Marking a topic as "resolved"

Report · Jul 17, 2012

One of the positive sides of using the "Correct" link on a post is that the topic gets marked with a green bullet; indicating that we don't need to look at it again.

However, doing so inserts the "correct" answer into the original post, even if it does not contain any info how the original problem was resolved.

An example: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1036936

Now I am wondering, what is more important

to mark a topic as "resolved", even if it does not contain an actual resolution?
to mark a real resolution as the "correct" answer?
or leave a topic that is resolved, but without an actual resolution, as unresolved?

Report · Nov 20, 2012

And what about cases such as this, with an answer marked as Correct although the OP explicitly says that it it didn't work for him?

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1099677?tstart=0

Report · Nov 20, 2012

And this is certainly not a case of an original poster neglecting his/her thread for a long time...

Report · Nov 20, 2012

Claudio,

That is a conundrum. Did the OP mark the answer as Correct, or do we not know?

While it does not happen all THAT often, I have seen some Replies marked as Correct (by the OS, I would assume?), that are obviously not.

I think that it shows that they system is imperfect, though works well in most instances.

Hunt

Report · Jul 21, 2012

Yes, everyone with moderation abilities (some employees, and the moderators) might have changed the answer to correct.

In the past, there was an option to tag a thread with answered, without giving a person the 10 points, useful when a thread has multiple correct answers.

Report · Sep 03, 2012

Pat Willener wrote:
A further question should be asked: who should benefit from topics marked as resolved
the forum regulars ("helpers"), who would see a topic as resolved, and therefore won't need to look at it again?

Not necessarily, but perhaps that would be a reason for users not to mark a thread as resolved untill it is 'completely' done. Please see this thread of mine as an example >

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4650888#4650888

In the best case, both should benefit, but that is not possible with the options we currently have.
for forum regulars, how many times have we seen a topic that was resolved for the original poster, then a new poster comes and adds "I have the same problem; please help"? In these cases we have to look at the topic again, anyway.

In such cases wherein no full info (which many times results to be very different to that of the OP) is provided by the new-coming user, I think it would be advisable for Moderators and/or Contributors to just respond to that new poster to open his own new thread, provinding instructions and/or requesting any needed-to-assist additional info.

Reasons could likely be stated as... 'in order to maintain good order sake of forums/avoid confussion (specially when the OP's thread

is still being worked out)/get the best possible assistance available from regular contributors'...

Of course, any Contributor may occasionally feel ok to use the OP's thread to assist the new poster, but there are surely times that simply can't be done.

for forum visitors who are looking for a solution, topics that are marked as resolved, but do not contain any actual resolution are less than useless.

Couldn't agree more!

In this light I think it is best to only mark a post as "Correct" if it actually contains the solution for the initial problem. Anything else does not serve any useful purpose.
Any additional thoughts and comments are welcome

So please confirm it's right to say there is consensus for:

"Correct" > for posts pointing to an "actual resolution" of main thread/question. To be marked by the OP, a Moderator or a PowerUser-Contributor.

- 'Correct' posts can also be marked 'Helpful' by any other user.

- Erroneously marked 'Correct' posts should be addressed by Moderators A.S.A.P.

"Helpful" > for posts pointing to a "partial resolution" of the problem. To be marked (hopefully following a brief feedback post) by the OP only. No Mod should change/mark it later on as 'Correct'.

Report · Sep 04, 2012

Hey Pat, I think this example may be worthwhile to add to this discussion:

My original question in the thread linked in my previous post (#24 in this thread), was composed by two queries, main of which was resolved by following your good advice. I therefore marked your post #3 as 'Correct' and your post #5 as 'Helpful'.

At the same time I submitted a 'Thank you' post (#6) which also a reminder (to you or any other user) of that I was still in need to resolve my second query.

That action (Aug, 27) bumped up the thread in the List and it was on page #1 (200+views) all day long, on page #2 (400+views) the next day, and so on... No replies received. On Aug, 30 I edited a misspelling on post #6 but knowing that action wouldn't bump it up again (and 'Modify Date' doesn't help showing '1 week ago'), and I really don't like reminder-posts so I didn't.

Right now it's at the middle of page 7 (30 items per page view) with 655 views - BUT - obviously transparent to regular contributors as it's too far down the list and... green-bubbled!

So, from a normal user's point of view (not because it's my own thread)... and also from a regular user's view... what would the OP's options be to best handle this?

