Thread: when and how do you give up with an OP

I generally like helping people but when: students ask for their work to be done with no effort on their part o;r maintaining the solution to a business question is clearly beyond the capabilities of the OP, I tend to want to finish up and tell them that I think it is inappropriate or dangerous to help them more.

If you do this how do you handle it?

I send them a PM. I won't show people how to do something in VBA when they can't write a simple formula, or help provide a solution when their data is so badly organized that any attempt is a hack to accommodate their design. In both cases, I feel that doing what they asked does more to hinder their progress than advance it.

I won't provide solutions to homework, etc-maybe a point in the right direction.

I won't provide VBA solutions where it is not necessary,just asked for because the OP's knowledge of basic Excel usage is lacking.

Also,like Shg if a workbook is badly designed then & the OP won't change it,then I lose interest.

I often like to make some response to the messy ones. Just to help them understand why they are unlikely to get a reply and I often do that as a PM.

With some of the threads I ask for a bit of information about the business. If it is something where they should and could pay for the work or training I might say so (as a PM (usually)) but if it looks like a small business just trying to make things a bit better I will go the extra mile.

Just occaisionally I am quite pointed in my reply but conscious that others may take a different view.



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Roy's hit the nail on the head pretty much.

One of the most frustrating things I come across is someone insisting that they cannot possibly change the way they have decided they want to do something.

I'm afraid I can be guilty of just drifting away from those threads sometimes.

Dom

I've tried so many times to tell OPs that they can do things more simple & offered to help,but why you should we spend more time because they won't see the sense. Most say the "boss" won't allow change, I have never had an employer that when shown a better way to use Excel who wasn't delighted.

Originally Posted by royUK

I have never had an employer that when shown a better way to use Excel who wasn't delighted.

Yes, but that requires confidence that the changes will be better.

I have only had one job where the client said "make it work but don't really change it". I eplained that if they wanted the job to actually work it needed a wholesale restructuring. When they didn't agree I politely suggested that we part then and there.

That caused them some surprise.

As a newbie to the forum I had thought of asking the same question.

My opinion so far

The second "client" appears, drop it!
"the big guys out there"....... etc, etc..... ditto!

Taking all points into consideration......but for the greater God than yours' or mine out there........go thee and I,

How do I do it politely?

i just take the ****!

Originally Posted by darkyam

It also helps to keep a list, either mentally or written down, of OPs who have wasted your time or been rude before.

I've often wondered if it was just me that did that. I have one for each forum I post in - some very short, some not so...

Originally Posted by romperstomper

I've often wondered if it was just me that did that. I have one for each forum I post in - some very short, some not so...

Who do I have to appeal to about getting my name removed from them?

Dom

The Holder of the List is amenable to a beer or two...
I'm not sure I've ever seen you post a question though!

Luckily it doesn't happen very often

Dom