Marking a Message as Accepted Solution

[Anonymous]

I have noticed lately that a number of contributors have added to or amended their "signatures" with reminders to posters that if they find a reply helpful they might consider marking it as an "accepted solution".  That is fair enough, but three things occur to me.  (1) Many replies contain helpful information though they may not in fact actually SOLVE whatever problem  the OP raised. (2) Presumably only the OP (or perhaps a Mod.) can mark a message as an accepted solution.  There is no way that other readers can indicate a post has been helpful to them other than posting another message to say so.  I don't think the Kudos system covers that scenario.  there.   (3) Finally as signatures appear under every message they turn up in the off-topic board as well where reminders to mark a message as an accepted solution is somewhat irrelevant.

I have come to the view that the signature area really ought to contain some useful information (for example the links that some users have) rather than merely humourous remarks or mottoes so I will in future refrain from using it in that way. 

@Toby   @Anonymous might include some consideration of these points in any review or redesign of the forum.

Gerry

[Cleoriff]

@aldaweb  That makes a lot of sense. I also frequent a couple of other forums and the Help topics are locked (and updated/amended as necessary)

People can then post in the relevant section.

 However, it still means that you get a situation  where ONE topic is started (such as Firmware updates) and then added to by many other posters....which still only allows the original poster to mark it as solved. (When it could actually be solving slightly different problems for 20+ people?)

So yes...it does stop multiple threads being started, but is restrictive regarding giving credit for solutions...

[Toby]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all of your thoughts on this!

I did indeed ask members if they did not mind adding a solution prompt in their signature as I wanted to see if a gentle reminder might inspire more members to hit the button when they get help. From observing the community since, it has definitely made a difference. I wanted to try out the idea because you are all so helpful and I wanted to make sure members were giving credit where its due

There's no obligation to do so of course, but its been a big benefit so far.

There are some interesting thoughts on help discussions too. I'm in 2 minds about this. As some of you say, once a member's query is solved, one can argue that the thread should be shut down, as the OP has been helped fully. At the same time however, it is often useful to piggy off of another related discussion.
This can happen very often, as new members are not sure as to where to post. Its up to myself and the team to ensure that new members know how to ask a question in the correct way.

[MI5]

I removed mine for 2 reasons...
1 - It could come across as been "needy"
2 - Large sigs are annoying
Maybe there could be a prompt added to the forum in general somewhere rather than it appearing on everyone's sigs ?

[jonsie]

^^what @MI5 says, makes threads difficult to read and I've worn out the scroll on the mouse!

[Cleoriff]

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@Toby wrote:

There are some interesting thoughts on help discussions too. I'm in 2 minds about this. As some of you say, once a member's query is solved, one can argue that the thread should be shut down, as the OP has been helped fully. At the same time however, it is often useful to piggy off of another related discussion.
This can happen very often, as new members are not sure as to where to post. Its up to myself and the team to ensure that new members know how to ask a question in the correct way.


And the above is where we create another quandary @Toby It is good that members can refer back to a thread...but continual posting on one thread by numerous members ONLY gives the original poster (probably 2 years ago) the opportunity to 'Mark as a solution'...and yet a lot of questions asked on ONE thread can be different.

Between 'a rock and hard place' with this one I think...

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[Toby]

Hi @MI5 and @jonsie , I've intended to bring in a signature limit size for a little while and it may be needed now as you say. How large a limit would you want to see if it were up to you?

@Cleoriff , I totally get what you're saying and I'll do my best to remove new posts from old threads as much as we can (without harming the members' chance to get help). Report them when you see them!

[Anonymous]

hi guys including @Toby 

on 2 recent threads of mine .....ie ..... photos from disk to laptop ..... & ..... photos from laptop to O2C/fb/email I have marked the threads as accepted solution ..... in actual fact @jonsie & @MI5 gave me a lot of help ..... = ..... in words & screen shots ..... it was very, very difficult for me to mark one individual post which solved the thread ..... I am still experiencing difficulty with completing both actions (we've not gone on to fb/email yet) ..... the difficulty is down to me I know that ..... = ..... only I can sort that out 

my initial post on O2C was called IT definitions ..... & I can think of some short questions I could ask which would go under that subject ..... & ..... it would help me to have all that particular info on that subject in one place

I hope I've expressed myself in a clear & understandable way ..... if not, then please ask me to explain further ..... & I hope that I've not wasted O2C people's time un-necessarily 

[MI5]

Jane, it's not about WHO gets the solution but the fact the person with a problem gets it solved

[Anonymous]

@MI5 ..... I just knew I wasn't expressing myself properly  

there was no 'one post' to mark as 'accepted solution' for me in the 2 threads ..... but as I sincerely believe you & @jonsie both could not help me anymore I just did the best I could att & marked a post as 'accepted solution' ..... I'm still giving myself 'headaches' over not succeeding & its not for lack of trying ..... I'm not a time-waster & I don't pick eg between in these 2 threads you or jonsie = you both helped me ..... it was getting embarrassing :womanembarrassed: that my 'little grey cells' as Hercule Poirot would say would not work to get me the result I was after from your & jonsie's expert help ..... I think I need to go to Wanty's & have a double brandy with trimmings  

[MI5]

Get me one too