Too Many Posts Going Unanswered: Your Help Needed

[Michael Browne]

Every week there are, on average, upwards of 80-100 new posts that don't receive a reply ( and at a time when the forum is relatively quiet). Obviously there is a percentage that quite clearly don't necessarily need a response, but if you are a first time poster, it can be dispiriting not to receive any answer at all.

 

 

All you need to do is click on Search and then Advanced Search:

 

 

 

 

 

In the Search Options box:

 

 

 

Change 'At Least' to 'At Most' and select either 'Your Last Visit', 'Yesterday' or 'Last Week' and click on the Search Now button.

 

Or you can just click here. (thanks to Barracad)

 

 

Even if you don't know the answer to the query, just a word of support or encouragement will bump it, where hopefully it can be seen by someone with more expert knowledge.

 

So please try and make a '0 Search' whenever you can and help keep '0 replies' to a minimum.

[Michael Browne]

Thanks, every reply helps, and already average weekly unanswered posts are down to 50 odd, so it's going in the right direction.

[Michael Browne]

Jailbird,

 

See post#2. If you're not 100% sure of any advice, just say so in the post. It's not a crime to be mistaken, someone will always correct it, if necessary, and that way the OP, you and other users learn and add to their knowledge. I should know, I've done it often enough myself

[Michael Browne]

Can we dispense with the 'team hug'.

 

Yes you're all nice, now just get back to '0' posts

[Michael Browne]

No, fortunately it doesn't reach this far south.

[Michael Browne]

However, when i use the search again the same day they are still showing as being unanswered which takes a lot of time going back through to try to remember which one's I've looked at.

 

Those that you've looked at previously should be in 'light' type, while those you haven't should still be in 'bold' type.

[Michael Browne]

Or you can just click here.

That's cheating.....I like it

[Michael Browne]

I have, however, just answered a couple of threads using the 0 search.

Thanks, that's all it takes.

 

If 20 or 30 people answered just 2 threads a day, the number of posts going unanswered would be virtually zero.

[Michael Browne]

Thanks, that's all it takes.

 

If 20 or 30 people answered just 2 threads a day, the number of posts going unanswered would be virtually zero.

 

So If all the Site Helpers and Moderators answered a couple more threads each day then you would have solved your problem.

 

The post you quoted was in reply to a relatively new user who had done just that.

 

Where exactly did I mention SH and Mods? The thread was aimed at all users.

 

As for leading by example, not one of your nine posts seems to have be the least bit helpful or constructive (including the 2 in this thread)

[Michael Browne]

I have always assumed that leaving it as a '0' will make more people look at it.

 

Yes, but not always answer it and gradually it sinks out of sight. There are over 1000 unanswered posts since last August,

 

Any reply bumps it to the top of the forum. The OP (or others) will usually respond, which bumps it again

[Michael Browne]

I do find, that answering these more 'dificult' posts that most others steer clear of is mentally exhausting.

 

I spend more time googling words/phrases etc and trying to get my head around what the OP needs as a reply. Yes the fail safe of a bump is a good fall back, but it's nice to make the effort to find some answers first, as I'm sure we all do.

 

I find sometimes, that I've spent over an hour on a post, only to find nothing worthwhile to post. Is this just me, or is anyone else finding the same?

 

louis

Funnily enough, this one has me stumped:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/consumer-forums-website-questions/132645-birthdays.html

 

[Michael Browne]

I wonder when answering "0" replies we should ask the OP. to read around the forums then come back a day latter, if they did not find an answer.

I don't see this as helpful. Chances are they've been lurking for sometime before registering and haven't found the answer, which is why they've posted. Telling them their question isn't very important and to keep looking isn't exactly the most encouraging reply to someone new to forums and is struggling to find their way around.

 

Having said that, it will still bump their thread to the top.

[Michael Browne]

Thanks everyone. Earlier this pm there were 32 unanswered from yesterday and 87 from last week. Now down to 13 and 45 respectively.

 

Keep up the good work.

[Michael Browne]

**

[Michael Browne]

or click on the link in this post #33 . Does it automatically :

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/consumer-forums-website-questions/126507-too-many-posts-going-2.html#post1374317

[Michael Browne]

I have just clicked the red triangle for a thread, but it says it is ONLY to be used to report advertising, rude or harrassing threads but does not mention threads that need input? Has it always said this and i've just not noticed?

 

The red triangle can be used to flag up a thread that needs a Mod/SH attention. The flag can be seen by all Mod/SH's.

[Michael Browne]

has anyone noted the amount of news/rss feeds there are.

Whilst containing useful information it means going back sometimes over severval pages to find posts which need answers

 

Yes and a lot of them are of dubious usefulness, things like Rover workers being made redundant or Chrysler giving away free petrol to buyers in the US etc etc dating back to 2005, which are neither relevant or current.

 

Newsbot needs to be Cagbotted!!

[Michael Browne]

Have brought this to the attention of the site team, andrew:)

citizenB

Site Team

 

I thought he just had:p

[Michael Browne]

Another bump for this thread. Please take a couple of minutes each day to reply to any unanswered threads (there are still around 120 new unanswered threads every week)

 

You can find the latest by clicking on the link below:

 

***

Unanswered Posts: Your Help Needed ***

All the threads below are unanswered

click here

[Michael Browne]

But Michael if you don't know the answer is it really acceptable to BUMP as it causes problems for the site.

 

Personally I rarely use 'bump', since I'd hope someone who knew the answer would reply, on the other hand at least it puts the thread on top again. Although there are still 68 threads in the last month with just 'bump' as the only reply, so even that only works some of the time. How to solve it is another question I don't know the answer to:rolleyes:

 

In what way does it cause problems for the site?

[Michael Browne]

Dont know why but I managed to upset the site team who complained "about being snowed under" hence I dont "BUMP"

If that's true then the purpose of this thread is pretty well redundant and the whole thread might as well be deleted. If the site team aren't bothered about unanswered threads, I don't see why anybody else should be either.

 

Maybe they were talking about the red triangle, which flags up the thread for site team attention. Just posting 'bump' on the thread won't do that, it merely brings the thread to the top of the forum again as any new post will.

[Michael Browne]

the link at the start of the thread no lomger works any advice

 

If you mean 0 replies:

 

Click on Advanced Search. (Top right)

 

Make sure you select Search Single Content Type (Top left)

 

You may have to click on the little arrow next to Additional Options if these aren't visible

 

Under 'Find Threads With': change 'At Least' to 'At Most'

 

Enter 0 in Replies box

 

Click Search Now