[wp-forums] R: Re: Closing down threads regarding old versions of WP

[electricfeet at libero.it]

Education, yes. But it's education on forum usage, rather than education on 
WordPress. (Surely we/you want the latter, not only the former.)

And what about welcome? Or community-building? Making people feel they can get 
help here?

I think you guys are perhaps being too logical for your user base. I get it, I 
really do. In my career I've been responsible for user support in quite a big 
way (many years ago now). Enforcing rules places a nice order on things (as 
well as sometimes being fun and empowering at times). But you also have to 
consider how people FEEL in order to build a community. 

If people aren't being disruptive--and no, this case WASN'T spam by any 
stretch of the term--then let it be. If someone wants to answer, to help, leave 
them the opportunity to do so.

And after all what's the downside? They'll write again when they don't get an 
answer? So?

N.B. I'm not attacking anyone here: I admire you all and your work (read your 
archives over several evenings recently Mika;  thanks!). But I'm genuinely 
shocked every time I see people given a welcome like this.

>----Messaggio originale----
>Da: ipstenu at halfelf.org
>Data: 15-lug-2014 2.06
>A: "For forum moderators. See also http://make.wordpress.org/support/"<wp-
forums at lists.automattic.com>
>Ogg: Re: [wp-forums] Closing down threads regarding old versions of WP
>
>Well. Yes.
>
>It's not fair to the theme dev to get spammed by everyone NOT using his 
>theme about things that aren't related. It's not fair to the OP, who was 
>done with the issue and happy. It's not fair to the NEW poster, who 
>won't get people helping them the right way because they posted in the 
>wrong place.
>
>The post was resolved by the OP, who was happy. Other people using the 
>same theme had the same solution. Someone using a different theme had an 
>answer that they were in the wrong place, and where to post.
>
>Now everyone has a reminder, hey, make a new post if you're not using 
>this theme, here's where you do it :)
>
>Education :)
>
>electricfeet at libero.it wrote:
>>
>> Here's a perfect example of a thread which I believe shouldn't be 
>> closed: http:
>> //wordpress.org/support/topic/twitter-timeline-jetpack-widget-tweets-
appearing-
>> then-disappearing
>>
>> Briefly:
>>
>> - Two months ago, the theme author replies on a post mentioning "a 
>> setting in
>> the customizer".
>>
>> - A brand new user, in his/her first post, responds today asking what 
>> the the
>> customizer is, because he/she cannot find it anywhere.
>>
>> - The user has clearly been trying to fix a problem and has done due 
>> diligence
>> by searching in the forum. He/she doesn't understand an answer and 
>> asks another
>> question **in response to the answer**. The answer to this new 
>> question is very
>> simple: "It's in Appearance> Customize".
>>
>> But now I cannot answer the question because the thread has been 
>> closed. The
>> new user will quite possibly never return after such a welcome.
>>
>> Is that what we want? If so, carry on as you are. If not, then you need to
>> sort out a policy in these cases. It could be something along the 
>> lines of:
>>
>> "If a question is asked on an old post that is not relevant, then you may
>> intervene and close the post if you feel that it is appropriate to do 
>> so. But
>> if the question is in response to the previous discussion, or is a 
>> question
>> directly relevant to the post, then let the thread continue".
>> _______________________________________________
>> wp-forums mailing list
>> wp-forums at lists.automattic.com
>> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-forums
>
>
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