Bumping... time limits?

[Gowator]

Cansomeone please give me guidleines for bumping a thread with no answers.
Last time I bumped a thread I had over a week old I was heavily criticised yet at the moment I have one thread I bumped after 2 weeks and I was not criticided (no answers but noone told me I was $EVIL and should fsck off like last time...) then I bumped it again after a week, expecting to be reprimanded .. but still no reprimand. Its now a further 4 days ... Im wondering how often it is allowable to bump.. I was planning on wating a full week again but will I just get the same sarcasm ...

Why is it people will write a 200 word essay criticising you for bumping a thread noone answered in a month and still not even try and help?

I guess this is a side issue... I really would like firm guidlines on the real question though.

[majikstreet]

AFAIK there are no offical guidelines.. I would say 24 hours for urgent stuff and 1 week for less urgent stuff.

[mstlyevil]

You also want to practice discretion with bumping post. If it is not anything important you might want to think twice before bumping. If it is something critical and/or support related, 24 hours is a good rule. Sometimes no one has the answer and that is why the post does not get answered right away.

[az]

I never bump.....



I just "remember" to add some information that I should have added to my first post......

[XDevHald]

Hmm, bumping is not a bad thing to do, if a topic is important, then a note to the public users is often needed if it's done in a timely manor as mstlyevil said, 24 and roughly 48 hours would be nice.

Again, not a big deal, just don't flood the topic with bumps and everyone will be peachy.

[Sp@z]

I never bump.....



I just "remember" to add some information that I should have added to my first post......

he he he

[5-HT]

Ouch, you were lambasted for bumping a week old thread?
That seems rather un-Ubuntu like.

I aggree with the posts here. One or two days for critical stuff, and maybe even a couple days to a week for not so critical.

The main annoyance I have is when someone posts a very commonly asked question that can easily be answered by just one quick search, recieves no responses, and repeatedly bumps it in 30 minute to 1 hour intervals.




I never bump.....



I just "remember" to add some information that I should have added to my first post......

:p \\:D/

[heimo]

I never bump.....



I just "remember" to add some information that I should have added to my first post......
:rolleyes: As an active forum member I must say that this practice is a lot better than *bump* without any kind of message. Writing some additional information, giving an impression(* that you're actually thinking about the subject yourself, trying to solve the problem (or what-ever), makes it a lot more probable that I'll answer on that thread. Also the "tone of the voice" makes a whole lot of difference.

*) Of course even better if this is true.

OT: I just spent my whole weekend as an Ubuntu support person. :D

[Gowator]

:rolleyes: As an active forum member I must say that this practice is a lot better than *bump* without any kind of message. Writing some additional information, giving an impression(* that you're actually thinking about the subject yourself, trying to solve the problem (or what-ever), makes it a lot more probable that I'll answer on that thread. Also the "tone of the voice" makes a whole lot of difference.

*) Of course even better if this is true.

OT: I just spent my whole weekend as an Ubuntu support person. :D

I think honesty should be OK....
If you just add stuff for the sake of hiding that its bumped then you are obfusciating the problem. If you can add stuff great but I think it should be acceptable just to be honest after a certain set time.

[heimo]

I think honesty should be OK....
If you just add stuff for the sake of hiding that its bumped then you are obfusciating the problem. If you can add stuff great but I think it should be acceptable just to be honest after a certain set time.
For clarity, I must say that I agree completely. Of course bumping with something irrelevant is easy to see through and perhaps even more irritating than *bump* too frequently. But this is most annoying if done on purpose: Posting same question multiple times. Please, rather than posting the same question, bump. example (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=748363#post748363) repeated
(http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=753118#post753118)
I think bumping up is ok after "practical" time and it's not a problem on these forums. Huge volume related to FAQ threads are. But if people are just lazy to search and make any effort, why should anyone else do their homework.

I guess my point was that people should always reconsider when bumping and if their original post is lacking, or they have any new information, they should add that and be patient. Also they should be open to allow any level of help - even just small hints, or links or anything, and not demand "step-by-step guide or else" and expect to be treated as a paying customer. We're just volunteers.

Let's try to make this more positive. Factors that make it easier to answer a question:
Include all relevant facts. Instead of saying you "got an error", include the actual error/warning message, state your actual goal instead of small part of the problem, context is relevant.
Do not post multiple unrelated questions in one post. Divide your post to correct forums and questions related to one subject in one post.
Good title, it should definitely describe your post well
random examples from current actual threads:
not able to mount Canon A620 digital camera (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=131953) :D GOOD!

