How to react to cross-posting

[MARK858]

Just looking for peoples thoughts on how best to deal with posters who cross-post without posting a link to the other threads.

Currently I normally put in a post like

Cross-posted here

Cross-Posting… Why you are asked to provide a link

or even just a "cross-posted here" and the link.

I post these links mainly for info for others replying and try not to actually say that they are breaking the rules as that I consider that to be part of the moderators role and not an average poster.

Now lately I have seen posts (one poster particularly comes to mind) where every post they make has been cross-posted without a link and I and other posters have posted the links and explanations as why they should post a link on this and the other sites (where their rules state that cross-posting without a link is not allowed) but they still don't.

My questions really are

1) when should we report the posts i.e. at the first post they make and not post the link ourselves, post the link and report the post or only report it if it is a repeat offender?

and depending on the answer above

2) is my posting

Cross-posted here

Cross-Posting… Why you are asked to provide a link

an acceptable response, particularly if it is a thread that I haven't taken any other involvement in?

 

[etaf]

i think it a useful thing to ask, but would not always be possible to edit and include and so will require a 2nd post to be added , and then the zero replies will no longer bring up the question

so you post in forum A
and then find on the web another forum which appears to be busy - so you post there maybe a couple of hours later
to add the link - you would need to go back to the original post and by then may not be allowed to edit
so you add a new post - which now means , it will no longer appear from the "Zero Post Link"

but i agree , its useful to know , as a member of quite a few forums , I frequently see the question posted on multiple forums, and have started to reply on one forum, to only see a solution on the 2nd forum and have wasted my time - so a link would be useful

BUT I have also seen admin respond , and remove the link to the other forum , as they do not want a link to a different forum

just my thoughts

 

[MARK858]

etaf , on all the Excel forums I go on with the exception of 2 it is the forum rule that you must post a link to any cross-posts. Thr Admin don't delete the links.
The 2 exceptions are on one site they don't want you to cross post at all and the other doesn't have. a rule.

 

[Peter_SSs]

BUT I have also seen admin respond , and remove the link to the other forum , as they do not want a link to a different forum

That is not the case in this forum. Refer to point 24 of our Posting Guidelines

1) when should we report the posts i.e. at the first post they make and not post the link ourselves, post the link and report the post or only report it if it is a repeat offender?

and depending on the answer above

2) is my posting

an acceptable response, particularly if it is a thread that I haven't taken any other involvement in?

The safest way is to simply report the post and in your report, provide a link to the other forum thread(s). The Moderators can then decide on any further action.

Your number 2) method is acceptable but it would be better if you pointed the OP to point 24 of our guidelines (which includes a link to the other site your have linked to anyway). The possible pitfall here is if the OP objects or begins to draw you into an argument. You need to be careful you don't yourself fall foul of #16 of the Forum Rules

 

[Oeldere]

I often used this link for crossposters; it explains why is not nead to crosspost Excelguru Help Site - A message to forum cross posters

 

[Peter_SSs]

I often used this link for crossposters; it explains why is not nead to crosspost Excelguru Help Site - A message to forum cross posters

Which is the same link provided in Mark's opening post here.

 

[Oeldere]

@Peter_SSs and @Mark858 I appogize for that. I was not intend to do a duplicated one.

 

[MARK858]

Hi Peter, first of all thanks for your valuable input.

Your number 2) method is acceptable but it would be better if you pointed the OP to point 24 of our guidelines....
You need to be careful you don't yourself fall foul of #16 of the Forum Rules

It was precisely because of #16 that I asked the question, mainly to see if any of the Moderators felt I was already falling foul of it by posting the message in the my first post.
#16 was also in the back of my mind when I originally used the message and decided not to provide a direct link to the forum rules as I felt it could be interpreted as an instruction rather than guidance (even though this is a bit contradictory of me as I do have a link in my signature).

Taking on board what you have said what I will probably do is re-word the message to something like

Cross-posted here <LINK>

Please take the time to have a read of the Forum Rules in particular #24 (there is a link there explaining why).

For relatively new posters say those with less than a dozen posts (as I fully accept most new posters don't read the rules to start with as they are just looking for an answer) I will probably post the message with the link as I feel new posters might feel uncomfortable if their first experience is a moderator informing them that they have done something wrong (no matter how nicely it is done).

For anyone with more posts than that (as they should be aware that there are rules by then) or for those who repeatedly don't post a link then I think I will use the report button or pm a Moderator who is online.

draw you into an argument

When I post the link to their other posting/s I haven't made any response to any comments they make as when I have posted the link it has always been the intention to inform the other posters before they possibly spend time duplicating work already done more than informing the OP.

Did come close once when one implied the the post wasn't helpful (but yes I did resist the urge of asking the OP who they thought my post was intended to help. Them or everyone else? on that occasion I did only put cross-posted and the link with no explanation but I know someone else had already explained it with the same link on the other site).

Again thanks for the advise, it has clarified a few things in my own mind and obviously any comments on the re-worded message are more than welcome.

Oh and Oeldere, no need to apologize to me. I have no problems anyone posting a good link (even multiple times)

 

[RoryA]

I agree your current actions are spot on. For serial offenders, by all means let us know so one of us can have a private word. I like the revised wording too.

 

[MARK858]

I agree your current actions are spot on.

Good, as I don't really want to report threads if a gentle nudge will suffice.

I like the revised wording too.

Happy with that, I'll wait and see if there are any other responses before I adopt it as I will obviously copy/paste it bar the actual thread links.
Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.