Credit where credit is due

[~s.o.s~]

Hi folks,

When browsing technical sub-forums, I noticed that there are a few threads which end with the OP replying "Thanks, it's solved/working now!" or something to that effect and are still not marked solved. Similar is the case with one-shot-posters who post a query which is duly answered but never return (or return just to read the answer) to make a reply or mark the thread as solved.

This has the consequence of valid solved threads not contributing to the total "solved thread count" of the sub-forum and the forum in general and more importantly denying +1 solved count to all the members who contributed to the discussion. The problem is that there is no way a thread contributor, who is pretty sure he has answered the OP's question, can mark the thread as solved.

So here is the deal: in case you encounter a thread which you are pretty sure should be marked solved, you can "report" any post of the thread (preferably the first one) with a comment along the lines of "IMO should be marked as solved". Also, please don't shy from reporting threads for which you are the only contributor. ;-)

I can't guarantee the "resolution" of each and every reported post given that moderators have limited time but this at least seems like a step in the right direction.

Ask away if things are still unclear or in case you disagree with something!

[Netcode]

I totally agree, it has always been my thought

[WaltP]

I disagree.
1) IMO, the # of solved threads is a bogus value to begin with. It has no real purpose and gives a skewed view of most poster's 'help'. It's even less useful than REP.
2) It's not our place to mark threads solved -- it's the OP's place.
3) Just more stuff for the mods to deal with that does not (IMO) add anything to the forum. (Auto-close is a much more useful addition, but let's not go there again :icon_twisted:)

[~s.o.s~]

> the # of solved threads is a bogus value to begin with. It has no real purpose and gives a skewed view of most poster's 'help'. It's even less useful than REP

Everyone get's to pick their own poison - reputation, up-votes and solved threads; take your pick. Plus the concept of solved threads when used correctly can help folks searching for solution to their problem narrow down things. I know this is a utopia but I don't think it is particularly bad to work towards it.

> It's not our place to mark threads solved -- it's the OP's place.

You are in for a surprise; yes it is! Two cases:

• OP replies to the thread saying his problem is solved but doesn't mark it as solved
• OP receives a reply which the moderator feels (in his capability as a technical adviser of that particular sub-forum) should solve the problem but the OP never bothers to return back to post or even mark the thread as solved

If moderators don't handle these cases, then I'm not sure who will.

> Just more stuff for the mods to deal with that does not (IMO) add anything to the forum

Yes, I know it's additional work and hence my disclaimer in my original post. :-)

[Netcode]

Plus the concept of solved threads when used correctly can help folks searching for solution to their problem narrow down things.

This is where i agree.

[chrishea]

Those who spend time helping to provide solutions deserve, but very often don't get some positive feedback. Maybe showing something as solved isn't treated by everyone as being significant but you have to take what you can get. As mentioned, many op's make a single post with their issue and are never heard from again. I think it is worth encouraging people to provide answers, otherwise this whole process doesn't work. If that encouragement has to sometimes come from the forum (through the moderators) instead of the OP, then that's ok (with the understanding that it's a bit more work for the moderators). To make it easier for the moderators, it would be good for other experienced contributors to recommend posts that deserve to be closed as "deemed as solved". Maybe there should be a separate status for ones that are forced to solved status rather than shown as solved by the op (even though they would both count in the solved count). For anyone who is looking for a solution to their current issue, finding an old post that is "deemed as solved" provides a higher level of assurance that it is a correct answer than nothing as all (i.e. dead silence).

On the flip side, I think that anyone who makes a post that is replied to but then does not provide any feedback (pro or con) within a certain period of time should automatically lose reputation points (with the rules updated appropriately). It would also be a good thing to automatically kick out an email to the OP after a certain period of time that says something like:
"You posted xxxxx on the Daniweb Forum on dd-mmm-yy and a reply was provided. In order to close this post, we need you to provide an additional post to show the item as 'Solved' or to show it as still open." It would be even better if they could link from the email to a page where they could check a box to provide the status (with an optional comment that would become a post). If the old posts are intended to become a useful reference source (an informal knowledgebase) then I think that there would also need to be a status of "closed without a solution" that would be applied where appropriate.

[Dani]

You currently earn reputation points for activities such as giving reputation and marking threads solved. An upcoming feature we're working on here in the office is creating a swag store where we'll be selling those tshirts with all the funny sayings on them, etc, to earn some extra revenue. We're also going to be coming up with the concept of "Dani Dollars" which can be earned through activity points and solving threads and other such means, and be redeemed in the store.

