No more "me too" posts.

[Charlie Kravetz]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 16:00:50 +0100
Nils Kassube <kassube at gmx.net> wrote:

> Bart Silverstrim wrote:
> > Nils Kassube wrote:
> > > Mark Kirkwood wrote:
> > >> Chris Jones wrote:
> > >>> In some cases simply letting the OP know it is not just them,
> > >>> and others have the same issue does help...
> > >
> > > I don't think it helps to know I'm not the only one having a
> > > particular problem. It doesn't help to SOLVE the problem and that
> > > would be what I want.
> >
> > No, it doesn't, but when you go to a list with people who help
> > others and say your glablabber isn't installing with an error about
> > the libtibbop and thirty others start "me to-ing" and "This
> > happened to me over quinty months ago", then you generally have an
> > idea that a) you're not alone
> > b) others have tried, and apparently failed, to solve the issue
> > c) you're probably kinda screwed.
> >
> > And sometimes it's best not to be left wondering.
> 
> OK, that makes sense - I didn't think of that aspect.
> 
> > >> Lots of 'me too' signal a widespread problem. There is the
> > >> possibility of dismissing a singular report on the grounds of
> > >> "isolated and un-reproducable" or such like. Lots of 'Me too'
> > >> posts make that impossible, and act as a heads-up that the issue
> > >> is serious.
> > >
> > > So you think people should get only help here if it is a
> > > widespread issue? I know you didn't say that but IMHO that would
> > > be the consequence if "me too" posts would be declared useful in
> > > any way.
> >
> > I don't think he's saying that others should get help only if it's
> > widespread...I think it sounds like he's saying it's a forum for
> > someone to see it and say "we've got thirty people with XYZ issue
> > so it should be a priority," even though I don't know how many, if
> > any, developers are actually paying attention to these forums.
> 
> Well, maybe there are two different kind of people involved here. For
> me as a user who wants to help others it isn't relevant if there are
> 1 or 10 people with a particular problem. If I have an idea how to
> solve the problem I would help already if there is a single post.
> OTOH, I could understand if a developer monitoring the list to find
> out if there are frequent problems would ignore single posts. In my
> reply I didn't consider the second group.
> 
> 
> Nils
> 
Seems to me you only have to consider the hundreds of report-bug
reports that came through this list with no developer even knowing it
to realize how many are watching for anything!

just my 2cents US.

-- 
Charlie Kravetz 
Linux Registered User Number 425914          [http://counter.li.org/]
Never let anyone steal your DREAM.           [http://keepingdreams.com]