[Solved] Forum etiquette - New thread

Lori Scott

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Please help me understand the reason to:
* Start a new thread for your question instead of posting in an existing thread.

When all of the context for a new thread exists in a previous thread, why is it preferable to start a new thread?

In the system/process, how are new threads handled differently from new posts within old threads?

How old is 'too old'? 10 days seems like a short time, yet warnings appear.

If we do start a new thread, what is the best way to reference the related previous thread?
 

alwaysbusy

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Lori Scott said:
all of the context for a new thread
Click to expand...
This is certainly not always the case. It may have something to do with it, but mostly has nothing to do with the original question anymore. Having a new thread for each question makes it much easier to find an answer for others later.

Lori Scott said:
In the system/process, how are new threads handled differently from new posts within old threads?
Click to expand...
I think this does answer it. I for one are not in the habit of visiting old threads once they have been answered. So any new question in such a thread I won't even see and are ergo unable to give you an answer.

You can always quote something from an old thread if it does apply to your new question.
 

Lori Scott

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How do you generate those quotes from another post, for example the part above that says 'Lori Scott said: all of the context for a new thread'?
 

Erel

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Other advantages of limiting each thread to a specific question:

- Shorter and more focused threads. Long threads = lost knowledge.
- Very clear structure. The first post is the question and the answer should be more or less in the last post.
- Much easier to find results with the search engine.
 

udg

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Hi Lori,
to add to the replies above, when starting a new thread which is on the same (or very similar) subject of an existing one, it could be good practice to have a link in the new thread which points to a post (first or otherwise) in the old one.
This way you don't have to quote everything from the old post.

A well-focused thread's title and the courtesy of modify it prepending "[solved]" when it's done, generally results in a great help to others using the search engine when searching for a solution to their own problems.

A gold rule: don't feel offended when reading the "please start a new thread"" message; it's just a short form reminder to invite everybody to be helpful to others giving the right focus to a problem and its possible solutions.

udg
 

Sandman

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udg said:
when starting a new thread which is on the same (or very similar) subject of an existing one, it could be good practice to have a link in the new thread which points to a post (first or otherwise) in the old one.
Click to expand...
Yep, that's how I've done it several times, as shown in this thread:
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/solved-regarding-status-updates-from-gnss-et-al.98674/

Lori Scott said:
How do you generate those quotes from another post
Click to expand...
What @alwaysbusy wrote works fine, but I always use the faster method: Just select the text you want to quote, and press the Reply bubble that pops up:

 

Sandman

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alwaysbusy said:
am I missing something
Click to expand...
No, I don't think so. However, do you often quote things from other threads?

And a follow-up: If one quotes somebody from another thread, the original poster doesn't get a notification about it, correct? I mean, I think we're getting notifications when we are mentioned like this: @alwaysbusy , but I don't think the same is true for when their name appears in the QUOTE tag?
 

Sandman

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alwaysbusy said:
I don't think one gets a notification when one is quoted
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Yeah, me neither. Which is kind of a shame, especially if it happens in a thread the quotee hasn't participated in.

I know an instance of where I tried to be a good forum citizen. I felt the need to post a funny off-topic remark about a post in a serious thread. So I posted a quote in chitchat and put the joke in there - which the original poster most likely missed. And I didn't want to pollute the original thread by posting a "Hey, I made a funny, click this link for LOL".
 

AnandGupta

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Erel said:
Very clear structure. The first post is the question and the answer should be more or less in the last post.
Click to expand...

Can we have a "User selected this answer" mark for a message which solves the problem of the thread. Some highlight and also if possible the link in the first message as "Click to see the solution".

Regards,

Anand
 

moster67

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Does the option when you are mentioned in a post really work?



At least for me, it does not seem to work.
 

AnandGupta

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Erel said:
Such feature is not available in the forum script.
Click to expand...

Ok, then at least we can request the user who started the thread to edit the first message and add the link of the solution message in the thread, with text 'Solved here", or something similar, along with editing the subject as "[Solved]".

Regards,

Anand
 

Sandman

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AnandGupta said:
Ok, then at least we can request the user who started the thread to edit the first message and add the link of the solution message in the thread, with text 'Solved here", or something similar, along with editing the subject as "[Solved]".
Click to expand...
This forum is very much community driven. It is us, as users, that in many ways control the culture here. If you want a change here, be that change and lead by example with your own posts. (This is not critique, I have no idea if you're already doing this.)
 

AnandGupta

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Sandman said:
I have no idea if you're already doing this
Click to expand...

Thanks for disclaimer

I haven't asked any question yet, so nothing to mark solved. The power of Forum search has helped me to find solutions. Though I must admit I am still to make full fledged development for Android.

Regards,

Anand
 

Lori Scott

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alwaysbusy said:
Position your cursor in your new post. Select the text you want to quote in the old post and then press the icon left of the save button in the top toolbar of the new post. Select quote from the dropdown list.
Click to expand...


I must be missing something. When I select (or copy) text from an old thread, then select Quote from the Insert icon in the new post top toolbar, what I get in the new post are empty quote tags. If I use the [highlight text and click the reply bubble] method as described by @Sandman on text in the old thread, I get the appropriate quote tags with content but of course they are in the old thread. I can copy/paste this quote into my post in the new thread. But it sounds like it's supposed to be a little more automatic the way you describe it. What am I missing?
 
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