# Cross Posting etc



## cmowla

@Fluff
@Peter_SSs
@RoryA
I have seen you all post these types of messages before, and I finally (out of curiosity) went to to read that article to see what the reason for the rule is. The main point seems to be:


> Ask yourself this: How would you feel if you worked on an answer for an hour, only to find out that fifteen minutes after you started, someone already had a solution they accepted? I'd be willing to bet you'd be a little upset that you'd wasted your time.


This has happened to me countless times on here.  It takes me a little while to do data entry to make an XL2BB spreadsheet capture.  I post a solid solution.  Then someone comes along, probably copies the data entry that took me x number of minutes to type up, sees how they can improve on my solution/make it shorter, posts a shorter solution, and that answer is the one that is accepted.  So I essentially "wasted my time".

And as you know, the majority of question askers do not mark a solution as a solution.  (So it's the same as if they cross-posted and accepted the answer from the other forum and therefore do not think to come back here and mark a solution as a solution.)

What's the difference?  I'm not seeing it.

(And I would have PM'd you this, but it seems you guys have disabled my private messaging privileges, so I can't help that.)


----------



## RoryA

It's a very different situation if someone comes along *after* you and posts a different solution (and there's no way we could/would curb that anyway). That gives the OP options and it's up to them which they pick.
It's not like we're telling people they _can't_ cross-post; they just need to have the courtesy to tell people. Not a lot to ask really.


----------



## cmowla

RoryA said:


> It's a very different situation if someone comes along *after* you and posts a different solution (and there's no way we could/would curb that anyway).


But that is just so much worse than the "ignorance" of the experts on the two (or more) forums.  It's deliberate sabotage if someone knowingly does this to someone on the same forum.  If anything, cross-posting on different forums is like doing a double-blind study.  It makes things interesting.  But the former is pretty bad, if we are going to take people's "feelings" seriously.  (And if people's feelings aren't the issue, what did I miss?)


----------



## Peter_SSs

So as to not completely hijack the OP's thread, I have move this discussion to About This Board


----------



## RoryA

What exactly do you think is being _sabotaged _in your example? It sounds like a collaborative process to me, and is the basis of how all forums work.


----------



## rlv01

RoryA said:


> What exactly do you think is being _sabotaged _in your example? It sounds like a collaborative process to me, and is the basis of how all forums work.



Yes, that's right. If I post a solution and someone comes along and sees something I did not, and builds on (or corrects) my solution, I don't see that as 'sabotage'. It's a chance to maybe learn a new trick.

And like most others, I've spend time on a solution only to find that when I'm ready to post it that someone else has beat me to the punch. Oh well. If it is something I've spent time on, I usually post it anyway unless it is exactly the same as the already posted solution.


----------

