Ignored Topics/Issues

Hi

I’ve been answering a lot of questions on this forum lately. For one thing I notice I don’t respond to questions I’m not clear on the answer to, thinking someone better informed about that part of WordPress will come along to do a better job than I can.

I also notice more than a few questions are worded so poorly or ambiguously that its unclear what they are asking for. Sometimes I ask them to clarify but often I skip over them.

Some people propose convoluted solutions to an issue they are having that are not really aligned with how WP works. Instead of asking for the best way to solve some problem, they ask for help with a complex solution they can’t get working. I’ve noticed that many people coming from that place, when I suggest another approach that would be simpler and easier, don’t want to hear that, they just want to make their convoluted approach work. I find I don’t have a lot of interest in helping with that.

Some describe very generic problems – “there is too much space between my image and the next paragraph” or whatever, never post a URL or an example, looking for a non-existent generic answer that would solve that issue for all people at all times.

Some three feet PHP and CSS code with no example URL on their site, expecting someone is going to read all that code to locate their errors.

Sometimes I’ve run a page through the validator to find 100 or 300 errors, for a person with little technical expertise. How are they going to get all of that cleaned up by themselves for free? How does one tell them this? They don’t even know what that means.

I have a limited amount of time to put in here, and I find myself gravitating to questions that clearly lay out an issue, intelligently describe it, and specifically list what they are looking for. That requires the ability to think clearly. It doesn’t require a lot of technical aptitude. Posting a URL that demonstrates the problem is courteous and lets someone quickly look into specifically what is wrong on that site. I think those who clearly communicate what is wrong and what they are looking for, most of the time receive an answer.

Remember that everyone here answering questions is motivated by a desire to help.

Continually “bumping” your post over the course of one day can be a problem when you want an answer.

A lot of people will skim through for postings that only have 1 post in them in order to try and get people some help. You effectively had a conversation with yourself, from a quick-look point-of-view, you didn’t need help because somebody was helping you.

Also posting that much code (your first link) can turn people away, especially when it is not tagged as “code”, making it even more chaotic.

Usually the listings I see go unanswered are heavily documented or answered over and over already, or the questions are too ambiguous and hard to understand, or, sometimes, when you keep posting on top of yourself, so people don’t see that your thread needs attention.

Just my perspective.

EDIT: Also, in the third link, you commented on a [resolved] post, nobody is going to check that posting because it is marked as being resolved already. A better bet would be to make new posting, and link to the resolved posting. And then let it go for a day…

hey, while we are posting links to other threads, here’s a good one:

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/68664?replies=6

“Bumps”. Do not bump posts on this forum. Putting posts at the top doesn’t help them get noticed here. The volunteers who try to answer questions look for those without replies first. If you bump a post, then it disappears from the “no replies” view. DO NOT BUMP.

shall I bold that?

heres another:

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/232963?replies=4

Always post your URL.

Use “Search” – not just WP but a web search. You will be surprised what you find.

Please do not add to posts that are resolved or two or three months old. This goes for questions, comments, helping or asking for help. Don’t live in the past! Come to the light . . .

Please don’t trash WP or the folks who voluntarily try to help you. You will more than likely get better assistannce.

Please don’t high jack a post with a problem that is “exactly the same as mine.” It more than likely is not.

The thing is that I just told you what I have observed here, you can deny it, but then you can continue to get such poor response to your threads as well.

It isn’t “cattiness”, it is the way it is. It isn’t personal, but I don’t have time to check every thread on here. I have a job and a life. So in an effort to help things, I tend to skim for something that jumps out as something I know or someone who needs help and isn’t getting it.

Your attitude is not very inviting to help, I have to say… We try to function as a community with a common interest and help each other out. Nobody is entitled to anything on these forums. Period.

In my opinion, I think helpers are purposely ignoring topics.

and what if they, what if WE are?

isnt that a gimme???

I will be the first one to stand up on a BIG chair and proclaim it on high.

I purposely ignore certain posts.

This is a volunteer forum — no-one has to answer anything.

what does this thread have to do with your blog, chanel? isnt this a forum issue?

Ya think you could have put this in the misc. section?? Im just saying…