1.a.- Not to mark it as resolved (untill completely done) in the first place, 1.b.- Post a reminder,

2.a.- Do mark it and post reminders untill a reply is received, 2.b.- Unmark it and post reminders...,

3.a.- Open a new thread with a link to the old one, 3.b.- Only open a new thread and leave the old one as it is (partially resolved - greenbubbled).

Just queries / suggestions.

Report · Sep 04, 2012

Rick,

I am afraid 3a and 3b are the only viable solutions.

I keep 100 posts per page for the busier forums, such as this one, and I really try to look through the lists of threads to see whether there is anything to contribute or just something that may be worth seeing; and I completely ignore the colours of the bubbles (it is much more difficult to ignore the ghastly, or should I say ghostly, contrasting background colours in the threads that are haunting us again).

But unless I am pondering over an answer, I always try to keep up to date (or hour/minute) and stop looking when I reach a thread that has been read.

And I only look at older pages (more than 100 threads back) if looking for a thread that may be easier to find that way rather than through a search.

So I believe that your thread on your page 7, corresponding to some 210 threads back, is doomed, unless someone with a similar issue finds it through a search. That may happen after months or years.

Report · Sep 04, 2012

Jacob,

My interaction in the Adobe Forums is similar to yours.

I can imagine that the green "Answered" icon might be helpful to one, who is searching for a solution - if they know what it means. I have never heard a user comments, "Oh, that little green icon was very useful to me." However, I have read many "Has this problem been resolved?" when, upon reading, it has, but the OP (or a MOD) did not bother getting back, and marking things.

I even added an article explaining how Adobe uses the marking of threads, and the "Was this helpful YES - NO?" and just point the OP's to it. Sometimes, they get it, but often they do not.

Hunt

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Bill Hunt wrote:
I even added an article explaining how Adobe uses the marking of threads, and the "Was this helpful YES - NO?" and just point the OP's to it.
Sometimes, they get it, but often they do not.

Typical!

Could you please supply a link to your article as it'd appear all related info I'm able to find is http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-2327#Become_a_Community_Moderator and/or http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-2325

Thank you!

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Certainly - http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1058744?tstart=0

Hunt

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Thank you Jacob:

Jacob Bugge wrote:
Rick,
I am afraid 3a and 3b are the only viable solutions.

Yes, can agree that's what a normal user would do... but also a reason why there would be so many unresolved or partially resolved threads that are left behind around all forums. I believe that's an important part of Moderators' duties - so we'd all have 'cleaner' Threads Lists.

So I believe that your thread on your page 7, corresponding to some 210 threads back, is doomed, unless someone with a similar issue finds it through a search. That may happen after months or years.

Please note I did left behind that thread on purpose and I'm now correcting it as per 3.a. above. Thank you.

> Note appart >

I keep 100 posts per page...

Can you confirm where do you see this? It seems I'm only enabled for 3 options (15, 30 or 50)...

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Rick,

I prefer that moderators change as little as possible; and I believe that it would be quite impossible to avoid unfinished threads, even with a huge effort.

To obtain 100 threads per page, you can add #/?per_page=100 to the URL and then bookmark for easy repeated use.

So the URL of this forum is changed from

http://forums.adobe.com/community/general/forum_comments?view=discussions

to

http://forums.adobe.com/community/general/forum_comments?view=discussions#/?per_page=100

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Jacob Bugge wrote:
I prefer that moderators change as little as possible...

1... but at least some more active action on removing Correct designations from posts when these have been incorrectly applied, shall prove good to the forums (in general).

... and I believe that it would be quite impossible to avoid unfinished threads, even with a huge effort.

Yes. I wouldn't hold my breath either

To obtain 100 threads per page, you can add #/?per_page=100 to the URL

Thanks for the tip , although I'm -in general- ok at 50.

Report · Sep 08, 2012

You are welcome, Rick.

but at least some more active action on removing Correct designations from posts when these have been incorrectly applied, shall prove good to the forums (in general).

The correction of incorrect Correct labels (if correct) may lead to more correct forums, but we should lose invaluable amusement value in the process.

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Jacob Bugge wrote:
...
The correction of incorrect Correct labels (if correct) may lead to more correct forums, but we should lose invaluable amusement value in the process.

Jacob, do you find this sort of thing amusing?

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1058887?tstart=120

Incidentally, I cannot imagine any sane moderator marking as Correct a post (by the original poster!) that doesn't answer anything, so my obvious question is: can the OP mark as Correct a message posted by her/himself? If the answer is yes, I don't think this is a good idea, and the thread in my link shows why.

The same thread also shows the OP marking his own messages as Helpful which, in my opinion, shouldn't be possible.

