they usually are.. or at least those I have asked and seen asked. I don't know how narrow you want to make it. I mean if you want to narrow it to just software then I have broken that several times. If you want to narrow it to just software that is free or on GOTD then you need to delete about half the forum. I realize that it might get a bit deep, but after it has been resolved or a limited amount of time let it 'fall off'. I know that the forums I have worked on (though it seems a looooong time ago) always had a way to set a time limit for how long a topic could stay before being auto deleted. This was defaulted to so long after the last response. Since that was a looong time ago; I am sure this had the same type of option. If it isn't what you want or isn't possible for the sake of the moderators, that is fine. It was a suggestion. One I thought would clean up some of the other topics that get flooded with them.

As for the Canadian Will and Testament.. I answered that and thought it was software related. I was under the assumption that he was looking for software or template download (ok template is very loosely software) and that is what my answers gave him.

Posted 14 years ago #
watcher13
Member

Well ibwebb, we're saying we're not sure we need a catch all thread title. You know, it just occurred to me, maybe a catch all thread theme. Maybe add Seeking Help to the list of forum themes. Then the posters could still give it whatever title they thought the most descriptive and we could still keep each thread clean by keeping it mostly limited to one topic. What do you think? Unless that's what you meant, add it to the forum themes at the bottom. I didn't take it that way, and I don't think NBL did either. If that's the case, I don't see a problem with it. I'm working under the assumption you meant a catch all thread, like the stickies.

They've never done time limits around here that I know of. I think they wanted to have everything available as a searchable reference, as it is. I didn't have a strong opinion on how much limiting to have one way or another. I think we've pretty much struck up a good balance. But I brought it up because I didn't find anything wrong with the Last Will thread. Some moderators do think that type of thread is too far afield. That's why I suggested they might want to put their heads together about it. I've seen very few threads that a moderator thought needed closing because they were too far from what the board was "supposed" to cover that I would have actually closed or even given a 2nd thought.

As to getting off topic, I posted in another thread that sometimes it happens because someone starts out by mentioning something they think is just going to be a btw, and it unintentionally turns into a hairy problem or it strikes a chord with a bunch of people and away we go. I think it's a lot easier than you'd think. Like what NBL was saying above that spurred me to add that part of the discussion to my comment above.

Posted 14 years ago #
wizzard_of_ozz2004
Games Master

I think ibwebb was actually meaning the forum themes as they mentioned the general topics. I think that may not be a bad idea. That being said, the forum is a place to discuss computer related topics and software. The only help threads that should be included would be computers and software. Questions about living will papers, really have no place on a software related site. I saw your response to the question ibwebb and it was a great response and I'm sure the person was thankful. However, lady gray was correct in that the topic had no place here. Think of it this way...I'm having trouble with the engine in my car. I come here and post a question for help. You respond giving me a website with a manual available on how to fix it. Though you responded well, my question wasn't appropriate to this forum.

Posted 14 years ago #
watcher13
Member

I'm okay with that, Wiz, is just it might look kind of funny to a newbie when they see word association games, and coke machine games, and picture post threads. I think these are okay for entertainment of the forum members, I just think we sometimes get too complacent with our own judgement. If we say "only software" then we deviate from it, do we look consistent? I think every once in a while we should challenge our assumptions to make sure we're still living up to our intentions. After all, they used to throw virgins into volcanos. :) Let's do things because we think they're right, not because we've always done them that way. I'm not saying you and Graylox aren't 100% right. I'm just not a big fan of summary judgement. It would help once in awhile to make sure we're mostly on the same page. I think nobody can speak with 100% certainty until they come up with some kind of justification/policy for the threads that already deviate. If I come here thinking this is all about software and I see word association, why would I continue to assume that only software posts are appropriate.

After all, that thread was only asking for a website recommendation. Hoss already has a nice little thread on interesting and useful websites, and I, for one am glad it's here.

Posted 14 years ago #
notblocklox
retired

Thanks wiz :)
I closed that "will" topic with an advice how to google; I did not delete it, no harm to anybody. When someone has another valuable answer for this user - please send them a PM.

The moderators and the administrators of the GOTD forums don't work as a professional service crew, which delivers ready solutions for every issue. I think the best we can do is to maintain the framework for helping others to help themselves.
I'm afraid we have to live with our "framework", with the structure of the GOTD forums.
It's not perfect. However, it's in our hands to make the most of it by respecting some standards of communication. Is that asking too much? Those few "rules" which I'm citing a lot too often are very basic and self-explanatory.

Some users are complaining that it is hard to find things in the forums (they are not wrong) but OTOH they make it even harder by posting unrelated questions or off topic comments. In other forums the mods delete OT posts in the interest of readability without any discussion. Even though the modlox has a bad reputation, I wouldn't be so harsh. I think all of us have been off topic now and then (I was, more than once). The border between Trolls, Spammers and the inexperienced users is sometimes very small. I won't discuss with the "bad guys", and hope that a hint at the "rules" will show the newbies how to handle it the next time.

