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The forum needs fixing.

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  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    soop2 wrote: »
    The amount people post doesn't correlate in any way to the validity of their points...
    In seems to on this occasion though...
  • soop2
    soop2 Posts: 204 Forumite
    dmg24 wrote: »
    That is not common sense, that is your viewpoint. Not everybody would share this viewpoint - are you suggesting you should choose what goes on there? If so, PM the MSE Team and offer your services, but you might need to up your post count a tad before you are taken seriously!

    I don't see why my post count should really come into it.
    dmg24 wrote: »
    If someone sees a good offer, they post it in good faith. Sometimes they do not have the facility (or knowledge) to check if the offer is available elsewhere. Should someone be discouraged from posting just because their finding does not meet your standards?

    You're quite correct, it's not a malicious thing, but it would be better for everyone if there was some way to check. Again, as you say, not everyone knows how, some people can't be bothered, and sometimes there is no simple way.
    I've suggested a couple of ideas here, which aren't perfect, true, but they're just suggestions. And you can shoot them down and that's fine, but I'd prefer it if people would contribute ideas.
    You might even think the site is perfect as it is, and you're entitled to your opinion, but I think there is room for improvement, and rather than just slag it off, I've suggested some stuff, and that's how it starts.

    Another worry, is that (without any access to stats) I'd guess that most people visit the first page of posts and an ever decreasing % of people search back. So there is every possibility that a deal of a lifetime could just be swamped by posts for grocery deals etc. which would be a shame.
    Sandoval wrote: »
    In seems to on this occasion though...

    You're entitled to your opinion.
  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    edited 16 August 2010 at 5:29PM
    soop2 wrote: »
    The "week before posting a thread" idea was just a suggestion, and you're right, it would put people off. But it also might prompt people to search for their answers, and since they're not barred from posting in other threads, ask their question in the correct place.
    Yes I understand that it was a suggestion, I am merely telling you that it is an unnecessary and unworkable suggestion that I don't think you've fully thought through.

    MSE Forums exists as a place where people can join, ask questions about almost any topic under the sun and often where people seek advice regarding urgent and important matters whether they be money-saving, legal or whatever. People joining for this purpose who, as I've already stated, hit a brick wall that informs them that before they can start a thread asking for advice they must post in other topics for a week is frankly a nonsensical and unworkable suggestion that would drive new users away before they'd begun.

    As I've mentioned above, your insistence that first-time posters advertising things with their opening post is a big problem is simply not true. Yes it happens, but not at anything like the frequency where drastic remedial action is required to prevent it. The vast majority of first posts by users are genuine questions asking advice, only a very small handful are adverts.

    As for prompting people to search for the answers themselves, what would this achieve other than reducing the amount of traffic on the site? Again, MSE forums exists to help people by allowing more experienced people to offer advice on a massive range of subjects, not to say 'go find the answer yourself and stop bothering us'.

    What an unhelpful attitude you must have...
  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    edited 16 August 2010 at 5:30PM
    soop2 wrote: »
    I don't see why my post count should really come into it.

    Post count comes into it because people calling for quite severe changes to site policy after only a handful of posts comes across as silly and their opinions largely unfounded due to a lack of experience of how and why the site operates.

    This is the case with your post I'm afraid.
  • soop2
    soop2 Posts: 204 Forumite
    edited 16 August 2010 at 6:43PM
    Well your last edit to the above post pretty much negates my response in this one.
  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    soop2 wrote: »
    Sorry to people who thought I came across as "moaning", I hope I've justified exactly why I'm posting.
    Not really...
  • soop2
    soop2 Posts: 204 Forumite
    Sandoval wrote: »
    Post count comes into it because people calling for quite severe changes to site policy after only a handful of posts comes across as silly and their opinions largely unfounded due to a lack of experience of how and why the site operates.

    This is the case with your post I'm afraid.

    No, that's just elitist drivel.
    Sandoval wrote: »
    Yes I understand that it was a suggestion, I am merely telling you that it is an unnecessary and unworkable suggestion that I don't think you've fully thought through.

    MSE Forums exists as a place where people can join, ask questions about almost any topic under the sun and often where people seek advice regarding urgent and important matters whether they be money-saving, legal or whatever. People joining for this purpose who, as I've already stated, hit a brick wall that informs them that before they can start a thread asking for advice they must post in other topics for a week is frankly a nonsensical and unworkable suggestion that would drive new users away before they'd begun.

    As I've mentioned above, your insistence that first-time posters advertising things with their opening post is a big problem is simply not true. Yes it happens, but not at anything like the frequency where drastic remedial action is required to prevent it. The vast majority of first posts by users are genuine questions asking advice, only a very small handful are adverts.

    As for prompting people to search for the answers themselves, what would this achieve other than reducing the amount of traffic on the site? Again, MSE forums exists to help people by allowing more experienced people to offer advice on a massive range of subjects, not to say 'go find the answer yourself and stop bothering us'.

    What an unhelpful attitude you must have...

    In suggesting improvements? Unhelpful? Perhaps it would be more helpful if I just patted everyone on the back and said that everything was fine. That's how progress works isn't it?

    Traffic isn't driven by floods of people asking the same thing and information being hard to find and cluttered. Traffic is driven by an easy to use accessable experience.
    If I came to the site and asked a question and was either treated as you are treating me, or better, got lost in a flood of other people asking questions, it wouldn't be a good user experience. If I could find what I wanted easily, that would be better. Then if I really couldn't find it (because it wasn't there) I ask the question, someone answers, and hey presto, everyone is happy.

    You seem to have some bizarre attitude that the more posts people are making, the better they and, by proxy, the site are.

    The purpose of this site is to save people money. I with my feeble post count seemed to have grasped that, whereas you with your numerically superior post count are telling me that it's about people posting as much as possible.

    I agree, some of my ideas might not work, but rather than dismiss them because of my post count, why don't we admit that improvements could be made, and then see if we can work together to find solutions?
  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    soop2 wrote: »
    No, that's just elitist drivel.
    "Elitist drivel?"

    Why? Because I've dropped the bombshell that after making only a handful of posts you are probably not as qualified to call for radical reforms to site policy as someone who has contributed hundreds of posts to the forum and therefore has a far greater understanding of how the forum operates?

    That is not elitist drivel.

    That is simply common sense I'm afraid.
  • Sandoval
    Sandoval Posts: 903 Forumite
    soop2 wrote: »
    Traffic is driven by an easy to use accessable experience.
    Hence why waiting a week before you're able to post a new thread asking your question is a ridiculous suggestion.

    In one breath you mention an 'easy to use and accessible experience', and in the next breath completely contradict this by seeking to limit that access by imposing a restriction such as new users requiring a week's worth of posts before allowing them to start a thread!

    Madness...
  • Nile
    Nile Posts: 14,845 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hello soop2

    Sorry for the rant, but for every useful topic, there is at least 5 which are total spam.

    If you spot a post which you believe is spam, please report it by clicking on the 'Report Post' Abuse triangle:

    report.gif

    If you spot a thread which you believe is spam, please report it by clicking on the 'Spam' button at the top of the thread.

    If it is spam, either the relevant Board Guide or a member of the Forum Team will remove it.....................and if sufficient members of the forum click on the Spam button, it will be removed automatically.

    Regards

    Nile
    10 Dec 2007 - Led Zeppelin - I was there. :j [/COLOR]:cool2: I wear my 50 (gold/red/white) blood donations pin badge with pride. [/SIZE][/COLOR]Give blood, save a life. [/B]
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