Moving threads, Pros vs Cons

[Guest]

Pros

• It may be more convenient to the user (IF they can figure out they have a PM, and IF they can relocate the thread)
  

Cons

• Jive thread movement BUGS and caching "issues"
  
• Jive incorrectly implements thread moving: good forum software leaves a link in place of the former thread that redirects to the correct forum. This ensures that the user can find their original post, and also makes it clear and obvious to the user that they are switching forums (instead of being magically switched to another forum without even noticing).  Even better, it could be done so only the OP can see that shortcut link, if done correctly.  i.e. The Jive design team is being lead with the IT equivalent of Forrest Gump.
• User confusion (not just of the OP, but of those who were attempting to assist them in the original forum)
  
• It is more impolite and condescending to forcibly move their post, than simply directing them to the correct forum and asking them to copy and paste their post--OR asking them if they'd like the thread moved, before it is moved
  
• In the off chance that a user finds someone who CAN help them in the wrong forum, it prevents them from continuing their interaction with that user
• They aren't going to learn how to navigate to the correct forum if they're always moved to it
  
• It wastes more time for moderators and will burn them out (theoretically), who should be doing worried about other issues, and should have a life
  
• A simple and polite "here is the correct forum to ask your question" can be done by ANY helpful and knowledgeable user, not just mods
  
• It obscures the fact that there is a website navigation learning curve problem for new users, by making it impossible to count the number of off topic posts placed here
  
• Mods may not even know which forum to move a thread to, or could make a mistake and move it to the wrong forum
• Notifying the user in this Jiveware is problematic because PMs are not very noticable even to forum "veterans", rendering that method of notifying users worthless

How many more @#$% reasons do we need to provide?

Obey the forum thought police.  Violators will be locked, deleted and banned.

[pwillener]

I have moderator privileges at multiple forums, including at CoU.  Moving topics is sometimes desired, especially when users seek help, move it to a place where the experts are.

That makes sense, as long as the original poster will be able to find the moved topic.  If s/he cannot, we may as well have deleted the topic altogether.

In these forums I mentioned, moving a topic works as follows

1. the topic is moved to the new location
2. a shortcut is left in the original forum that reads "Moved: (original topic subject)"
3. anyone clicking on that shortcut will be redirected to the topic in the new location

This way

1. the topic is moved to where the experts are
2. the original poster can still find his/her post

This is not how it's done here.  The way it is handled here, the mod(s) may as well just delete the moved topics!

[Guest]

This is basically my biggest point--Jive doesn't implement this feature correctly. (SHOCKING!) The Jive designers make decisions by having their chimp (literally) lead designer throw darts at a dart board labeled with features.

Jiveware Lead Designer

Then you have the Jive thread moving bug.  FFS STOP moving these threads.  If mods insist on wasting their personal time toying with bad forum software, at least do something that isn't bug ridden.

How about locking the post and adding a LINK to a copied post on the correct forum where the moderator has posted the user's original question (with the same title and the name of the person who posted originally)?  Since Jiveware doesn't let you copy threads either (of course), you have to do it manually, but it's better than breeding JiveBugs©, and mods seem to be willing to spend the time anyway.

Obey the forum thought police.  Violators will be locked, deleted and banned.

[the_wine_snob]

I agree with the moving of threads to proper fora, or sub-fora. When I spot a post that is in the wrong spot, I'll usually mention this, and then point it out to the MOD's in the proper forum.

If one posts on Premiere Elements and wants help on Premiere Pro, they are not likely to get much useful info. The inverse applies. Same thing with Encore problems in the PrPro sub-forum. Some may be able to help, but there are more Encore experts in the Encore forum, and many do not hang out in the PrPro forum, even though those two programs have been bundled since CS3, and were bundled in some suite versions before that.

If they have accidently posted to the Premiere Elements Tips & Tricks or the FAQ sub-fora, they are likely to never get much help. The main PrE sub-fora will get responses in moments.

We get a handful of Photoshop posts in Premiere Pro. I, and several others, can help them, but they will get better service if they post (or their post is moved) to the Photoshop forum.

I also see several rants getting moved to the Video Lounge. That is a much better place for them, than the main forum.

In the end, it's all about helping the poster.

Sorry, but I do not see all of the OP's cons, but then I am not a MOD, so it's probably moot.

Hunt

[Guest]

Still disagree, but I'm tired of arguing about it.  It's not implemented correctly (or functional), period.

But I just don't care anymore, if that list isn't convincing enough than nothing will change their minds, so I'm done.  My tolerance for these forums is about at an end honestly.  I mean, they don't even stay up without crashing once a week it seems.  So heck with it, I may stop by once in awhile out of curiousity but I've given up on this place ever being a useful support system for Adobe products.  I'm going to go google Microsoft Silverlight now, seeyas.

[the_wine_snob]

Now, I do strongly agree that the "new & improved" fora are not the best. Still, most of us have learned to roll with the punches and get past what was, and maybe what should have been.

Look at the fora as an opportunity to help others, regardless of the performance, or lack thereof, of the current fora.

Don't let a few moved posts drive you away. There's much to learn and much to contribute.

Hunt, not happy with Jive, but gettin' by...

[Phillip_M_Jones · Accepted solution]

the_wine_snob wrote:

Now, I do strongly agree that the "new & improved" fora are not the best. Still, most of us have learned to roll with the punches and get past what was, and maybe what should have been.

Look at the fora as an opportunity to help others, regardless of the performance, or lack thereof, of the current fora.

Don't let a few moved posts drive you away. There's much to learn and much to contribute.

Hunt, not happy with Jive, but gettin' by...

I think what the problem is when give suggestions on proper way to do things, unless from Adobe employees and Moderators, they feel we all know about as much as Turnips.

[Guest]

My suggestion (copied from my original thread on Moving Threads):

Rick,

for my part, it's not the moving of the thread, it's the unintended consequences of moving the thread that prompted me to start this topic.  Moving the threads, without somehow informing the viewer that they are going to a different area of the forum causes confusion.  And for posting my concern about the confusion, many questionable things have been said about me, by folks who really have no idea who I am or how long I have been around.  Trust me, that was, to say the least, highly frustrating.

In thinking more about this, it might be better to leave the topic header, but in the ONLY REPLY to the message would a post stating the particular thread has been moved to the correct forum. ... please click the following link to continue with this topic.  Let me give an example:

Topic header:  Acrobat activation isn't working

OP:  I keep trying to activate Acrobat and it won't work.  What can I do?

FIRST REPLY:  This question has been posted in the Forum Comments area.  To assist the OP, we have moved the topic to the Acrobat Forum, where they are likely to get answers appropriate to their initial query.  Please use the following link to access this  topic:  insert-link-here.

moderator:  COPY the topic to the Acrobat Forum, but leave a read-only version of the original topic where it was originally posted (ie: Forum Comments) with a slight change to the topic header so as not to confuse the database (such as: Acrobat activation isn't working - thread moved).

Doing something along these lines would allow you to move threads, as needed, but reduce the confusion that DOES result.

[Phillip_M_Jones]

A most Logical solution.

Unless the Jive software is not capable of such.

[Guest]

This is what I suggested previously, but IIRC I was told that Jiveware is not capable of such correctly functioning behavior.  "Logic" on the planet Jive does not translate well to logic on planet Earth...

[Guest]

Pretty much PJ, you win the thread.  We're all idiots, it seems.  Only one or two "regular" users, perhaps, agree with our mod's positions.

But whatever, we've no say obviously, and I'm probably leaving these forums completely soon anyway.