Windows

I'm with you on this one. My current stats are 178 out of 312 not rated (57%).

I can stand rejection most of the time, but it chaps my rear to spend time responding to someone who doesn't even bother to check responses. Some of the unrated responses were rather long, detailed troubleshooting steps.

Wonder if Tech Republic can lock out those who don't rate responses? Or perhaps e-mail them a nasty note?

Dalton

I've been posting answers for over 4 years now.

I think the main problem is that people don't understand that this site works differently than a chat or bulletin board.

TR has tried numerous things to encourage users to rate answers and close questions.

The current system is a carrot approach.
Users receive 1000 points when they close a question.

Still, since the points presently have no "commercial" value, even that is little incentive to the average user.

At one time, TR would auto-close questions and award points to all unrated answers. A bug in the code for this allowed a few peers to gather "free" points from posting nonsense answers at just the right time.

I guess if someone wanted to spend the time looking through old questions and post a politely worded answer requesting that the user rate the answers and close the question, it might do some good.

I have had a few peers rate answers and close questions after a year or more.

I suggest that we take solace in the help we provide to those who appreciate it.

Chas

Im with you, Willcomp and TheChas but like TheChas don't hold much hope for an improvement.
I've noticed a change recently though. The MSCE/MCSA/A+/CCNA/CCNP certification questions and the Microsoft Help and Support tech article questions seemed to have disappeared. For a while there that was the majority of questions asked. Some were seemingly obscure problems that might happen [but rarely did].

Salute!!!

I have a feeling there may be a lot of people out there who ask the same questions on different locations and then forget where they asked them. Others probably haven't realized how the system works, maybe they don't visit the site often enough.

I'd suggest a change in the design of the Q&A site and would make the default of the radio button "Notification" ON and not off. That way people who asked the question will be reminded about it when they get an email.

I'd also remove that system when someone automaticall gets 1000 Points when he closes a question. Because of that there are some of those idiots who ask a question that doesn't mean anything just to get more points.

i know how u all feel - i just started a discussion on this topic precisely - why do they bother??

By responding back to posts they in turn help other people who may have the same problem, but because they don't repsond another person may not know the solutions suggested actually work and may repost the question again.

It really doesn't bother me wither way - but it wuld be nice to get a thank-you occassionally.

As i stated in my discussion, i'm going add "post back with the results so others can learn"

I think tis should be mandatory for posting a question for help.