Community project: Unanswered posts...

Xyzzy · 2006-03-20, 23:40

At the top of each page, in the nav bar, there is a new link called "Unanswered Posts". I think it would be cool if we, as a community, worked through those posts and answered any questions that may have been asked and missed. If the post isn't a question, then just post something (remotely relevant!) to get it off the list.

Once we have the list pared down, we can use this link to isolate questions in near real time.

Let me know if you all have any ideas or suggestions.

Wacky · 2006-03-20, 23:58

Mike,
I have an idea. Get rid of this!

Or, at least, make some provision to allow "announcement" posts to bypass the filter.

I think that you might consider "sticky" in the same category as "answered"

OTOH, just because some replies, it does not mean that they have addressed a question.

Initial Query: Why does ....?

Reply: What do you mean by ...?

Response: I mean ...

Here the thread has responses, but the "question" remains unanswered.

Xyzzy · 2006-03-21, 16:06

Good points. I'm not sure how I can limit the search any narrower. I'll look into it.

Does anybody else have any input?

ewmayer · 2006-03-21, 21:47

This seems only worth doing in cases where the original post asked a question that was coherent, well-posed and on-topic. I find many of the unanswered threads don't satisfy those criteria. Some examples:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=5177

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4578

Just looking at all the unreplied-to threads on the Software forum, of the unreplied-to threads that did make sense, we have e.g. this one which simply noted a small quirk about machine naming in Prime95 v24.13 and thus asked for (and needed) no reply:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4464

...this one, which points out a very minor quirk in the server's handling of assignments when the primary savefile is missing, and appeared only because the user fiddled with the client settings so as to cause it to do something other than its default behavior:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4407

...this one by alex Kruppa pointing out a handy way of debugging certain key aspects of one's p-1 code, which would be useful only to folks actually writing such code, not a large part of our constituency here:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4270

...this one asking about firewalls, which I believe is covered in the Prime95 readme file:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4162

...this one simply saying the Primenet manual test forms were broken (again):

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=3919

...this one about roundoff error messages, which kind of thing is covered in several other places:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=3856

The only ones in Software (I only looked at the first 2 pages, i.e. roughly the most-recent 200 threads) I found that appeared to warrant some kind of reply and were not already covered elsewhere:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4190

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4144

...so at least based on this limited sample I don't see a huge issue here. The bigger issue I see is the longstanding one of the same question getting asked, in different guises, in multiple subforums.

gribozavr · 2006-03-21, 22:50

I'm afraid of bumping old threads on top of the forum. They are getting messed with new threads, thus complicating finding new and up-to-date information.

For example, in server forum, do we need a really old announcement about server synchronization on top of the forum? It has came from 2002!
http://mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=218

paulunderwood · 2006-03-22, 00:07

I've done my best to answer "0 replies" posts w.r.t. 321 -- but this is weird:

http://www.mersenneforum.org/search....&pp=100&page=5

1970?? DB error?

paulunderwood · 2006-03-22, 00:32

It's moved to page4 now (and counting down). Anyway the last two posts say they were posted 01 Jan 1970!!

axn · 2006-03-22, 17:47

why dont we just

them?

Citrix · 2006-03-22, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by axn1

why dont we just

them?

I agree, most of them are useless posts that deserve useless answers, see my reply to the domain name sale post.

ixfd64 · 2006-03-23, 00:51

Plus, those bumps can get annoying at times.

I agree with axn1. Let's

'em!

ewmayer · 2006-03-23, 01:01

I've 'em'ed about a dozen obsolete and/or trivial threads which uncwilly bumped. 'Appy now?

2006-03-20, 23:40	#1
Xyzzy "Mike" Aug 2002 2⁵×257 Posts	Community project: Unanswered posts... At the top of each page, in the nav bar, there is a new link called "Unanswered Posts". I think it would be cool if we, as a community, worked through those posts and answered any questions that may have been asked and missed. If the post isn't a question, then just post something (remotely relevant!) to get it off the list. Once we have the list pared down, we can use this link to isolate questions in near real time. Let me know if you all have any ideas or suggestions.

2006-03-20, 23:58	#2
Wacky Jun 2003 The Texas Hill Country 3²·11² Posts	Mike, I have an idea. Get rid of this! Or, at least, make some provision to allow "announcement" posts to bypass the filter. I think that you might consider "sticky" in the same category as "answered" OTOH, just because some replies, it does not mean that they have addressed a question. Initial Query: Why does ....? Reply: What do you mean by ...? Response: I mean ... Here the thread has responses, but the "question" remains unanswered. Last fiddled with by Wacky on 2006-03-21 at 00:00

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2006-03-21, 16:06	#3
Xyzzy "Mike" Aug 2002 2⁵×257 Posts	Good points. I'm not sure how I can limit the search any narrower. I'll look into it. Does anybody else have any input?

2006-03-21, 21:47	#4
ewmayer ∂²ω=0 Sep 2002 República de California 103×113 Posts	This seems only worth doing in cases where the original post asked a question that was coherent, well-posed and on-topic. I find many of the unanswered threads don't satisfy those criteria. Some examples: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=5177 http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4578 Just looking at all the unreplied-to threads on the Software forum, of the unreplied-to threads that did make sense, we have e.g. this one which simply noted a small quirk about machine naming in Prime95 v24.13 and thus asked for (and needed) no reply: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4464 ...this one, which points out a very minor quirk in the server's handling of assignments when the primary savefile is missing, and appeared only because the user fiddled with the client settings so as to cause it to do something other than its default behavior: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4407 ...this one by alex Kruppa pointing out a handy way of debugging certain key aspects of one's p-1 code, which would be useful only to folks actually writing such code, not a large part of our constituency here: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4270 ...this one asking about firewalls, which I believe is covered in the Prime95 readme file: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4162 ...this one simply saying the Primenet manual test forms were broken (again): http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=3919 ...this one about roundoff error messages, which kind of thing is covered in several other places: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=3856 The only ones in Software (I only looked at the first 2 pages, i.e. roughly the most-recent 200 threads) I found that appeared to warrant some kind of reply and were not already covered elsewhere: http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4190 http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=4144 ...so at least based on this limited sample I don't see a huge issue here. The bigger issue I see is the longstanding one of the same question getting asked, in different guises, in multiple subforums.

2006-03-21, 22:50	#5
gribozavr Mar 2005 Internet; Ukraine, Kiev 11·37 Posts	I'm afraid of bumping old threads on top of the forum. They are getting messed with new threads, thus complicating finding new and up-to-date information. For example, in server forum, do we need a really old announcement about server synchronization on top of the forum? It has came from 2002! http://mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=218

2006-03-22, 00:07	#6
paulunderwood Sep 2002 Database er0rr 3,739 Posts	I've done my best to answer "0 replies" posts w.r.t. 321 -- but this is weird: http://www.mersenneforum.org/search....&pp=100&page=5 1970?? DB error?

2006-03-22, 00:32	#7
paulunderwood Sep 2002 Database er0rr 3,739 Posts	It's moved to page4 now (and counting down). Anyway the last two posts say they were posted 01 Jan 1970!!

2006-03-22, 17:47	#8
axn Jun 2003 5,051 Posts	why dont we just them?

2006-03-23, 00:51	#10
ixfd64 Bemusing Prompter "Danny" Dec 2002 California 2·5·239 Posts	Plus, those bumps can get annoying at times. I agree with axn1. Let's 'em!

2006-03-23, 01:01	#11
ewmayer ∂²ω=0 Sep 2002 República de California 103·113 Posts	I've 'em'ed about a dozen obsolete and/or trivial threads which uncwilly bumped. 'Appy now?