Having said all that and with the hope for a little bit more discipline with future postings, I still don't think, that we need a special forum/thread/topic for "Seeking Help", and not for XP and Vista and Win7....

graylox

PS: Hopefully my words make any sense - LOL
Some health/medicine issues together with my poor English make my head spin. :P

................
EDIT
@ Watcher
The word-games you are referring to, are under the forums "Talk". An Off-Topic Forum that every other forum I have visited has - just for a smile.
Several other threads are in the wrong house, and if I could, I would push them under the right roof. But that's something a mod can't - or at least not a modlox.
................
2nd EDIT

I just learnt how to move a thread - LOL
This option must be new, I'm sure it wasn't possible for me before. I always asked BuBBy to do it.
You are never too old to learn something new :P

Posted 14 years ago #
watcher13
Member

Complete Edit:

Sorry, NBL, I was not aware that a moderator couldn't change the theme a topic was posted under. Still, why close the topic? Not that it's a big problem, but, if no one here can help, there would be no posts, anyway. As you know, that happens frequently.

And that's not the explanation that's been given in this thread. The explanation here was that it was off topic - which still doesn't explain all the examples I've given. I didn't think you were being harsh at all. I'm saying that sometimes we talk to ourselves, here. Things that are so obvious to us are sometimes not even close to obvious to new visitors. So we unintentionally can come off harsh or arbitrary or inconsistent.

In any case, I won't burden you folks with a long argument. I'll make that my last word on the subject.

Edit:
Btw, I've always been under the impression that you were an immigrant to Germany and that English was your first language, if that tells you anything about the quality of your posts.

Edit: One more thing strikes me. Maybe the easiest thing would be to give moderators the ability to move any off topic posts to the talk forum, if that would be easy to do technically. That's why have that forum, obviously. To be truthful, the individual forums don't really do much, except for people digging back.

Posted 14 years ago #
Robert
StrayCat

I guess we all made our point here.
IMHO a little off topic something never did hurt anyone and we should not discourage a (new) member from posting.
Lox did not delete the topic,I appreciate that,she only told Mickey the proper way to look for an answer.And ibwebb provided some useful links to the subject.
There's has to be a line somewhere,a line that is drawn by the mods of this forum but to keep this forum alive,this should be thin one.
Even the odd hijacking of a topic in the past has proved to revive the forums.
Not to sweet-talk anyone but this forum is doing very well as it is now.
:)
And Yes,ibwebb a new theme 'I need help' is not a bad idea after all.
We all might need some help someday, somehow...and it strengthens the community bond.

Posted 14 years ago #
ibwebb
Member

First, I am sorry if I misspoke. I understand why the topic was closed and agree. I just misunderstood and thought that person was looking for software for the will and testament. Yet, enough of that. It was handled well imho.

Yes, I did mean a theme.. shows my age of the last time I helped on a forum, I guess. I figured that if there was a theme with Seeking Help (or whatever) then when someone went to it they would know they are looking at people asking for help. Then when the people were asking help the title/topic would show what they wanted (i.e. Need help about photoshop - windows xp). Then when it was clicked on they would have their paragraph (or so.. I know that some of us are long winded *blush*) and you would know what they (the person in need) was looking for. I think that would dismiss any need for separate themes/topics for each OS or anything. Just a thought and if not a 'do able' thing; then no biggie. Like I said, I thought it would help keep some of the clutter away from other topics.

As for the time limit. I don't mean it on all. The forum I worked on was for a MUD (Multi User Dungeon) and one of our topics was "Help me!". It was for those people that had a specific trouble with something that needed help when an Imm (Immortal - staff member) didn't happen to be on. Well, the chance of that question being asked or needed again was slim. If it was something that might come up lots.. it became a sticky inside that topic/theme. If it wasn't then so many days (I think we used 30 days) with no further replies let it 'fall off'. Though I am not a code man; it seems that it was set that it had to have some answer before the timer started, but I am not sure. Like I said I wasn't a coder and don't know much (if any) about that stuff.

I hope that clears up what I meant, but like I said if it isn't possible, workable, or wanted then no big deal. I just thought I would suggest it.

Hope you all have a great day and a better night!
ibwebb

Posted 14 years ago #
Terri218
Member

I think it will help a lot that we can PM each other now. If someone posts an "off-topic" question but someone knows the answer and wants to help, they can PM that information directly to the asker rather than posting it to everyone.

Posted 14 years ago #
aRenegade
Member

http://yedda.com

Posted 14 years ago #
copmom
Member

Might be good to have the sticky topic called "Seeking help with:" and then the person posting can put their sub-topic. Wouldn't that keep things simpler?

Posted 14 years ago #

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