Sad seeing 148 unanswered threads in last month

[SeaGal]

I guess there is no easy answer with such a large, active forum, but I always check 'unanswered threads' to see if I can answer any.

It's a pity that since @Culchee's effort at the end of last year to get that list down, it's back up again - 148 currently unanswered since 7th January and I guess that's just because we only see the last 30 day's worth

Although that sounds a lot, it's only about 5 threads a day - just a thought, but maybe we can all check say once a week to see if there are any that we can answer?

I often find that when I've answered one, it goes back to the top of 'what's new', so others then add to it. Seems there's a bit of friction into getting a new posting responded to first time.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I guess there is no easy answer with such a large, active forum, but I always check 'unanswered threads' to see if I can answer any.

It's a pity that since @Culchee's effort at the end of last year to get that list down, it's back up again - 148 currently unanswered since 7th January and I guess that's just because we only see the last 30 day's worth

Although that sounds a lot, it's only about 5 threads a day - just a thought, but maybe we can all check say once a week to see if there are any that we can answer?

I often find that when I've answered one, it goes back to the top of 'what's new', so others then add to it. Seems there's a bit of friction into getting a new posting responded to first time.

Didn’t even know that was an option.

I will look through them and if I can help I will try..

 

[SeaGal]

Didn’t even know that was an option.

I will look through them and if I can help I will try..

... and for others on here, you can find them like this... (thanks to @pvgirl for the images posted previously)

 

[Crowz]

Its quicker to click find threads and then unanswered threads at the top of the screen. Takes about 2 seconds.

That said Ive been a bit busy tuning things so I haven't had time to answer much lately. Sorry.

 

[timselectric]

I see them all. There are multiple reasons for not replying.
1. Someone else is already helping. (Doesn't apply here)
2. I don't have the answers.
3. It's a wall of text, and I don't have the time to respond appropriately to all aspects.
4. I have no interest in the subject.
5. It's obvious that they don't want an answer. (Only vindication)
6. Completely off topic. (How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

 

[Danke]

(How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

 

[Mike 134]

I see them all. There are multiple reasons for not replying.
1. Someone else is already helping. (Doesn't apply here)
2. I don't have the answers.
3. It's a wall of text, and I don't have the time to respond appropriately to all aspects.
4. I have no interest in the subject.
5. It's obvious that they don't want an answer. (Only vindication)
6. Completely off topic. (How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

/\ /\ /\ X2!! with 90% falling under #4

 

[chrisski]

I have started to look at the these unanswered threads everyday, but as mentioned some of them I can’t answer.

-I don’t have an EG4 inverter or other specific type
-I don’t think the for sale posts should get a response

If I do ever miss one on an Outback Radian, RV General questions, or lower end Victron, I have failed.

 

[Q-Dog]

I don't ask many questions, and I try to be helpful, but many questions are specific to equipment and circumstances I have no experience with.

I wish more people ignored questions about things they don't have experience with.

 

[Mattb4]

... I wish more people ignored questions about things they don't have experience with.

Sometimes even without specific experience the question can still be answered by general experience and deduction. I don't own any SS (EG4 brand), Solark or other equipment but if someone asks a question that I feel I can contribute to I may do so. That might involve me doing a bit of basic research that the questioner could do on their own like reading the manual.

I do avoid Victron questions though. Only members of the cult are allowed to participate there.

 

[50ShadesOfDirt]

Forums are a form of self-help helpdesk ... you have to know how to search, or at least read the bottom 5 suggested "solutions" or similar posts to the one where you asked for help.

This forum is full of the exact same answer to 10,000 posts, and has many critical resources in the aptly titled menu item at the top, but they never get accessed or searched for (correctly).

I suspect that some folks just need a real helpdesk ... a real human at the other end. God bless those helpdesk folks ... I couldn't do it.

 

[SeaGal]

I see them all. There are multiple reasons for not replying.
1. Someone else is already helping. (Doesn't apply here)
2. I don't have the answers.
3. It's a wall of text, and I don't have the time to respond appropriately to all aspects.
4. I have no interest in the subject.
5. It's obvious that they don't want an answer. (Only vindication)
6. Completely off topic. (How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

Absolutely agree with all of that... and with 17,000+ postings to your name, you're the last person who needs to explain a non reply

I don’t have an EG4 inverter or other specific type
-I don’t think the for sale posts should get a response

I wish more people ignored questions about things they don't have experience with.

Oh god yes... absolutely.

I do avoid Victron questions though. Only members of the cult are allowed to participate there.

 

[Culchee]

I guess there is no easy answer with such a large, active forum, but I always check 'unanswered threads' to see if I can answer any.

