# Is it okay to vent about user activity on this board?



## kyrgan (Feb 19, 2007)

I am curious whether it is okay to vent a bit about the usage of this board.

Thanks.


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## Oaktree (Feb 19, 2007)

Depends on what you're going to say...

Obviously, you don't want to go violating the forum rules (http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=103030) or you'll face the wrath of Kristy and have your post deleted.

But, you can voice an (within the rules) opinion about something that irks you.

Consider http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=253389 or the whole spoonfeeding debate as examples.


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## kyrgan (Feb 19, 2007)

Awesome.  My issue has to do with quips and statements that have absolutely no bearing on the users question.  A recent example is this:


> Question:
> I have to look up a specific SS# on three different sheets of the same workbook, because each of the sheets has more than 65536 rows (it is really one list but has to be divided up due to the size). How to make a vlookup formula to look on each of the three sheets? The sheets are named 2-16, 17-33, 34-63. TIA for any help!


And the first response is this:


> In this case, using Access would be easier



Now, as most of us know, this is almost always true.  BUT, the user is not using Access.  Now what has happened is the users question has a response, and some users that might have helped him have a greater likelihood of not even opening the message.

I honestly don't know very much about VBA, but I am learning and I am trying my best to pass what I learn back to the board.  It just really chaffs my hide when I see pointless responses that offer no help what so ever.

Thanks for letting me rant.


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## ExcelChampion (Feb 19, 2007)

I disagree.  I think that was an appropriate response.  Sure, should have addressed the issue as well, but still appropriate.  If someone was trying to use a hammer to cut glass would you not first tell them that they are using the wrong tool?


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## Norie (Feb 19, 2007)

kyrgan

I agree in that case the response was rather short.

But I don't see why it would stop others responding to the original question.

Personally I look at the thread title first and not if there have been replies.

If it's something of interest or something I think I could help with then I'll take a look at the thread.


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## erik.van.geit (Feb 19, 2007)

Hi,



> should have addressed the issue as well


I agree with this. In this case it might be clear that Access is THE tool, but it is not sure that the Original Poster can spend much time to learn this new tool for a task which occurs only once in a while...
But there are other examples ... often I see a response like "what are you trying to do ?" or "please post your code", then the OP is responding and the "what .. ?" poster never comes back  

We could complain all the time about each others behaviour and surely I hate some responses, but there is not much we can do about. Till about a year ago I've sent quite a lot of PM's trying to explain the consequences of some posts, but it didn't really work often: some just don't seem to understand that posting in a thread involves a kinda responsability (f.i. about follow up). But that's only my opinion. We'll have to live with each other.

kind regards,
Erik


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## Von Pookie (Feb 19, 2007)

And, just to say:


> Obviously, you don't want to go violating the forum rules (http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=103030) or you'll face the wrath of Kristy and have your post deleted.


Everyone seems to be describing me as being able to unleash some sort of "wrath" lately, but I wouldn't be too worried.

I wouldn't call it a wrath. I think I just get snarkier the more annoyed I get


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## kyrgan (Feb 20, 2007)

I will do my best to ward off the Snark by not being to annoying!

Kristie:
What does the tiny text in your avatar say?

Thanks


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## Von Pookie (Feb 20, 2007)

> I will do my best to ward off the Snark by not being to annoying!



Heh. I'd be more worried about the 'wrath' of Nate, myself. I'm more 'Good Cop' to his 'Bad Cop' 



> What does the tiny text in your avatar say?


"I am teh captain of the carpet ship!"

In short: first panel of this comic:
http://twolumps.net/d/20040526.html


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## kyrgan (Feb 20, 2007)

Ha!..thats a great site!

Thanks!

I have already forwarded it to a bunch of my cat friends.


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## NateO (Feb 20, 2007)

> Heh. I'd be more worried about the 'wrath' of Nate, myself. I'm more 'Good Cop' to his 'Bad Cop'


Mwa ha ha ha.   

Back to the original content of this thread...

