What's the big deal?

[setarip]

If someone posts a question, regardless of how many times a similar question has been posted previously, any and all readers have several options:

1) Don't respond (Perhaps someone else is willing to respond)

2) Answer the question (and provide gratification to a new forum member, as well as a positive image of the forum)

3) Answer the question and advise the poster of the search capabilities at these forums (and provide gratification to a new forum member, as well as a positive image of the forum - and new insight for the poster regarding future questions)

It's rather difficult to comprehend what is gained by "punishing" such a poster by only stating that similar questions have been asked before...

[UncasMS]

the big deal might be:

- it is not asked THAT much to read in a forum before over and over asking the same questions again, the answers to which could sometimes be found only some 5-10 postings below!

- why would we delete crosspostings and on the other hand do not even show users that posting an almost identical question in the very same forum is unneccessary.

- furthermore closing that very posting (we are dealing with here) and apart from saying that reading a forum should be done prior to asking, an answer WAS GIVEN.

so maybe you would like to post the very same answer again, only i didnt see the point.

It's rather difficult to comprehend what is gained by "punishing" such a poster by only stating that similar questions have been asked before...

of course we all may have a different p-o-v, but still we handle things differently.

[Enchanter]

We all do have different p.o.v. here, though I still find that closing threads is rather harsh and unbecoming of a moderator.

[UncasMS]

maybe you two can spend your time explaining some basic forum rules to each and everyone, who crosspostes, asks for illegal content (such as serialnumbers, tools, links to movies etc.) or aks questions, that have been asked and answered in just the very same forum only some 5 posting further down?

i definitely dont!

[khp]

hmmm

I not really a fan of the thread locking feature myself. There is nothing that annoys me more than finding a locked thread, in which I feel I have something usefull to say.

Fortunatly this has never happend to me in these forums. But of course I have the slight advantage that I simply don't care about people this simple playback problems.

But if you are unhappy with the mods behaviour why not talk to them privatly ?.

I suppose there are valid reasons to lock threads like that. I do belive it's much better to teach people to solve their own problems, than simply handing out the solution.
And I suppose some people might argue that, threads like that are a pest and have to be dealt with. But thread locking is clearly not good solution. Deletion one the other hand, thats a nice feature.

EDIT: I took a really long time to write the above, and didn't read enchanter's or uncas's messages bofore posting, my posting should only be read as a response to setarip's message.

[UncasMS]

Deletion one the other hand, thats a nice feature.

i wouldnt even wanna know, who will be complaining then

[khp]

Originally posted by UncasMS

i wouldnt even wanna know, who will be complaining then

My point is that thread locking is pretty much annoying to everyone, and doesn't really solve much. Deleting threads on the other hand, means that I never have to worry my pretty little head about them. I know I'am beeing selfish .

[UncasMS]

well, i dont like deleting very much at all (except for crosspostings)

by closing a posting i hope that not only the initial user gets the idea but future readers might as well!

deleting would, however, lead to a cleaner forum

[Mac Sidewinder]

The only problem with deleting is that it doesn't solve anything. Other new users don't know that a post was deleted so they don't learn anything and the person that had their post deleted will simply post the same thing again.

I think that simply pointing the person in the right direction without giving them a simple answer is more effective. Such as "Search on muxing" or "Read the sticky". At least make the user expend some effort and maybe next time they will try using the search function or read stickys.

Mac

[setarip]

To UncasMS

"maybe you two can spend your time explaining ... to each and everyone, who ask questions, that have been asked and answered in just the very same forum only some 5 posting further down?"

You're reaffirming my point - if another poster (myself or anyone else) doesn't mind responding, it doesn't "cost" the forum anything. Likewise, if NO ONE responds, that too "costs" the forum nothing.

On the other hand, as correct as you may be regarding the facts, why (unintentionally though it may be) create the impression that these forums are like those available in the MacIntosh and mainframe worlds, where if you're not an "insider elitist", you are subjected to "ragging".

While I fully support your and Admin's good effort at removing warez requests, I view that to be unrelated to this topic. In essence, I'm suggesting that you can make your effort on behalf of these boards a little easier, by devoting your time primarily to getting rid of the "sneak" advertisers and warez requests. Simple things like crosspostings and similar questions without searches being done will take care of themselves ;>}

P.S. My apologies. I didn't scroll down to the end of your response to "Marans" - and therefore missed "you need an ac3 codec."

[UncasMS]

i agree with you that it doesnt cost anything (except your time) if you or anyone else for that matter replies to anything in this forum.

the problem i see and experience in this forum (as in others as well) is, however, that more and more users seem to think, that it is fine with everyone to simply ask WITHOUT spending ANY time at all reading postings you and i and all others users have written before.

i'm fed up with this attitude to be honest!


i dont see the point, why some ppl think that all others will spend their times replying while on the other hand those (very few users) dont seem to be willing to.

when i first encountered the world of transcoding i spend weeks reading forums before even asking questions - i hardly had to, actually, because most questions were answered within the very same board.

i dont understand why some people write guides, post helping comments or simply give certain tipps that might turn out to be useful, while others dont even read those threads let alone try for themselves, what has been suggested there.

my p-o-v is to point out that a certain degree of motivation and engagement is to be expected.

it is high time some users stopped downloading stuff from the net and dont even take the time to properly describe their problem and expect us forum members to do all their work for them while they dont even read postings which hold the answers some 5-10 lines below let alone using the search mask.

i'm sorry, but this is not my understanding of being a moderator!



+++++++++++++++++++

P.S. My apologies. I didn't scroll down to the end of your response to "Marans" - and therefore missed "you need an ac3 codec

i was actually wondering about this before - be asured though, it's just fine with me!

[n2locarz]

Well, how about a *Newbie's Point of View*?

I came accrossed this sight after searching for new and better ways to rip dvd's. The tutorials have been very helpful, but they have not answered a few of my problems. As such, I scanned the Forums for answers. Nothing. This included a search - but keep in mind as a *Newbie* I am unfamiliar with all the terms used for problems. My point being is that many lazy ppl will post without even looking for answers so for them... lock the thread and reply by telling them to search for <insert fancy divx mumbo jumbo here> and they will be on their way. Blowing them off (like I was) doesn't help.

just my thoughts.

-n2

[setarip]

To n2locarz

How were you "blown off"?

[n2locarz]

to setarip

maybe "Blown off" wasn't the best term, rather "unacceptable answer". Anyway, I posted a new thread, how 'bout you show the team how it's done?

-n2