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Claudio González wrote:
my obvious question is: can the OP mark as Correct a message posted by her/himself?

It appears as if this is now possible, although s/he will not get any points from it.

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Claudio,

In that case, I woud agree with you.

However, I have seen many Replies, by the OP, that ARE "Correct," as they have found answers from other sources, and not from the Replies in the Adobe Forum thread.

OTOH, I have seen many posts, where the OP got great Replies, and at least one, that WAS "Correct," only to ignore the info provided, and then to post, "Hey, despite the lack of worthy comments, I solved the issue myself. It is ___ ." Often, that "solution" WAS provided in the Replies, but the OP chose to not follow those directions, and instead, used the same "solution," but provided elsewhere. Stuff happens.

Hunt

Report · Sep 09, 2012

Bill, in my opinion, the OP should never be allowed to mark one of his own answers as correct. and the thread I mentioned clearly shows why. If the answer of the OP is indeed the correct answer, I understand that it can easily be marked as so by a mod.

Cooperatioon from other participants would be very much needed for this to work, for which an expedite way to report such cases would be a must. I don't know if the Report button would serve for this purpuse, can someone in theknow please inform us? In my opinion, PMs would not be practical for this.

Report · Sep 09, 2012

Claudio,

in my opinion, the OP should never be allowed to mark one of his own answers as correct. and the thread I mentioned clearly shows why. If the answer of the OP is indeedthe correct answer, I understand that it can easily be marked as so by a mod.

In the majority of cases, I will agree with you, that the OP shouldn't mark their own Reply as "Correct," but have seen enough exceptions to that, that I would hesitate to restrict that capability.

I am also hesitant to place the responsibility for marking any Reply as "Correct," onto the MOD's. In most instances, they have more than enough to do, to keep the forums functioning smoothly.

Just my thoughts and observations,

Hunt

Report · Sep 09, 2012

Bill, the problem you mention is real, and I normally wouldn't dream of asking from the mods more than they do at present. However, the matter would be easily solved if all of us regulars take it as an obligation to notify of correct answers posted by original posters. Which leads us to a previous question of mine: would the Report button work efficiently for this, or do we need a better system?

Report · Sep 09, 2012

If the answer of the OP is indeed the correct answer, I understand that it can easily be marked as so by a mod.

You must be joking. Moderators should have less powers in marking and unmarking any answers as correct or not. The moderators I have seen here are a bunch of jokers with very limited experience of Adobe products and the less powers they have the better it is for loyal Adobe customers.

This new scheme of designating MVPs and Moderators is still a "work-in-progress" and we need to allow some time to see who is competent and who isn't before assigning more powers to anybody; this includes Adobe staff who who have less than 5 years service with Adobe products.

The OP is the only person who can mark the answers as correct or not because it is he who wants to make use of and implement the answer to his own circumstances; not some big-headed Moderator with an ego!!.

Report · Sep 09, 2012

The moderators I have seen here are a bunch of jokers with very limited experience of Adobe products and the less powers they have the better it is for loyal Adobe customers.

It is obvious that you frequent different product forums, than I do. I find that my MOD's are experts in the various programs, and share that expertise gladly, plus perform the "housekeeping duties," that their hosting a product forum requies. Sorry that you have had different experiences, than I have.

Hunt

Report · Sep 09, 2012

(Answering the post about marking his/her own post as correct/helpful)

I also beg to differ. The OP can have found another solution him/herself, or at another place, and should be able to highlight his/her post accordingly.

If you think it is paramount to change the correct answer, yes, a PM might be a good idea. I don't think that the reporting is the best venue.

Report · Sep 08, 2012

Claudio González wrote:
... can the OP mark as Correct a message posted by her/himself? ...

Please don't trust me for certain but I 'believe' it's only possible when the thread contains no other replies but yourselves. When there is at least one post from another user, you won't see the "Mark as Correct" button available from within your own posts.

At least I did it once. See > http://forums.adobe.com/message/4632740#4632740

Obviously, your example above is not the case. So, who marked it?

The same thread also shows the OP marking his own messages as Helpful...

This can be easily confirmed by yourself - Give it a shot!

The enigma continues...

Report · Sep 09, 2012

OK, I have operned two threads to test this. In the first,

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4684463#4684463

I marked my answer as Correct and I need a mod to try to unmark it.

In the second,

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1062998

I have posted just the initial post, and I need someone to post a message to see if I can still mark as Correct an answer of mine after someone else has also posted in that thread.

Thanks to those who give a helping hand.

Adobe Community

Marking a topic as "resolved"