Anyone Else Being Thrown Off By This on the Book Blogs Discussion Board?
Hi All,
I am not trying to be a meanie or anything but something's kind of bugging me lately on the BB discussion boards. I notice that a lot of people are posting the same thread questions over and over.
For example, in the past three weeks I've seen at least four new threads that are exactly the same topic as previous threads. I realize some people are new but it's very distracting when someone asks the same questions that have already been asked. I also don't think all of these people are new. People are here to seek help and others (like me) are here to help if possible. I love to try to chime in when I can answer a question and help someone but I must admit, I get turned off when someone posts a thread on something that's been done here before. Also, those new posts aren't getting any, or only a few answers (not because the person is being ignored) but because others like me, who've been here for months have already addressed this for someone else.
I think people should take the time to go through the threads and read them before posting "general" questions. I just had to address this. I didn't think anything of it before but it's becoming more obvious and the simple suggestion would be to read the older threads first before starting a thread.
For example, there were two new threads recently where I wanted to chime in, but it was the same exact questions that two other people posted only a week or so before. If the people starting the new threads had only taken a second to look around the forum, they would have seen that this question had been asked many times. I'd already answered these questions for someone else, so I thought of cutting and pasting my answer to these questions but then I decided not to.
I don't even believe a lot of the people who are doing this are necessarily new, just not taking the time to look through threads already posted. This is why a lot of topics now are going weeks with no one answering, it's because they've been answered before. If someone's not getting answers to their questions, they should wonder if their thread has been done before.
I know others have noticed this. I had to post about it today because it's happening more and more. I just think people should take the time to look through the threads, at least the first most recent pages before opening a topic. I like helping people when I can and enjoy BB but it does "urk" me a little bit when the same threads are being created over and over. It makes me wonder if some people are just being lazy because a lot of these thread questions being repeated are threads that could be found if someone took a second to look through the recent pages.
I think it's a case of people going, "I don't feel like searching so I'll just create a new thread." Sure, it's no big deal to the folks posting the thread but others who have seen the thread over and over (like me), won't take the time to answer again because it makes no sense to. It also makes you wonder that when you take your time to advise people, if your advice is being appreciated or not because others aren't taking the time to just read the threads before posting.
This was recently a problem on another forum too. It got so bad that the mods posted a "rules" sticky for newcomers or whoever to read first. One of the things on it was,"Search past posts to make sure you're not repeating a thread". LOL.
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
I am not trying to be a meanie or anything but something's kind of bugging me lately on the BB discussion boards. I notice that a lot of people are posting the same thread questions over and over.
For example, in the past three weeks I've seen at least four new threads that are exactly the same topic as previous threads. I realize some people are new but it's very distracting when someone asks the same questions that have already been asked. I also don't think all of these people are new. People are here to seek help and others (like me) are here to help if possible. I love to try to chime in when I can answer a question and help someone but I must admit, I get turned off when someone posts a thread on something that's been done here before. Also, those new posts aren't getting any, or only a few answers (not because the person is being ignored) but because others like me, who've been here for months have already addressed this for someone else.
I think people should take the time to go through the threads and read them before posting "general" questions. I just had to address this. I didn't think anything of it before but it's becoming more obvious and the simple suggestion would be to read the older threads first before starting a thread.
For example, there were two new threads recently where I wanted to chime in, but it was the same exact questions that two other people posted only a week or so before. If the people starting the new threads had only taken a second to look around the forum, they would have seen that this question had been asked many times. I'd already answered these questions for someone else, so I thought of cutting and pasting my answer to these questions but then I decided not to.
I don't even believe a lot of the people who are doing this are necessarily new, just not taking the time to look through threads already posted. This is why a lot of topics now are going weeks with no one answering, it's because they've been answered before. If someone's not getting answers to their questions, they should wonder if their thread has been done before.
I know others have noticed this. I had to post about it today because it's happening more and more. I just think people should take the time to look through the threads, at least the first most recent pages before opening a topic. I like helping people when I can and enjoy BB but it does "urk" me a little bit when the same threads are being created over and over. It makes me wonder if some people are just being lazy because a lot of these thread questions being repeated are threads that could be found if someone took a second to look through the recent pages.
I think it's a case of people going, "I don't feel like searching so I'll just create a new thread." Sure, it's no big deal to the folks posting the thread but others who have seen the thread over and over (like me), won't take the time to answer again because it makes no sense to. It also makes you wonder that when you take your time to advise people, if your advice is being appreciated or not because others aren't taking the time to just read the threads before posting.
This was recently a problem on another forum too. It got so bad that the mods posted a "rules" sticky for newcomers or whoever to read first. One of the things on it was,"Search past posts to make sure you're not repeating a thread". LOL.
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly Hulst on -
How about asking the admins, or if you are an admin, to "feature" the most asked questions. That way they are right at the top of the forum list and the people don't even need to search.
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Permalink Reply by Emily Veinglory on
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It seems to me this is just a fact of life for forums.
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Permalink Reply by sari on -
I have been with the site for a long time and notice this is happening more and more as the site grows in membership.
I agree with you. I just saw two threads for Banned book week asking the same question. I am not sure what to do about it though, we cannot force people to search but maybe when someone starts a thread that has just been talked about and finds few takers they may think twice about starting a new thread so soon.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly Hulst on
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I own my own site, and admin on another. When I spot a thread that looks even kind of familiar to ones we already have, I just flat out say here is the link and who originally started the first thread. Then feature the original.
But then again I am just nasty.
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Permalink Reply by pussreboots on -
All forums have repeat questions. It's just a fact of life.
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Permalink Reply by Jaime Huff on -
I agree.
However.....it really gets annoying is when they are one right after another, the banned books week is a perfect example. Within an hour, there were 4 posts asking exactly the same thing. It wasn't like the forum was getting buried with posts and the others were lost in the shuffle, it would have been blazingly obvious to the poster there were other posts since they were still at the top of the forum.
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Permalink Reply by Stacy-Deanne (Novelist) on -
Puss, I understand that but it makes no sense to me why people would post a thread that's the same one as another on the exact same page. Maybe it wouldn't be so weird if they didn't post the same thread right in front of another one. They have to see this. I guess they figure someone will answer there's and not the other's. I don't know but as someone who frequents this board and enjoy lending advice and helping when I can, I don't find it making much sense that someone posts repeat threads. As Jamie mentioned about the Banned Book week. I've seen the Banned Book week thing at least four times from four different people. And at least two are on the same page.
Maybe repeat posts are part of forums, but none of the other writing sites I visit (and I visit MANY) have as many repeat posts as Book Blogs. It may be "normal" to some but in that respect, we could say spam is normal on a discussion board too, but it doesn't mean it doesn't get annoying for regular visitors.
I just don't see what would make someone think they need to post a thread just like someone else's right in front of the other.
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
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Permalink Reply by Linda on -
I also noticed that some people still don't use the Reviews and Giveaways posts that were set up for that purpose. I like using them because it makes it more organized. The duplicate postings, one right after the other, seem deliberate.
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