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Why are there so many Off-topic posts made on the Search Feedback forum? RRS feed

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    MSDN and TechNet Search Feedback  seems quite clear about what it is for.   So why are there so many off-topic posts there?   It's almost as if there is an alternate feed for them.  Could an analysis of them be done by  Referrer to see if that's the case and then fix whatever is causing this?


    Thanks.
    Saturday, March 13, 2010 10:27 PM
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    Once upon a time I had moderator rights to that forum and I helped the Microsoft Moderator out - he seemed to come by about once a fortnight - by deleting all the off-topic posts every time I did a round of the forums (several times daily).

    In those days there were about three since my previous round.

    In other words nothing has changed. People are still posting there thinking Search means "I am searching for an answer" (I get the same in the SharePoint - Search forum just not so often) only nowadays the clean-up is either not happening at all or isn't ahppening as often.

     

    Mike Walsh

     

     

    FAQ sites: (SP 2010) http://wssv4faq.mindsharp.com; (v3) http://wssv3faq.mindsharp.com and (WSS 2.0) http://wssv2faq.mindsharp.com
    Complete Book Lists (incl. foreign language) on each site.
    Friday, March 19, 2010 4:00 PM
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    >That explains another observation that I was thinking of making about that site then.   E.g. it seemed that you were paying more attention to the OT posters than to the legitimate ones

    Firstly they were about 19 off-topic posts for every on-topic one.

    Secondly I claim no special knowldge in MSDN and TechNet Search so I could maybe answer about 5% of the rare on-topic ones.

    There was also the situation if I remember correctly that the MS support guy would answer the on-topic ones but wouldn't delete the off-topic ones - just leave them. But it was about 6 months ago I last had rights there, so I'm not 100% sure of that.

    > So you think all those posts are originating from that link that I found? 

    That's a leap way too far. I didn't and haven't looked at your link. My assumption for the first off-topic posts is ignorance. Then if they are not removed other people think, "oh, that's a place to post Win 7 questions" etc.

     

    (I'm with Brett on the type change but that's because I don't see the "discussion type" for discussions but for (hopefully rare) announcements)

    FAQ sites: (SP 2010) http://wssv4faq.mindsharp.com; (v3) http://wssv3faq.mindsharp.com and (WSS 2.0) http://wssv2faq.mindsharp.com
    Complete Book Lists (incl. foreign language) on each site.
    Friday, March 19, 2010 8:40 PM
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    Once upon a time I had moderator rights to that forum and I helped the Microsoft Moderator out - he seemed to come by about once a fortnight - by deleting all the off-topic posts every time I did a round of the forums (several times daily).

    In those days there were about three since my previous round.

    In other words nothing has changed. People are still posting there thinking Search means "I am searching for an answer" (I get the same in the SharePoint - Search forum just not so often) only nowadays the clean-up is either not happening at all or isn't ahppening as often.

     

    Mike Walsh

     

     

    FAQ sites: (SP 2010) http://wssv4faq.mindsharp.com; (v3) http://wssv3faq.mindsharp.com and (WSS 2.0) http://wssv2faq.mindsharp.com
    Complete Book Lists (incl. foreign language) on each site.
    Friday, March 19, 2010 4:00 PM
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    Once upon a time I had moderator rights to that forum and I helped the Microsoft Moderator out - he seemed to come by about once a fortnight - by deleting all the off-topic posts every time I did a round of the forums (several times daily).

    In those days there were about three since my previous round.

    OIC.  That explains another observation that I was thinking of making about that site then.   E.g. it seemed that you were paying more attention to the OT posters than to the legitimate ones.  Understanding now that those instances just represent a failure in process makes that seem Ok I guess.   However, I do think that poster MikeH2005 (for example) could be given an apology.  (That's just the latest of several bleats of dissatisfaction from him about the state of that forum.)  Not paying any attention to his posts (and others similar to his) represents a failure to take advantage of an opportunity to build a community there IMO. 
     

    In other words nothing has changed. People are still posting there thinking Search means "I am searching for an answer" (I get the same in the SharePoint - Search forum just not so often) only nowadays the clean-up is either not happening at all or isn't ahppening as often.

    So you think all those posts are originating from that link that I found?  The language is so clear I don't see how posters could be making that assumption there.   Maybe STO could enforce a requirement to cite a link from somewhere on the forums to prevent so much off-topic posting by people who simply aren't paying any attention?   But then they'd probably post here saying the Submit on the Suggestion site wasn't working...   ; ]

    BTW I made my post a Discussion because I don't assume that there is any "answer".  Was I wrong about that?  Otherwise what is the point of having a category called Discussion?

    Thanks for responding.   ; )

    Robert
    ---

    Friday, March 19, 2010 8:21 PM
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    >That explains another observation that I was thinking of making about that site then.   E.g. it seemed that you were paying more attention to the OT posters than to the legitimate ones

    Firstly they were about 19 off-topic posts for every on-topic one.

    Secondly I claim no special knowldge in MSDN and TechNet Search so I could maybe answer about 5% of the rare on-topic ones.

    There was also the situation if I remember correctly that the MS support guy would answer the on-topic ones but wouldn't delete the off-topic ones - just leave them. But it was about 6 months ago I last had rights there, so I'm not 100% sure of that.

    > So you think all those posts are originating from that link that I found? 

    That's a leap way too far. I didn't and haven't looked at your link. My assumption for the first off-topic posts is ignorance. Then if they are not removed other people think, "oh, that's a place to post Win 7 questions" etc.

     

    (I'm with Brett on the type change but that's because I don't see the "discussion type" for discussions but for (hopefully rare) announcements)

    FAQ sites: (SP 2010) http://wssv4faq.mindsharp.com; (v3) http://wssv3faq.mindsharp.com and (WSS 2.0) http://wssv2faq.mindsharp.com
    Complete Book Lists (incl. foreign language) on each site.
    Friday, March 19, 2010 8:40 PM
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