Is it okay to vent about others here? You know, this is pretty border-line... This is troll/flame-war fodder. I see a thread like this and note that I now have to watch it, because it's like TNT and might go off at any given time... 

In any event, the response you provided in the thread you're ranting about is no good:



> While the statment is true. Your quip was not in the least helpful.
> {snip}


This looks a lot like "back-seat moderating" to me and, again, see our rules:

http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?p=500919#500919

Specifically, note the following:



> - Members are asked to not act as "back seat moderators". If members note an issue which contravenes something in this policy document they are welcome to bring it to the attention of the administrators by sending a private message to AdminMsg. Please do this only if a moderator team member has not replied within a reasonable amount of time. Members who consistenly "act" as moderators may be warned.
> {snip}
> 
> - If you have a complaint about another board user, one of our moderators, or anyone else please send a private message to AdminMsg with your complaint.
> {snip}


Why? Well, again, "back-seat moderating" is troll/flame-war fodder. Look at the direct response your post created:



> Kyrgan, thank you for your nice appreciation !
> I don't see you are very much of a help yourself !


And frankly, I don't blame the responder... Fortunately, it ended there... 

But, this is no good, this does not belong at MrExcel.com, this is a waste of bandwidth, and it's an eyesore, really. If you have a problem with a post or another member, please follow the rules and contact a Moderator or Admin.

If you want to help the OP with a superior solution, then provide one. There's no need to flame another member based on their suggestion, this should be relatively apparent in your presentation, if you have one worth noting.

The people who help run this show have been at this for a long time now and these rules are in place for a reason. We have a great, high-volume tremendous resource here, and our rules help keep this machine cooking with oil! 

I thank you in advance for your consideration! 

Regards,
Nate Oliver
_MrExcel.com Forum Admin_


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## kyrgan (Feb 20, 2007)

Mea Culpa!

I do need to apologize. I was out of line and venting on another user for my own personal pet peeve.  

I have again read the ToS and Forum Guidelines (I seem to be doing that a lot lately.)

In all honesty the “offence” was not even truly out of bounds.  

I let my feeling of “If your going to comment in a forum designed to help others, at least try to assist the user” and in my mind telling the user to use Access without first asking if it’s an option was of little or no assistance.

This board has taught me a lot and I hope it teaches me even more in times to come.  I just get flustered when I see answers like the one we are discussing, or in some cases even the code to solve the users issue without a least a brief description of the code in question.  

I must be having some sort of male PMS.

There, there’s another flame war....

Again Nate and all the other mods.  Even though I seem to have been on a whiny tear lately I really do appreciate the hard work you all do.


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## Cbrine (Feb 22, 2007)

Also,

This is lounge V2.......Ever wonder where V1 went!  I think that was the TNT Nate was referring to.


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## Greg Truby (Feb 22, 2007)

> This is lounge V2...Ever wonder where V1 went?...
> ~CBrine



Indeed. Krygan, while the urge to vent one's frustration is understandable; it is also too common. Juan Pablo eventually shuttered original _Max Cells Lounge_ because it became an eyesore in the sense that there were many posts/threads that taken in the aggregate detracted from the main object of Bill's little enterprise here.  Let us not forget that we're all guests here in Bill's back yard; he foots the bandwidth bill because the board brings in traffic in the form of paying customers.  That's the bottom line.


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## NateO (Feb 22, 2007)

> This is lounge V2.......Ever wonder where V1 went!  I think that was the TNT Nate was referring to.


I was definitely referring to this... This was a real shame if you ask me, but I agreed that it had to be done...  

I'd rather not see us venture this path again, so we, for better or worse, try to nip potential flame-wars in the bud. And we're more sensitive/not as lenient to them than we have been in the past because we've seen it get out of hand and it's not pretty.

Not to worry, there are plenty of places on the world wide web where you can find this sort of thing 24-7... We just prefer that it not happen here. 

I think most of us, for the most part, can agree that it's for the better.


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