Thread: I need a macro to do this ...

Originally Posted by romperstomper

Ah, yes!
Some very entertaining usernames signed up recently though...

Now your turn... who else then has caught your attention of late ?

I've fixed the link in my earlier post

Originally Posted by teylyn

Why is this? Are people getting lazy? Or is a general understanding of what a spreadsheet does no longer a given?

Hi Teylyn, your astute observation is quite correct and the problem is not limited to this forum or even just Excel. Ignorance is not so bad to me since hopefully just some education is required. I guess it's partly the responsibility of the person answering to point out there is built in functionality to do things as opposed to blindly just giving them the solution on a plate. I don't mind spending extra time with people if they are obviously trying even though it can be frustrating at times.

Laziness is the bigger issue. I remember when I first started work many years ago that you ask alot of questions when you first learn a new job but after a while you find it easier just to ask people than investigate yourself. I had a really good boss who I think invented RTFM as he always used to say "what part of the manual are you looking at and I will try and help you". A subtle kick in the a**

Cheers,
Graham
A Kiwi in NZ

Some time ago, we discussed having members provide a self-assessment as to their capabilities so we had some idea how to frame a response. That never came to pass.

It would be convenient if the mods could rate members on three scales, with the average mod rating visible (to mods only) for each category:

Ambition: 0 (won't look at his watch if can ask someone the time) to 10 (soaks things up like a sponge)

UI: 0 (how do I add two numbers?) to 10 (DLL)

VBA: 0 (how do I insert code?) to 10 (Andy Pope, RomperStomper)

Originally Posted by DonkeyOte

Now your turn... who else then has caught your attention of late ?

Well, I'm guessing that f#?!off (censored by me - the actual name is not!) was having a bad day when he/she signed up...

Originally Posted by Parry

Being the new boy on the block...

First rule of ExcelForum.com: There is no ExcelForum.com (well, that's generally true about twice a week)

Second rule of EF.com: ideas put forward by the members shall be treated with equal disdain / bemusement by the owners and shall be discarded irrespective of merit forthwith.

(didn't someone once mention reorganising the forums............)

shg, you should know better...

Originally Posted by parrynz

I can't imagine lazy people would answer truthfully to Ambition ...

That was the point of only allowing mods to assign the ratings (via a simple average), and only allowing the mods to see it. And I think mods would have a much more accurate assessment than the OPs themselves.

Originally Posted by DO

shg, you should know better...

Actually I do; still, it would be a nice system. If Simon's forum grows, we could ask him if it could be implemented there.

I think the number of forums here is a little OTT but then I think that Mr E&*($ could maybe split to a few more.

The rep system is interesting. I joined with pretty much the sole intention of answering peoples problems as I find the vast majority of the time if I don't know the answer to my own I know where to look to find it. Sometimes you'll get rep for the simplest answer and then spend half an hour coding something to get no rep but almost always the appreciation of the OP which at the end of the day is more than enough.

Having a mod determine your skill/endeavour etc could be a little contentious but not a bad idea in general. It might give a real heads up to some folk about their own skills and inspire them to improve whilst putting the noses of others out of joint.

Speaking of rep I am slightly embarrassed that I gained my 3rd splodge by cracking a joke, but it was quite a good one I think

Dom

Originally Posted by shg

If Simon's forum grows, we could ask him if it could be implemented there.

Maybe a passport system recognising contributions elsewhere would be a nice idea. The top forums all know who they are but alas wouldn't necessarily agree to such a thing.

Originally Posted by shg

...
Actually I do; still, it would be a nice system. If Simon's forum grows, we could ask him if it could be implemented there.

Hold on Shg...
Don't you mean when it grows?

Domski, I like your passport idea but agree - which Forum's would consider it?

Mods/former Mods,
DO's "second rule for EF" sent me looking for the absent Super_Admins & the traces seem to be a week old. Has there been any feedback to the Mod's?

Graham, welcome aboard, it's good to have another Kiwi join the ranks

Rob

Rob,

Re www.thecodecage.com : It's growing all right! No "if". The "when" is well underway.

Re Super_Admin: nope. No comms to mods, either, unless you count having been told of for mentioning www.thecodecage.com

hi Teylyn,

Long time no chat - how's the 'Naki?

LOL, tsch tsch!
I'm doing my bit to help with the growth

BUT it is a bummer about the lack of comm's here
Perhaps there could be a subsection for comm's in a rating system. It could be quite telling...

Rob

Originally Posted by Domski

Having a mod determine your skill/endeavour etc could be a little contentious but not a bad idea in general. It might give a real heads up to some folk about their own skills and inspire them to improve whilst putting the noses of others out of joint.

Worth nothing that Mod status on this forum is not meant as a reflection of technical expertise so the Mod group be the sole arbitrator on such matters is flawed IMO - though undoubtedly better than nothing
(and FWIW I made exactly the same point when I was a Moderating myself).

Regards reputation / skill level etc... to me this raises the age old debate as to whether or not the user tags currently in operation server any purpose whatsoever ?

The current settings of Guru, Valued Contributor etc are in essence automated (somewhat mysteriously) based on longevity and post count - occasionally the Mods have requested certain users have their tag changed manually to Guru to reflect their (blatantly) obvious skill level.

The result of the above is that post content matters little in determining your tag - you could post questions for 3 years and be a Guru... it doesn't really make sense on that basis to have these tags infer any kind of skill level.

This type of system is another area where EF differs to most other forums of it's type where the tags are either:

a) directly related to "points" gained (ie rep. awarded by other members - eg ExpertsExchange) ...
presently all that happens here is that you get a few blocks and occasionally the html title changes (not visible other than by hovering over the blocks themselves).

b) where set manually - determined by other recipients of the "award" - eg MrExcel MVP

Rather than adding yet further information into the mix (visible only to a select few) I would simply suggest that either one bases the tag on the rep. system or it is instead determined manually by an appropriate peer group (Mods or other).

I would reiterate though that unless it's something that can be achieved by Roy then put simply it won't happen... unless of course, if opting for the Mod only system, they simply put it in a spreadsheet.

First priority for Vai and co. is the board structure and we've been waiting for action on that for around two years (was certainly being touted at the time I joined).
A board revamp is undoubtedly a big exercise however it would be far more valuable to the board as a whole than say revamping a few style sheets (badly) and/or trying to capture user ability.

Sometimes I wish this forum would only accept posts in plain language.