Over Helping

[Corey]

There seems to be an issue with people constantly reiterating information that has already been said in help threads. If someone has already answered DO NOT respond with the same answer again, even if worded differently. I'm going to start giving infractions out about this and if you have attained a certain rank it will be jeopardized. People do not need to hear from 5 others that they will not be unsuspended, one person is enough. This is called spamming and is against the rules.

 

[Sharky]

Thanks, you said it with authority, and can back up with the threat.
Now I've done the other thing I hate, and replied in News/Announcements... I guess I'll have to have a beer and think about what I've done.

 

[Livewire]

Can we start tapping report on NEW replies that start having the same problems?

I'm not about to go back and start doing it for all of them or I'd get blocked as a spammer by the ISP, but is it now considered okay to hit report on any to bring them to staff attention quicker? And if we're okay to hit report, do we need to link to this topic in the report, or should it just be "Spam" or something similar for the reason for the report?

 

[Anna]

I'd say it's enough to put "double answer" or "spam", although my personal preference would be the former

 

[adamparkzer]

There seems to be an issue with people constantly reiterating information that has already been said in help threads. If someone has already answered DO NOT respond with the same answer again, even if worded differently. I'm going to start giving infractions out about this and if you have attained a certain rank it will be jeopardized. People do not need to hear from 5 others that they will not be unsuspended, one person is enough. This is called spamming and is against the rules.

It's good that this was publicly mentioned, but sometimes, I'm afraid I'm one of those overhelpful people :eek4:

 

[garrettroyce]

It's good that this was publicly mentioned, but sometimes, I'm afraid I'm one of those overhelpful people :eek4:

We've learned to accept this

This is a good policy. I think it reinforces the value of the post count and rep based community helpers system. I don't think by and large we have a problem, but I think some people are tempted to do this because there are rewards involved.

 

[xav0989]

I'm sure this will keep the help threads short and clear... or at least hope it will.

 

[GamingX]

Although please remember that if you think the answer is wrong, then you can absolutely feel free to correct the answer. We don't want users to refrain from posting if they think its already been answered. The answer needs to be correct.

 

[Livewire]

Although please remember that if you think the answer is wrong, then you can absolutely feel free to correct the answer. We don't users to refrain from posting if they think its already been answered. The answer needs to be correct.

Which is the other half of the reason I'm not digging up old threads to start hitting Report on - a good number of them are either adding little things that were missed in a previous reply, OR are correcting outright incorrect info


I'd also recommend watching the post times and allowing some leeway - if it's a reply within like 5 minutes, chances are they were typing it when the other user posted the answer. If it's 5 HOURS, not so much

 

[masshuu]

yeah I'm gona have to agree with livewire, ive posted a response several times, and was either beat by someone else by a couple minutes, or someone posted a couple minutes after me.

Though anything above 10 minutes should be a warning, anything below can be reasonable if there post is of sufficient length, since they may spend a minute or 2 looking up info.

 

[Sharky]

There's nothing wrong with deleting your post if it contains the same info as the one by someone who just managed to post quicker. There's a Delete Post button if you go to edit the post.

 

[masshuu]

how did i miss that, not used to VB i guess

 

[xav0989]

I'm not a big fan of deleting post though. I prefer editing my post, telling that the answer was already given.

 

[Sharky]

But... what purpose does that show other than effectively just spamming the support thread and trying to keep your post count up? If the answer is already given, it doesn't need someone to say that now, does it?