[Netcode]

We're also going to be coming up with the concept of "Dani Dollars" which can be earned through activity points and solving threads and other such means, and be redeemed in the store

Talking about redeeming the "Dani Dollars" in the store, what about those that live outside the US?

[Dani]

Currently exploring the practicality of shipping to outside the US. We will not be dealing with dropshippers -- We'll be doing all order processing and fulfillment in-house.

[ErnestSeeker]

creating a swag store

there cant be more fun

[Reverend Jim]

I'm curious as to how points are awarded when the OP marks a thread as solved. My control panel states "Forum threads marked solved after Reverend Jim replied to them". What happens in the case when I spend several hours helping a poster with a problem then someone else pops in with a post such as "That's a good point". If the thread is then marked as solved, who gets the "credit"? Is it the person who posted the solution or the lurker who made the last (but not helpful) post?

[Narue]

Is it the person who posted the solution or the lurker who made the last (but not helpful) post?

It's both, to the best of my knowledge. Everyone who posted prior to the thread being marked as solved (except for the OP, of course) will have their solved thread count incremented.

[~s.o.s~]

Is it the person who posted the solution or the lurker who made the last (but not helpful) post?

Everyone who posted to the thread before it was "marked as solved" gets their solved thread count incremented. It's not a perfect way to manage "solved thread" count but works pretty well.

[Reverend Jim]

Here's a suggestion to handle threads that should be flagged as solved but haven't been.

Implement a control on the thread with the text "Notify OP to Mark as Solved".

Anyone (or perhaps anyone with a given minimum rep) can click on this control. This would cause an email to be sent to the OP requesting that he/she return to that thread and mark it as solved (perhaps there could even be a link in the email similar to the unsubscribe link that would accomplish this). To prevent multiple emails, the first click would also set a flag so that the control is disabled and replaced with the text "The OP has been notified to mark this thread as solved".

A special web page, available to moderators, could be created which cummarizes all threads for which the OP has been notified but for which no action by the OP has yet been taken.

The icons on the thread summary pages (new posts, popular thread, you have posted, etc) could be modified (perhaps displayed in red instead of purple) to indicate that a thread has been flagged for cleanup but not marked as solved.

This would put policing in the hands of the DaniWeb community and save the moderators (by virtue of the special web page) from having to scour the threads for cleanup. It would also ensure that OPs are notified that action is required.

[~s.o.s~]

AFAIK, a mail is sent out to members periodically if they don't visit the site for a long time which also contains the link to all the threads they had started and the replies they have received. But many members are "against" receiving such mails and hence the threads wherein members ask the question of "how to delete the account". Allowing a user action to send out a mail to some other member won't be acceptable IMO.

Regarding the separate page for moderators, all the reported posts are viewed by the Daniweb members. So if any member feels that a certain thread should be marked as solved, we would be more than happy to look into the thread and act accordingly.

[Reverend Jim]

I just thought that a flag on a toggle would prevent multiple notifications. Just a suggestion.

[Narue]

Here's a suggestion to handle threads that should be flagged as solved but haven't been.

Implement a control on the thread with the text "Notify OP to Mark as Solved".

Anyone (or perhaps anyone with a given minimum rep) can click on this control. This would cause an email to be sent to the OP requesting that he/she return to that thread and mark it as solved (perhaps there could even be a link in the email similar to the unsubscribe link that would accomplish this). To prevent multiple emails, the first click would also set a flag so that the control is disabled and replaced with the text "The OP has been notified to mark this thread as solved".

A special web page, available to moderators, could be created which cummarizes all threads for which the OP has been notified but for which no action by the OP has yet been taken.

The icons on the thread summary pages (new posts, popular thread, you have posted, etc) could be modified (perhaps displayed in red instead of purple) to indicate that a thread has been flagged for cleanup but not marked as solved.

This would put policing in the hands of the DaniWeb community and save the moderators (by virtue of the special web page) from having to scour the threads for cleanup. It would also ensure that OPs are notified that action is required.

It's a nice idea, but also a lot of work for a feature that's largely already present. All but notification of the OP can be handled by reporting the thread with a request to mark it as solved.

[TrustyTony]

This boils to me as change of wording for 'mark bad' button to 'notify mods' button, which it has already become as mod request such notification for for example missing code tags, even wording of advice given for reporter is only talking of the breaking rules. Instead give list of typical valid uses i.e. Hijacker, spammer, code tag police alarm, de facto dead thread close/solve request...

[Ancient Dragon]

I like that change too. :)

[Dani]

My concern is that a "notify mods" button will be very over-utilized by people who want to get their threads noticed by the experts quicker and that sort of thing. I can see it being abused anytime anyone wants to get a moderator's instant attention.