Excel Questions Forum Moves at Almost the Speed of Light ??

[monirg]

Hello;

1) I know this topic has been extensively addressed in the past!
See for example:
This board moves too fast!!
http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=347788
(including my reply # 15)

2) There appears to be no appetite for introducing additional sub forums within the Excel Questions Forum. And that's fine and quite understandable, realizing the confusion that this might create!

3) Here's a simple suggestion.
Why not Encourage / Force the OPs in the Excel Questions Forum to start the Title of their Threads with a keyword (possibly selected from a dropdown list!), something like:
w/s:
Func:
Charts:
VBA:
Gen:
(one may also consider the keywords: Formula, Pivot, UserForm, etc.)

4) The Threads at "Excel Questions" forum would look more specific. Don't you think so ??
Having the Keyword shown at the start of the Title would help both the posters and (MrExcel) experts. It would also considerably reduce the search time/review. Everyone would benefit!

Any comments ??

 

[Norie]

Minor

What if the OP doesn't know/use an appropriate 'keyword'?

 

[monirg]

Norie;

Well, in this case a message will appear in read, something like:
"Before you submit your Thread, Please select an appropriate Keyword from the list on the left."

Regards.

 

[Joe4]

3) Here's a simple suggestion.
Why not Encourage / Force the OPs in the Excel Questions Forum to start the Title of their Threads with a keyword (possibly selected from a dropdown list!), something like:

I don't even though if anything like that is possible on the php forum structure we use. But it is very difficult to force anyone to do anything. Its a fine balance, to try to make things better without making things more cumbersome for users or for the Moderating staff (all of whom are volunteers!).

 

[Norie]

Monir

How would the list be arrived at?

What one person thinks should be a keyword might no be someone else's idea of a keyword.

Joe

I've seen something that made suggestions based on keywords in the post.

Not really suggestions I suppose, it added links to topics considered relevant.

 

[monirg]

Norie;

How would the list be arrived at?

1) I reckon it is up to you experts, moderators, and admin to decide on what keywords to include on the list.
How about (full or abbreviation of):
Worksheets:
Functions:
Charts:
VBA:
Pivots:
UserForms:
Advanced:
General:

2) No doubt there'll always be some overlapping and possibly some hesitation on what Keywords to select from the list that would more appropriately categorized the thread/question, but I don't consider this to be confusing.
The poster will likely receive an answer (if it is feasible) whether the Title of the Thread starts with Worksheets or Pivots.

3) If I try to post a New Thread without a Title, it wouldn't go through:

You must enter a title / subject!

Couldn't this requirement be expanded to include checking the 1st word of the Title against the List ??

Regards.

 

[Norie]

Monir

What if someone just doesn't know the 'correct' keyword to use?

 

[monirg]

Norie;

What if someone just doesn't know the 'correct' keyword to use?

I can think of two possible interpretation to your concern:
1. if the poster doesn't know for sure the correct keyword to use, s/he should select the closest Keyword from the provided list
2. if the desired keyword is not specifically listed and selecting an alternative keyword from the list would be confusing to the reader, s/he may select General or Advanced, as the case maybe, which are listed.

Regards.

 

[Norie]

monirg

Who defines advanced/general?

 

[Peter_SSs]

Monir

Whilst I ceratinly support your right to make suggestions to improve the forum, I'm afraid that I am also going to argue against this one.

Further to Norie's point, many users just don't know enough to know what keyword to use. I would have thought that knowing what forum to use would be no harder than knowing what keyword to use. Have a look at the first page or two of the General Excel Discussion & Other Questions Forum (It states *Do not post questions about Excel or Access in this forum*) and look at the number of threads that have been 'Moved:'. These are all threads that have been posted incorrectly and a Moderator has had to manually move the thread to another forum.

If users had to use a keyword, I can only imagine the extra Moderation work required. How many threads would get Reported with either the OP saying "Ooops, I used the wrong keyword, can you please change it to .." or other more experienced board users reporting that the OP has used a wrong keyword and suggesting a change to ..

The Threads at "Excel Questions" forum would look more specific. Don't you think so ??
Having the Keyword shown at the start of the Title would help both the posters and (MrExcel) experts. It would also considerably reduce the search time/review. Everyone would benefit!

Yes, they would look more specific, but looks can be deceiving, and possibly counter-productive.

Here are a few examples:

1. This user would most likely have used the keywod Macro, since that's what they asked for. A fairly simple formula was the eventual accepted solution. We have many formula experts here who choose not to answer vba questions. They would possibly all have bypassed that thread if keywords were being used.

2. There are many threads that go the other way. OPs asking for a Formula solution to a complex problem, no macros please "I don't know anything about them". When a short macro with instructions of how to implement it is provided they say "Wow, I didn't know it would be that easy".

3. Searching for PivotTable threads by keyword in the title would not be very productive since in many threads, a Pivot Table is only mentioned when a helper suggests it would be a convenient way to provide the results that the OP has asked for a complex Formula to do.

4. Many of our new posters would describe a SUMIF or a VLOOKUP type question as Advanced, most of the board regulars would not.