Title: Guideline Changes Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Guideline Changes * [mackaltman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mackaltman/) * (@mackaltman) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/) * How would one go about contacting WordPress in regards to changes to the Guidelines that have been set in place? As you can see [here](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/response-message-shows-twice-why?replies=10#post-5674961),** [@esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)** highlights the issue with me trying to discuss resolution on **[@trollkarlsliv](https://wordpress.org/support/users/trollkarlsliv/)**‘ s issue. We share the same issue with the **Contact Form 7** plugin; however, the guidelines do not allow someone to actually respond to the user (see below). * > Unless you are using the same version of WordPress on the same physical server > hosted by the same hosts with the same plugins, theme & configurations as the > original poster, do not post in someone else’s thread. Start your own topic. * The requested information may as well be as simple as stating, “Unless you are using WordPress on a machine of the same MAC address, do not post in someone else’s thread.” * At first, you may think that’s a little extreme, but is it really? I have been using WordPress since 2004 and have provided assistance with several installations. Anyone who has assisted with a WordPress knows that they aren’t operating the same installation (as described above) as the person they are giving advice to. The situation above actually fosters a “consultation” based resolution, which would mean that I was actually asking for the full details of the original poster and creating an installation to match theirs. It almost seems as this particular area of the guidelines is promoting a “consultation can response” versus an “ open source response”, which I have had the privilege to watch WordPress grow over the years. * In the middle of writing this, I was actually thinking **[@esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)** should have advised me that we needed to move the topic into the support portion beneath the plugin [here](http://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7); however, I see the thread is posted within the plugin’s support section. * So if **[@esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)** is correct in how these threads should be handled, 1,000 people can all have an issue with the duplicate message that CF7 has an issue with (because it’s script related and not machine related), and due to their physical setup (again, unrelated to the issue at hand) they must flood the entire forum with 1,000 requests for the same issue? Logically, how does this make any sense at all? Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002624) * It makes perfect sense. If there are 100 new topics all with the same reported error in a very short space of time, it is blindingly obvious that there may be a bug here. _We_ will also start cross-referencing such topic pretty quickly. It’s part of what the mods & forum regulars do. One topic with 100 posts, on the other hand, is far more likely to be completely ignored. In my experience, the probability of a successful resolution in a topic is inversely proportional to the number of “Me too” posters. * For starters, a topic that has a number of replies has much lower priority than a topic with only 1 post. Have you seen the No Replies list? It’s checked by forum regulars multiple times a day. There’s no such filter for “topics with huge numbers of posters”. Then there’s the problems that arise when trying to help in topics with 4 or 5 people all trying to chime in with their own problems and getting confused as to who you are replying to etc etc. It’s nigh on impossible. Trust me – I’ve tried it. * Secondly, let’s look at CF7 as an example. Were you aware that a common issue such as not receiving mail even though the form submitted successful may boil down to which physical server you are on? Yes – server. Not hosts. Place two people with the same host and one will have a mail problem whilst the other does not. Been there. Seen that. Got the t-shirt. Quite a few times, in fact. * Finally, when we ask you to do something like post a new topic, do you think we are doing so purely to annoy you? Or could we be trying to help for the same reasons I’ve mentioned above? Why not give us the benefit of the doubt and start a new topic which takes all of 2 minutes. Why waste valuable time & energy arguing about whether a new topic should be posted? I don’t know about you but I have better things to do with my time. * [farlane](https://wordpress.org/support/users/farlane/) * (@farlane) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002694) * Let me rephrase: * I see your point, but I pointed out to you (very correctly) that this support forums posting for STILL tells us to look for a similar topic. * Posting to an existing thread makes sense to people who have used WP for a long time as many times it’s users and not mods or programmers who solve problems. * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002698) * Farlane, I’m at a ball park at the moment so my reply will be brief (probably). Also I’m using a phone and I’m sure I’ll have typos… * Your first post was deleted because you resorted to name calling. It’s alright to disagree with the moderators. Calling them names? Not so much. * Your second post was released from the queue just now by me. Your third post is being deleted as a duplicate. * Back to this topic: * What Esmi posted above is spot on. Too often people pile onto a topic and take over someone else’s problem. No one ever intends to but it happens almost every time. * That’s rude and amazingly inconsiderate to the original postwr. If you want to assist someone then that’s cool. I’d you’re going to start making the other person’s topic about your problem then yes, please start your own topic. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002699) * > this support forums posting for STILL tells us to look for a similar topic. * … to see if someone has already posted the answer to your question. Not so you can pile in and add your questions to theirs. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002702) * And linking back to other threads helps too 🙂 * Example: * > I’m having problem XYZ. When I go to do ACTION I expect THIS to happen, but > instead THAT happens. I searched and found similar issues > LINK 1 > LINK 2 > But those were related to plugins and theme’s I’m not using, and on older versions > of WP. > LINK 3 > That looks very much like my problem. > I’ve already tried turning off all my plugins and changing to the default theme. > What can I do next? * That tells us you did the leg work (love it when you do!), you tried some debugging basics, and you recognized what was different and similar. * Also by you making your own post, the best thing in the world happens: We’re going to pay attention to _YOU_! That other post? We want to pay attention to the person who posted that. if we have to go back and forth in the same thread, chances are we’re going to get wires crossed and think you said something the other person said. But now you have your own sanctum where we can look at you, and you alone. And that’s really cool. * [farlane](https://wordpress.org/support/users/farlane/) * (@farlane) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002704) * Could be clearer. * In any case, I didn’t call names in my first post. I pointed out that WordPress. org was clearly (in my opinion of course) saying to look for posts that were regarding the same problem. * He had the same problem as me, same version of wordpress and had just upgraded to the same version of the plugin, precipitating the problem. To me, it made a ton of sense. * Regarding my second post, I apologize. In my book it’s not OK to delete someone’s well-reasoned post without comment. I got upset and said things about esmi – who I do not know and who is clearly doing yeo(wo)man’s service in these forums– that I should not have. * I had no intention of hijacking mackaltman’s topic. Rather, I was trying to back him up in the face of what I saw as discourteous behavior from a moderator who I had experienced to be discourteous and whose philosophy of tech support I didn’t share. Like mackaltman, I have been in these forums for a while, and often as not it is a fellow user who solves problems that I have, or at least points me in the right direction. * I agree that your philosophy of support has a lot of merit. I would ask that WordPress institute a method to follow open support posts without commenting to facilitate and also to make the _Before posting a new topic, be sure to search to see if one has been started already_ text clearer. * Again, I apologize – thanks for all that all of you do. * [farlane](https://wordpress.org/support/users/farlane/) * (@farlane) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002705) * Sorry Mike – didn’t see your post. I very much understand what you’re saying and will post in the manner requested. * [Pete](https://wordpress.org/support/users/perthmetro/) * (@perthmetro) * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002766) * Mika 🙂 * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002767) * Pete? It happens to her allll the tiimmmmeee… 😉 * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002782) * I’ve actually given up unless you post a long rant about me 😉 Or say it wrong at a WordCamp presentation 😉 Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) The topic ‘Guideline Changes’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [guidelines](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/guidelines/) * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/) * 10 replies * 6 participants * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * Last activity: [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/guideline-changes/#post-5002782) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics