Unsolved threads

[Legacy 21301]

I think a lot of the people who supply solutions tend mostly to look at the unanswered threads - and maybe also at recent threads with titles that indicate possibly interesting or challenging topics.
Threads with answers but unsolved can be overlooked by persons who may be able to help.

The only option for the OP is to “bump”, but this does not highlight the thread as unsolved – and it is likely to remain overlooked.

Would it be possible to have a procedure whereby the originator of a thread could identify it as “unsolved” ?

This would possibly only work if it could be implemented along the lines of the following :

- Only the OP could add an “unsolved” tag.
- The tag could be automatically removed if a post were made to the thread by someone other than the OP. (This is based on the assumption that the thread would still be in the course of being solved, and making it up to the OP to re-instate he tag, if necessary.)

The usefulness of such a procedure would be reduced if too many OP’s were to adopt the practice of adding tags to posts still in he course of being solved - but I doubt that this could be avoided.

 

[al_b_cnu]

How about the OP identifying the thread as being 'Solved'? This would allow an OP to do a formalised 'closure' of the thread.

Alan

(Edit)
... How about the rule 'Anyone can mark a thread as 'Solved', but the OP can mark it as 'Unsolved' - together, of course, with the appropriate buttons on the thread.

Alan

 

[Legacy 21301]

Whether or not a thread should be marked as solved has been discussed many times previously. The majority opinion has been that it would not be desirable.

 

[just_jon]

I dunno; maybe add an Unsolved option after a certain time frame, available to the OP only. Might be hard to impliment, though. Otherwise you'd run the risk of a bunch of quick-triggers hitting the unsolved button after 5 minutes.

But, as with bumping, the OP may not always be aware that there is actually someone currently working the solution -- it may be a case where the problem and desired outcome are clearly stated [requiring no immediate post to the thread], but the formulation of the solution might A] take a while or B] have to wait a while before you can get to it.

 

[RDK]

I dunno; maybe add an Unsolved option after a certain time frame, available to the OP only. Might be hard to impliment, though. Otherwise you'd run the risk of a bunch of quick-triggers hitting the unsolved button after 5 minutes.

If you'll excuse a newbie's perspective... Having an Unsolved flag available to the OP only may increase the number of new messages following the same thread. Over the past couple of months I've seen users other the the original OP (myself included) post follow-up queries that either extend the original question or take it off onto a slightly different, yet still related, branch. Based on what I've seen so far, it appears the administrators would prefer it this way instead of opening new threads.

 

[just_jon]

Good point, RDK -- If we assume the absence of an Unsolved flag == solved, then we would miss those piggy-backed postings unless we ignored the implication and went into the thread -- much as we do now...

 

[Juan Pablo González]

Actually, at least the tacit agreement here is to start a new thread, it makes it easier for everyone to spot it.

 

[RDK]

Actually, at least the tacit agreement here is to start a new thread, it makes it easier for everyone to spot it.

Wouldn't starting a new thread on a piggybacked question lose track of the steps already taken for the original resolution? There would be times where followup question(s) would rely heavily on the original thread, especially in the case of posted code.

 

[Juan Pablo González]

But that is a rare case... what we usually see is:

1. The same OP starting a new thread on the SAME question, the idea here is to stay on the old one, to prevent that... that's why we mark those as duplicates (and lock them)

2. Another OP replying to a thread saying "this is very similar to my situation but...", and they're *usually* questions that can stand on their own.

I'm not saying that the case you show doesn't happen, but its not the common one...

 

[RDK]

Valid points. You (and the other mods) would be in a better position to see those trends due to your time here. From a limited perspective though (2-3 months lurking) I have seen a few threads that tended to build on the original theme. I'm sure as I spend more time on board, I'll have a little better view of the big picture.