Please do not Punish/ Warn an OP for a Forum Software Problem

[Doc.AElstein]

Hi
The Moderators and other regulars here are IMO great, doing so much work voluntarily. Considering all the problems here it is you guys that hold the Forum together. –thanks so much !!

Just a small appeal.

On a duplicate post please check the time that Duplicate posts were started. If the time is within a few minutes then it is probably down to the Forum Software. So in this case it may not be appropriate to use the canned reply to remind the OP of the Forum Rule about Duplicate Posting, ( or welcome an OP to the board after 6 years )
For example:_.............
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...board-bug.html
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...oving-bug.html
_............ what it really needs is for the Management to give some better Canned replies.... but like everything else, we have discussed this all before.. and it looks like it is down to us to do that ourselves.. and make our own more friendly canned Replies... or spend more time on more individual replies..)
Alan

[Kyle123]

5 minutes is not forum software.

[zbor]

I always check times (here was 5 minutes).
What I also do is check title.

Duplicated threads has same title.
Here that wasn't a case: titles are different.
I didn't want that discussion go in both threads so I've closed one.

I still do know this was at the time of Forum problems so I didn't gave him any warning.

I don't look only when thread is started but also do they have code tags, attachments, better titles, replies and so on.

I also don't think we need to "spend more time on more individual replies" when that's not needed.
But I do agree Canned replies could be different and there was already discussions about that. I won't go into it now.

Now I'm going to edit his thread because he edited wrong one. (5 minutes after I've closed another one).

[Doc.AElstein]

5 minutes is not forum software.

I think it can happen sometimes that a Post takes a few minutes to "appear". In this time you might think the posting was unsuccessful and post again.
In any case, I think it is very unlikely that an OP will Duplicate a post intentionally in such a short time.

But I do take the point from zbor that a different title could be an attempt to squeeze in a Duplicated Post

[zbor]

Oh, yes, and I wellcome him back to the board after 6 years because he has only 10 posts

[Doc.AElstein]

Oh, yes, and I wellcome him back to the board after 6 years because he has only 10 posts

We need a Canned reply to say welcome BACK, ........ Lol....

[terrypin]

I think it can happen sometimes that a Post takes a few minutes to "appear". In this time you might think the posting was unsuccessful and post again.
In any case, I think it is very unlikely that an OP will Duplicate a post intentionally in such a short time.

But I do take the point from zbor that a different title could be an attempt to squeeze in a Duplicated Post

Yep, that's exactly what happened. After clicking Send, the message about 'Waiting...' continued for a minute or two. I coped the message content to my text editor and refreshed. Same thing. Checked a couple of sites like http://downoruprightnow.com/status/excelforum.com and http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/excelforum.com.html but no issues were reported. Tried a couple more times. Re-opened Firefox browser and tried again, in fresh post, this time successfully. Then found both posts displayed. Tried to delete the later, redundant one. Couldn't do so, as I mentioned, despite an indication that it was possible: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...itDelete-1.jpg Etc...

I too think the automated process could be improved by assuming that an attempted duplication within say 30 minutes of the original should be assumed due to a presumed site problem. And if provision was made for its author to delete it, even better!

[zbor]

I'm sorry terrypin for that Forum experience.
We are aware of that so there was no hard feelings.

If it was truly duplicated thread, non related to Forum issues, then you would also get warned.

Since that wasn't case here I've just close it so other members don't work on same task simultaneously.

Welcome back

[terrypin]

Thanks zbor, understood, and no problem.

[Doc.AElstein]

Yep, that's exactly what happened. ....

Thanks for popping by to clear that up....
_....................................

..... Checked a couple of sites like http://downoruprightnow.com/status/excelforum.com and http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/excelforum.com.html but no issues were reported. .......

it comes up a lot as well, for example, that a lot of people can get no access to the Forum for a while, despite it not being reported as "down". The Forum Software problems are endless here, but you get used to them after a while .... The biggest problem remains that some very prominant members are "shut" out / cannot get Access to the forum for long periods of time. ( Or have given up and left, sadly )

....
I too think the automated process could be improved by assuming that an attempted duplication within say 30 minutes of the original should be assumed due to a presumed site problem. And if provision was made for its author to delete it, even better!

I think sometimes a warning does come up if you try a Duplicate post after a short period of time....
_.....let me try in the Test Forum:
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...t=#post4475743
_......

_................. .............

EDIT:
Yep it gives a warning for up to 5 Minutes.

Of course if someone wanted to get over that they would just need to change a single character and post again.

But I think even the most Impatient, Intolerant, new OP , with an Urgent problem would not Duplicate in less than 30 Mimutes. My guess would be that the quickest would be when the Thread "slips down" or "off" the screen into the next page.
This is only in Peak times in some Forums, with less Sub Forums, with concentrated traffiic, occasionally under 30 Minutes, and not currently at Excel Forum, where it is typicaly well over an Hour.

I do not think anything is going to change at Excel Forum, so I think I will mark the Thread as Solved.
( Look at the bright side.... you can Edit for quite a while here.. in another forum you only get a minute or so )


I think we all basically Happy and coming Together now on this one.
Onward !

Alan

( Thanks again To those that do catch the Duplicates and Cross Posting. -It can be very frustrating when you help only to find that the OP has an answer already somewhere Else. )

( Edit: Thanks for the rep, terrypin )