Sticky threads - why aren't they read?

4consumerrights

Directing Newbies to read Sticky threads is an ever ending problem.

I think the MSE forum techinical teams could do more to assist here as STICKY threads are at the top of each board - yet when you sign up to the forum - no mention is made (nor even how to start a thead).

Information regading STICKY threads should be placed prominently somewhere on the main forum site - so MSE techies - can you please help with this for the whole forum's benefit?

Hintza

Perhaps you should have stuck your OP on the MSE Labs part of the forum?

4consumerrights

I've sent a message to the MSE forum team as well.

RichardD1970

They don't really stand out as sticky threads, so maybe using a different colour font or something may help?

Crabman

I've moved this to the Parking sub-board

Regarding the issue of sticky threads not being seen by all membres, some forums use highlighting to make sticky threads stand out, either by placing the title font in bold or using colours.

I realise MSE's forum is one of the largest vBulletin boards out there and this poses unique technical issues for the MSE Team, however, it would be a nice feature if it was possible to implement in future.

Are there any strategies regarding sticky threads you folks see on other forums that you feel may be useful on MSE?

esmerobbo

I think the main reason is the newbies google a PPC and it takes you to a thread rather than the main parking page. They then jump on asking their own questions.

Redx

Crabman wrote: »

I've moved this to the Parking sub-board

Regarding the issue of sticky threads not being seen by all membres, some forums use highlighting to make sticky threads stand out, either by placing the title font in bold or using colours.

I realise MSE's forum is one of the largest vBulletin boards out there and this poses unique technical issues for the MSE Team, however, it would be a nice feature if it was possible to implement in future.

Are there any strategies regarding sticky threads you folks see on other forums that you feel may be useful on MSE?

I help to mod some forums that use VBB and the mods generally check the sticky threads regularly and tidy them up by removing spurious posts, maybe by soft deletion (or hard deletion) or by doing what crabman did today and moving the unwanted posts into new threads of their own so that they can be debated properly

so management is a good idea , another one involves locking the sticky thread to force newbies to find the NEW THREAD button but this creates new problems where the newbies post in somebody elses thread (happens daily on here) , or that the thread owner (like coupon-mad) has to ask a mod to open the thread so that changes or additions can be made - so not ideal

maybe there could be a way of making vbulletin stop newbies replying to threads until they have reached say 5 posts , forcing them down the new thread route - just a thought (could be 2 or 3 posts , whatever it takes)

once a newbie has found the new thread button they will tend to use it from then on,

whilst on the subject , there are too many replies in the SUCCESSFUL POPLA APPEALS thread, which although they may be good and topical , should not be there

as a mod on other forums for over 10 years and counting I would soft or hard delete most of these on a regular basis if they are totally off topic or irrelevant , just to tidy it up a bit

maybe VBB may allow the thread owner (the OP) to do this , or if they were given the lowest mod option so that they could tidy them up themselves (people like coupon-mad)

I suppose it depends on the permissions really

just my thoughts anyway

Crabman

Redx wrote: »

I help to mod some forums that use VBB and the mods generally check the sticky threads regularly and tidy them up by removing spurious posts, maybe by soft deletion (or hard deletion) or by doing what crabman did today and moving the unwanted posts into new threads of their own so that they can be debated properly

so management is a good idea , another one involves locking the sticky thread to force newbies to find the NEW THREAD button but this creates new problems where the newbies post in somebody elses thread (happens daily on here) , or that the thread owner (like coupon-mad) has to ask a mod to open the thread so that changes or additions can be made - so not ideal

maybe there could be a way of making vbulletin stop newbies replying to threads until they have reached say 5 posts , forcing them down the new thread route - just a thought (could be 2 or 3 posts , whatever it takes)

once a newbie has found the new thread button they will tend to use it from then on,

whilst on the subject , there are too many replies in the SUCCESSFUL POPLA APPEALS thread, which although they may be good and topical , should not be there

as a mod on other forums for over 10 years and counting I would soft or hard delete most of these on a regular basis if they are totally off topic or irrelevant , just to tidy it up a bit

maybe VBB may allow the thread owner (the OP) to do this , or if they were given the lowest mod option so that they could tidy them up themselves (people like coupon-mad)

I suppose it depends on the permissions really

just my thoughts anyway

Just so it's clear, Board Guides on MSE are just volunteers and have extremely limited permissions. We aren't supposed to delete posts unless they are spam. MSE has a forum team (not "mods") who handle forum admin.

At the moment there are so many newbies popping up all over the place (as you say, probably via external search engines) and lorweld, savvy and I simply can't monitor every thread on a daily basis. The MSE Team are already aware of this.

Where I come across posts that may be better off in a separate thread, I split them out, post a brief message on their newly created thread and send a similar message to the new member via PM.

I simply can't see the forum team limiting newbies to only starting new threads until they have a minimum number of posts. That simply would not work across MSE. I see many newbies start off on MSE by participating in existing thread discussions

Redx

thanks

I did say its not easy and could not offer up a permanent solution and its possible that the VBB code does not allow it, it was suggestions based on my own experience as a volunteer elsewhere (most public forums have volunteer mods and admins)

in which case go with your original thought of closing the newbies and info threads and only open them when requested to do so by the OP or a regular responder who has the correct info to place in them, or who wishes to correct or update their own threads

ie:- if they cannot post in the newbies thread they may actually find the BLUE new thread button

in my own opinion (not just on this forum either, the NEW THREAD icon is not prominent or large enough , neither is the font size large enough on the RED admin notice by mse-andrea either

its also not apparent that you can use the drop down tools to create a new thread, I knew this as an experienced VBB user , many wont know at all about the drop down tools including that option within it , especially as those font sizes are not large enough either

Crabman

I've set up a subscription to CM's newbie thread so whenever someone posts I'll be able to see it when I next log in, so if they post there instead of in a new thread, it's not an issue as the post(s) can easily and quickly be moved to an appropriate place.

I may as well mention this now - at the end of my signature is a link saying "New To The Forum?" which I usually send to newbies by PM if I'm letting them know I've split their thread.

MSE have put together some videos about how to use the forums and it may be useful for the regulars on this board to bookmark that link and post it where a new member may find it useful.

4consumerrights

Firstly Crabman - many thanks for sorting out my gaff in moving my post to the intended sub-board!


When I submitted an on- line message to the MSE forum team, I received a response similar to your quote below:

Crabman wrote: »

MSE have put together some videos about how to use the forums and it may be useful for the regulars on this board to bookmark that link and post it where a new member may find it useful.

***************************

E- mail response to my request:

Hi and thanks for getting in touch.

It would be great if you could point newbies to our New to the Forum Intro Guide, which gives full info on this and more.

Please do let them know it's at the bottom of all pages on the site so they can always find it

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/forum-introduction-guide

Thank you!

Kind regards,

Andrea Hirai
Forum Editorial Liaison
MoneySavingExpert.com

The problem is the introductory video refers to the "STICKY" threads as "PINNED" - so newbies may not correlate the two.