Some people just don't get it.

The water mark and the sticky thread just isn't cutting it, something more drastic is needed, like say 3 strikes and you're banned for 24 hours.

Then there are a persistent minority with 10+ posts who still don't get it. And why would they when there are plenty of lap-dogs to clean up after them. Unless you put some serious inconvenience in the way, they're just not going to learn.

Just look in the C/C++ forums and see how many posts have been edited by AD recently for code tags. Man, being a mod here must really suck.

Get tough on these lazy people, and dish out a "keep it tidy" infraction along with every edit for code tags.

I'm not going to suggest a cprogramming.com style post checking tool, because that got flamed last time, so there's no point repeating myself.


On a side note, can we have an alias for [inlinecode] which is a tad shorter, say [icode] or maybe [ic].

I guess this suggestion was put up before, but the problem being we can't add a 5 point infraction for not using code tags and it also doesn't make any sense. A warning or two or a two point infraction at the max. Plus the ones who come here asking for help don't plan on sticking for long so they obviously don't care. Come to think of it, most of them don't even know what infractions or warnings are !!!

One way we can make them learn is by letting them know that without code tags there is no hope for getting any help...

The carrot and stick approach would seem to be the only one with any chance of working under the circumstances.

Maybe a polite PM to the offending poster pointing them towards using code tags and informing them they are unlikely to get any help unless people can read their code easily.

>>And why would they when there are plenty of lap-dogs to clean up after them

I resent being called a "lap dog"

>>Unless you put some serious inconvenience in the way, they're just not going to learn

Learn what? how to use code tags? Yes, I've given out a couple warnings about it, but I don't think it was worth the effort. I would rather just quietly add code tags (or correct them) rather than lose a DaniWeb member. Failure to use code tags is not really all that big a deal. What IS a big deal are people who use font and/or color tags on every line of their code. I don't bother to correct them -- don't have the ambition to edit all those lines.

I agree with Salem on some points, but I'm doubtful how much good a short ban would do when most of the people only stay to get their problem fixed. And the people that do stick around longer eventually DO learn it, it's just the newbies that have problems.

The real problem is that everyone new that posts here is so caught-up in their own problems that they fail to see all the warning signs along the way. Too bad.


But can't you just remove formatting with the top-left button in the edit window that looks like a slanted 'A'?

It did nothing to the following example I cut out of another earlier post.

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']from datetime import date

I agree that it should be a priority to not lose a new DaniWeb member. Sure - they may initially come just to get their one question answered. But if it is a good experience for them, they will return or tell their friends. If their first experience is a negative one because they didn't entirely realize how DaniWeb is set up, then we might have lost a potential tech saavy member who otherwise could have had a lot to offer.

EVERY new member is important and should be thought of as a potential regular ... we have to make them feel welcome enough to want to return or they won't. I would say that about 90% of all regular DaniWeb members first came here because they were having some sort of problem (whether it was with hardware/software or a programming issue or whatnot) they wanted resolved, and then they stayed because they got a quick, friendly reply that encouraged them that this was a nice place. IMO if too many people are posting once and never returning, it's because we're not doing a good enough job welcoming them and encouraging them to stay.

Give DaniWeb newbies some slack because they really just don't know - they're not out to violate the rules. Instead focus your "being irritated" energy on the people who should really know better but violate the rules because they really just don't care or want to troll.

It will only work if you have matching opening and closing tags. So you need to close that /font as well I've also noticed that for some reason the strip button doesn't work in wysiwyg mode, so make sure the top right A button is depressed.

I agree 100% about not wanting to scare away newbies, hence the concept of sending a polite PM suggesting they look at the code tags as this will increase the chances of them getting help.

Of course, if AD and the other mods are happy with correcting the missing code tags - then it really isn't an issue at all

> we might have lost a potential tech saavy member who otherwise could have had a lot to offer
I disagree. A 'tech savvy' member who has a 'lot to offer' would definitely try to learn how to use code tags and understand the forum rules. Its the kids who don't give a damn to anything as long as their problem gets solved, we are dealing with.

> Of course, if AD and the other mods are happy with correcting the missing code tags
Its not happiness, its call of duty.