Noob question (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=133249) :( BAD!
Do not shout, demand or otherwise act like an arrogant, impatient...
Respect the answers you get, as long as you're being respected
Be open to alternative solutions and do not make irrelevant requirements ("I will NOT use command line because there must be GUI for this!")
Search once again before posting (forum, wiki, google) - find the facts for others and include links to wiki, howto, manufacturers site or any other resource that may be useful for people trying to help youI'm not trying to force posts to be of some syntax ;) or saying that every post must validate my list of good characterics for a question, but those are the kind of elements that affect the treatment a post gets. And this is not about anyone specific (not about Gowator), those posts above were random picks based on purely the title.

[Gowator]

For clarity, I must say that I agree completely. Of course bumping with something irrelevant is easy to see through and perhaps even more irritating than *bump* too frequently. But this is most annoying if done on purpose: Posting same question multiple times. Please, rather than posting the same question, bump. .

Thanks ... I actually came back and its now 3 weeks on a critical area I am desperate to solve with only one partial response in that time (which didn't work). My intention was to just start another post and hope this one gets answered before it falls off the bottom of the pile but your post has made me reconsider.

I guess I can wait an extra day then it is actually a full 7 days between bumping especially when I get answers like


You know, funnily enough, people who regularly browse these forums also tend to have lives, and as such, aren't necessarily checking posts every 5 minutes. It can get quite irritating if you keep bumping your post so often - try to wait at least a day before bumping. on a post with no answers at all for 1 month (yes that's right month!)

I guess they will never admit they didn't read the dates or mixed up the fact it was the same day of the month... just a month later ...

Also they should be open to allow any level of help - even just small hints, or links or anything, and not demand "step-by-step guide or else" and expect to be treated as a paying customer. We're just volunteers.

One problem I percieve is that too many people know very little and quite a few people only know 20% more. Of the 20% more people unfortunately there seems to have developed a "Unless I can look clever Im not answering this" attitude.

If you check out 'difficult' threads you often see noone replies and then once one person replies you suddenly get 10 people showing how to do it a better way... with look Im cleverer than xxxx ...

[poofyhairguy]

If you check out 'difficult' threads you often see noone replies and then once one person replies you suddenly get 10 people showing how to do it a better way... with look Im cleverer than xxxx ...

Not always. Often these people are taking the hardcore solution given from some random wizard and making it so regular people can actually use the advice. For example: when the wizard says change your *.conf the regular user needs the command to do that. So someone jumps in with that command. Doesn't change the fact that only the wizard in those threads knew how to do it really.

We are the Ubuntu forum. As a result of the distro philosophy you find far less Linux wizards here than in the Arch or Gentoo communities. No big deal, as we have our own strengths here (good guides for one).

[Gowator]

Not always. Often these people are taking the hardcore solution given from some random wizard and making it so regular people can actually use the advice. For example: when the wizard says change your *.conf the regular user needs the command to do that. So someone jumps in with that command. Doesn't change the fact that only the wizard in those threads knew how to do it really.

We are the Ubuntu forum. As a result of the distro philosophy you find far less Linux wizards here than in the Arch or Gentoo communities. No big deal, as we have our own strengths here (good guides for one).

Its probably a bit of both... however the snowball effect certainly happens, that is it can go for weeks and noone answers then suddenly once one person gives a solution everyone is offering one.

I do have examples but posting them would be an unfair way to get attention my currently very urgent thread (it woudl be like a second thread).. which I am holding off bumping until tomorrow so its a nice round 7 days since I last bumped.

However in one thread http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=64501 I had no answer for 2 months... yet a similar thread http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=129493 had an answer the next day...

Ubuntu_demon says I don't show respect because I ask direct questions and get frustrated after 2 months yet I honestly cannot see what is wrong with my first post or any of the first 2 months up to me getting friustrated and him editing it,

I can practically guarantee that if I was to be dishonest and create a new avatar called silly_french_girl_xxx and post

"Please can someone help me, I'm not very good with linux but I'm trying to learn, my boyfriend used to help but since I am single again I really need some help... please ...xxxxx" I would have more answers than I can shake a stick at!

Honesty doesn't pay off here unfortunately!