It's a pity that since @Culchee's effort at the end of last year to get that list down, it's back up again - 148 currently unanswered since 7th January and I guess that's just because we only see the last 30 day's worth

Although that sounds a lot, it's only about 5 threads a day - just a thought, but maybe we can all check say once a week to see if there are any that we can answer?

I often find that when I've answered one, it goes back to the top of 'what's new', so others then add to it. Seems there's a bit of friction into getting a new posting responded to first time.

Just about to head into the jungle.. see if I can come up with an answer or two that won’t endanger anybody’s life... thanks for the reminder SeaGal..

 

[robby]

I try to answer them when I can but I often find that there is a good reason why no one else has answered them.

1) They want to be spoon fed a direct answers for a lot of various questions that they could easily lookup, but are unwilling to do so.
They prefer that I spend a lot of my time writing out the answers. (sort of like Tims #3 issue)

2) I don't own or know anything about the equipment they are using.

 

[45North]

I see them all. There are multiple reasons for not replying.
1. Someone else is already helping. (Doesn't apply here)
2. I don't have the answers.
3. It's a wall of text, and I don't have the time to respond appropriately to all aspects.
4. I have no interest in the subject.
5. It's obvious that they don't want an answer. (Only vindication)
6. Completely off topic. (How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

7. The question is so vague with so many details missing that no-one wants to touch it. Aka where do you start?
8. They've done very little preparation themselves yet expect an unpaid enthusiast/volunteer to give them a complete design.
9. They seem completely unwilling or unable to manage a solar DIY project. They should just hire someone who knows what they're doing.
10. The question is narrowly local (eg. Zoning bylaws, electrical codes & inspections) but they don't say where they are. (Or, my personal pet peeve, they assume everyone lives in the SW USA.)

 

[Onehand]

I read a helluva lot more than I post. Most answers, around 65% can be found with a little time and effort, not to mention everything else you learn along the way. If I read something I dont understand, I will ask confirmng questions in the same thread instead of splintering off and starting a new thread, believe this helps all that are intrested in the topic of that specific thread.

 

[42OhmsPA]

1) They want to be spoon fed a direct answers for a lot of various questions that they could easily lookup, but are unwilling to do so.
They prefer that I spend a lot of my time writing out the answers. (sort of like Tims #3 issue)

This!


Crazy to think I made this almost 14 years ago in a past life and forum addiction, and it's still alive. https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/diy-how-to-use-the-search-feature.4853512/

 

[OffGridForGood]

I try to reply to a few of the unanswered posts (aka UAP's), each time I log in. Doing my part.
Sometimes, the items 1-10 prevent me from being able to properly reply to a single one of the first page or two of UAP's.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Again? Come on... Did YOU look at anything besides a number? Some are WAY too specific to expect solid answers, and "for sale" ones shouldn't count.

Top post whore checking in...

My default "new posts" filters (clicked more times per day than I will admit):



So I see EVERY unanswered post at least once. I open them unless it's very clear from the title that I have nothing to offer.

I see them all. There are multiple reasons for not replying.
1. Someone else is already helping. (Doesn't apply here)
2. I don't have the answers.
3. It's a wall of text, and I don't have the time to respond appropriately to all aspects.
4. I have no interest in the subject.
5. It's obvious that they don't want an answer. (Only vindication)
6. Completely off topic. (How to fix a leaking swimming pool)

^This.

and this

7. The question is so vague with so many details missing that no-one wants to touch it. Aka where do you start?
8. They've done very little preparation themselves yet expect an unpaid enthusiast/volunteer to give them a complete design.
9. They seem completely unwilling or unable to manage a solar DIY project. They should just hire someone who knows what they're doing.
10. The question is narrowly local (eg. Zoning bylaws, electrical codes & inspections) but they don't say where they are. (Or, my personal pet peeve, they assume everyone lives in the SW USA.)

And this:

1) They want to be spoon fed a direct answers for a lot of various questions that they could easily lookup, but are unwilling to do so.
They prefer that I spend a lot of my time writing out the answers. (sort of like Tims #3 issue)

2) I don't own or know anything about the equipment they are using.

IMHO, this is a false and meaningless metric. Looks like it goes back about a month. Let's compare it to the number of posts answered over the same period.

I nominate @SeaGal to be the champion of unanswered posts - go into each one and either give a meaningful response, or tag someone you think can help. Let's get that number to zero.

 

[timselectric]

So I see EVERY unanswered post at least once. I open them unless it's very clear from the title that I have nothing to offer.

I only see them once.
If I'm not going to reply, I'll usually hit "ignore" , while I have it open.