0 Reply Threads

I have something for you guys to do occasionally. I went through yesterday for a couple hours and found every single post in the slackware forum with 0 replies and made some kind of helpful reply to them, whether it be where to look for something or a little bit of encouragement. I noticed some of the threads started getting replies and suggestions based on one comment. I think every week I am going to try to do this, even to jumpstart a thread and start getting it some replies. It might be a good idea if others would do the same, must have been a whole page of 0 replies I took care of. If you have time, it'd be greatly appreciated not only by me I'm sure, I just hate seeing threads with no replies. Your input is always valuable.

I really wanted to just leave this thread with 0 replies, but I think this is a good idea. I'll join your crusade.

Thanks Astro. Helping with 0 reply threads is a great way to help your fellow LQ members!

--jeremy

When I get an idle moment, I start on the 0 replies thread but 7 screens back so as to start with those threads that were posted several days ago.

I've also found that it generates interest in threads that under normal circumstances may not had a reply.

AK

Likewise, every 3 days or so I go thru the 0 replies of all the forums and
end up with 6 or more that I answer...........
this research benefits everyone including yourselves............

Good plan Astro, will try when I can as well :)

Steve

I also endorse the concept of seeking out the zero reply threads, but I would also add that I think the following 3 common sense conditions ought to be met before a response is posted:

1. You actually have something helpful or useful to say. Posting a reply that would not provide the original poster with any actionable ideas isn't going to do anyone any good, and also seems sort of like cheating in terms of the post count.
2. The original post is relatively recent (or at least not ancient). Responding to posts that are 1 or 2 years old and describe situations that no longer match current conditions likewise isn't going to be useful (eg, "When do you think Redhat 6.0 is going to be released?") and will only clutter up the current thread view with a bunch of undead, zombie-like posts.
3. The subject of the original post isn't already being asked dozens of times a week (eg, "What distro should I pick?") Clearly if there are already lively, active discussions covering a given topic, reviving a relatively old zero reply post about the exact same thing will only create clutter.

Obivously this is just my 2 cents. Just to be clear, I think that reaching out to the zero reply threads is a great idea, but at the same time, if the active thread views end up being mostly responses to questions about how to, say, get a bus mouse to work, or how to configure kernel 1.3, it's going to make it harder to find useful info about current topics. Again, just my 2 cents. Great idea, Astro. -- J.W.

J.W. Your #3, that would remove most of the posts on the Board from consideration :-) Let's see, sound problem, swaret problem, dropline contest, after 2.6 kernel compile no sound, no screen ....
hmmmm what else scroll wheel.... well you know what I mean.

I think it is good to answer the ancient threads if in doing so the answer might help someone now. But putting a comment on a 0 reply thread just to take it off the list is not helpful.

I do think it is a good idea to answer all we can. I go through them when I have time.

Yeah I agree, If I find a 0 reply that I cannot answer ot at least help the person get an idea of what he/she needs to look for I wont answer it. I have found though just by telling someone somewhere to try to look a lot more replies get made just because of recent activity, and in many cases, the problem gets solved.

I think JW's advice is more important that simply replying to questions.

I don't answer questions that I know nothing about.

Furthermore, as ringwraith already mentioned, it would behoove people to give one seconds thought to a search before posting a question. I like to help but I don't live to answer a question that appeared recently.

I love this board. I has helped me learn a lot. But that is because I have searched for answers. I don't think I have ever started a new thread with a question.

Excellent idea, simply needs to be taken correctly in that a reply of "**bump**" is not helpful, where a helpful reply should be obvious... Simply a bit of common sense and this idea could turn out to be a great suggestion for the community

As this is not a Slackware specific thread, I'm moving to Website Questions and Suggestions.

Cool

Another area where we could use some help is in new members' introductions. I answer an introduction whenever I run across one among the 0 reply threads but the gift of gab is not one of my talents. We need people who are good at making small talk to run through the introductions each day and welcome the new members, even if the thread has already been answered. I answered a "Hello" once and the newbie later complained that with the huge numbers of people in linuxquestions.org only one person replied to his "Hello".

---------------------------------
Steve Stites

................snipped my own post that was probably inappropriate............................

jailbait, you bring up a good point. That forum is often a members first contact with LQ and ideally it should be a friendly and welcoming experience.

--jeremy