[wp-forums] The "moderator" hat

[it's EMG]

Thank you very much for the feedback, Jan; greatly appreciated. :)

I will do what you suggested from now on.

The 'rickroll' suggestion of tagging is what I was starting to do but
wasn't sure if it was correct/okay or not.

On Thursday, April 24, 2014, Jan Dembowski <jan at dembowski.net> wrote:

>
>  I can't wave the person(s) over, so I've been tagging the threads using
>> the
>> tag-tags in hopes of adding specifity and just trying to help in general.
>> If applicable, I also link them to the better-suited section (like, plugin
>> specific) and some similar threads... But it feels rather inadequate.
>>
>
>
> Normally if the topic has no traction then you can suggest that the poster
> post in the sub-forum for that plugin. But if there's already a
> conversation going then if you want to tag a plugin or theme topic look at
> the plugin URL and use that slug to tag the topic.
>
> For example if a user had a problem with this (innocently and randomly
> picked by me) plugin:
>
> https://wordpress.org/plugins/rickroll/
>
> And they posted a topic in the general forum then you can tag that topic
> with "rickroll" (less the quotes).
>
> It would be more direct for the poster to use this link though.
>
> http://wordpress.org/support/plugin/rickroll#postform
>
> And start a new topic in that plugin's dedicated support sub-forum. That
> doesn't guarantee an answer but it does improve the odds of that topic
> being seen by the right people. When someone does that I usually close the
> original topic with a link to the new one.
>
>  Of course, it would help greatly if the people asking help would prefix
>> their threads by themes or plugins etc
>>
>
> No, don't do that. It's not necessary and it makes the poster feel as if
> they're posting in the right place when they're not.
>
> If you post to a dedicated support sub-forum then the [ Plugin: Plugin
> Name Here ] will get added automatically. Same for theme support sub-forums.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jan Dembowski
>
>  it's EMG <mailto:its.emg at gmail.com>
>> Thursday, April 24, 2014 3:51 PM
>> And without the whole, "I'm being brushed off," feeling?
>>
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>> it's EMG <mailto:its.emg at gmail.com>
>> Thursday, April 24, 2014 3:50 PM
>> Related, I was wondering if there might be a way for us to help tag/prefix
>> threads (is that what it's called?) with better tags.
>>
>> For example - and I have noticed this a lot - we will have people posting
>> a
>> question about images not showing up and it's posted in one of the general
>> forums... And it turns out the issue is related to either a specific theme
>> or plugin or both.
>>
>> If I can still help regardless of the specifity of the question, I will of
>> course try, but what is frustrating is when I know a theme or plugin
>> author
>> could probably better help...
>>
>> But because the thread doesn't have a better label (eg: posted to the
>> theme's own support area), it tends to be overlooked by the people who
>> would best suited to help.
>>
>> I can't wave the person(s) over, so I've been tagging the threads using
>> the
>> tag-tags in hopes of adding specifity and just trying to help in general.
>> If applicable, I also link them to the better-suited section (like, plugin
>> specific) and some similar threads... But it feels rather inadequate.
>>
>> Of course, it would help greatly if the people asking help would prefix
>> their threads by themes or plugins etc but a lot of the times, they
>> themselves don't realize it is a very specific issue likely isolated to
>> their particular theme or plugin.
>>
>> In such a case, is there a better way to help these people get the help
>> they need?
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, April 24, 2014, andrew nevins <andrew.nevins.misc at gmail.com>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> andrew nevins <mailto:andrew.nevins.misc at gmail.com>
>> Thursday, April 24, 2014 2:11 PM
>> Sounds cool
>>
>>
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>> Chip Bennett <mailto:chip at chipbennett.net>
>> Thursday, April 24, 2014 2:10 PM
>> I think a per-thread "This affects me too" toggle (sort of like
>> "favoriting" or "starring" a Plugin or Theme)  would put an end to the "me
>> too" replies, and would have the added benefit of providing a measure of
>> weight of a given, reported problem.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 2:04 PM, andrew nevins<
>> andrew.nevins.misc at gmail.com
>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>
>>  Can I ask, what happens when people don't create their own threads? Do
>>> you
>>> let the OP know that it is fine if he/she can start a new thread? I think
>>> what we are trying to do in the majority of cases is to keep threads on
>>> the
>>> no-replies list, and by telling people that you do have to sacrifice the
>>> thread you're in to save other threads.
>>>
>>> It's not always clear when should moderators not moderate, and I know
>>> there
>>> are not clear-cut guidelines for this, but I would definitely benefit
>>> from
>>> being told what's not okay and when (before it gets to this stage on the
>>> mailing list).
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 6:45 PM, Otto<otto at ottodestruct.com>  wrote:
>>>
>>>  Also, while we're having this conversation, can we lighten up on the
>>>>
>>> whole
>>>
>>>> "Please start your own thread" thing?
>>>>
>>>> Okay, yes, they should start a new thread. But seeing that exact same
>>>>
>>> stock
>>>
>>>> reply 8 times in the same thread isn't helping anybody.
>>>>
>>>> Let it go. Just ignore them and focus on providing help to the original
>>>> poster. Eventually, the person butting into your thread will either go
>>>>
>>> away
>>>
>>>> and start their own, or shut up, or maybe even help out. It's fine.
>>>>
>>> Ignore
>>>
>>>> it.
>>>>
>>>> It's also not a great intro to the forums for somebody to make their
>>>>
>>> first
>>>
>>>> post and invariably get told that they asked the question in the wrong
>>>> manner. They'll figure it out, we don't need to stock-reply everybody to
>>>> death.
>>>>
>>>> As moderators, let's focus on cutting out the spam and keeping
>>>> general order, and helping as many people as possible. These are
>>>> support forums, if you're making a post that isn't somehow providing
>>>> support, you probably should not be making it.
>>>>
>>>> -Otto
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>>>>
>>>>  _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>  _______________________________________________
>> wp-forums mailing list
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>> andrew nevins <mailto:andrew.nevins.misc at gmail.com>
>> Thursday, April 24, 2014 2:04 PM
>> Can I ask, what happens when people don't create their own threads? Do you
>> let the OP know that it is fine if he/she can start a new thread? I think
>> what we are trying to do in the majority of cases is to keep threads on
>> the
>> no-replies list, and by telling people that you do have to sacrifice the
>> thread you're in to save other threads.
>>
>> It's not always clear when should moderators not moderate, and I know
>> there
>> are not clear-cut guidelines for this, but I would definitely benefit from
>> being told what's not okay and when (before it gets to this stage on the
>> mailing list).
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> wp-forums mailing list
>> wp-forums at lists.automattic.com
>> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-forums
>>
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