I would like to clarify a rule. In this thread my question was answered quickly and completely with the information I was looking for.
Nice guy that I am, I would like to thank QtM, and the other posters, for answering. It is the polite thing to do - I do not want to seem ungrateful. However, I would really not be adding anything to the thread. In essence I would just be bumping it - something that is in a grey area of the SDMB, not to mention adding a small amount of additional stress to the board, and squeezing a potentially unanswered thread off page one.
So which should win - politeness or board efficiency?
In this case, your post is only a day old, so I see no problem with posting there to add your thanks or comments or whatever.
If you were talking about a question that was answered six months ago (to use an extreme example) and wanted to provide more information (“I followed your suggestion and here’s what happened…”), I think that would be fine.
If you were talking about a question that was answered six months ago and just wanted to post a “thanks”, it would look suspiciously like just bumping a post.
That’s what I’d be using as common sense guidelines, anyhow.
Posting a thanks while the thread is current also lets other posters know you have seen the answer, and perhaps not necessary for them to post as well. Not that it keeps someone from doing so if what they have to say is important or different or they just want to add their “me too”, but for factual questions especially it gives a bit of closure. It shows you got a satisfactory answer, so another that is not substantially different is not required.
I think the situation has changed a bit. I made a Pit rant a long time ago about people who request information in GQ and never return back to thank others for their help.
However, look at my situation. I have been completely unable to connect to post since…Jesus, was it last Friday? And for several days I could not even read. So there is no way I could have thanked anyone for a question I asked then.
The “old SDMB interpersonal structure” is breaking down, and I feel that it would be good if the community as a whole would remember that silence from a poster may only indicate that they simply cannot connect to make a post back.
Well, I certainly don’t want to challenge you, Anthracite, but I feel no desire for someone to thank me if I ever give a good response. I would much rather they take note of my username and remember what a hoopy frood I am. Er, should I be posting this in the Pit?
Well, I certainly don’t want to challenge you, Anthracite, but I feel no desire for someone to thank me if I ever give a good response. I would much rather they take note of my username and remember what a hoopy frood I am. Er, should I be posting this in the Pit?
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