Member Avatar for JOSheaIV

So I have to say this is starting to become an annoyance of mine.

It seems so many of the questions I answer tend to go dead, never followed up by the user. I'll answer the question, or try to, maybe asking for more details, or offering what I can based on the information provided by the original poster. Just to have the user never reply back (whether it be it was answered and they never answered it solved or other wise).

I know, sorry this is me on my soapbox, it's just sometimes frustrating when I see all these answered questions go dead.

Edited by JOSheaIV
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Member #120589 commented: I share the observation +0
rproffitt commented: Figure 50 percent of web posts are 1 post 1 answer and no more. +0
overwraith commented: A problem, sure. +0

Dani AI

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This thread raises a common forum problem: useful answers disappear when the original poster never follows up. describes the frustration clearly, notes account abandonment as one cause, and already fills the gap sometimes by marking threads solved. What is missing from the discussion are repeatable, low-effort patterns that both answerers and the site can adopt so solutions stay visible and future searchers benefit.

A practical answer format improves acceptance and reuse. Start with a one-line “fix” at the top, follow with a very short “why it works” sentence, then include a tiny verification step (command or expected output) and the environment (OS, version). Example: Fix: change X to Y. Why: X fails because ... Verify: run Z and expect W. If a thread goes idle for a reasonable period, posting a short “community summary” answer that restates the working fix helps whoever finds the thread later.

Advice for askers and moderators keeps the cycle healthy. Askers should be encouraged to add a final comment like “solved — used X” and accept or post the solution when possible. Moderators could consider lightweight tooling: a dormant flag after inactivity, a reminder ping, or the ability to mark a consensus answer when the OP is unreachable. Those are policy changes, but small community norms (brief follow-ups from answerers, a default summary after two weeks of silence) deliver immediate value.

A simple short-term rule for contributors: when an answered thread goes quiet, post a one-paragraph solution summary. That preserves the time invested, makes the thread useful to future visitors, and reduces the annoyance described by without waiting on feature changes.

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Member Avatar for overwraith

If I have any that I have left unanswered they typically are unanswered, or not answered adequately, but I haven't checked in a while. I guess everybody should check more often. Honestly I had set up a work account for this site here, and that one will never be used again, I should probably look into having it deleted. I don't have access to the email account any more, nor do I really care to touch it.

Noobs not marking as answered is a problem though, typically they probably don't care, or don't know enough about the forum. Perhaps there should be a timeout built into forums, or another level of answered/unanswered, let's call it "dormant".

Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

I will occasionally mark a thread as "answered" if it has been idle for a while and if one or more of the responses clearly satisfies the original question.

Member Avatar for JOSheaIV

Well either I am failing to answer a question well, or Jim manages to miss mine, as I know there are some I feel have been answered and never seen.

You know Yahoo's question board can actually allow for a post to be designated as an answer it the original poster never does based on people voting for it. It's been awhile but I think it works around a time out period (at least I think that was Yahoo).

Of course it does become frustrating when you ask a question just to have it go dead (that's another issue if it doesn't get attention by usually multiple posters within say the first day or two, you can probably expect to never get an answer)

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