# So what's the etiquette on thanking those who answered your GQ? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 20, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795 "2019-06-20T12:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/1 "2019-06-20T12:21:41Z")
As a GQ thread winds down, I usually give a general thanks to all posters who answered, but it seems most people don’t do that (though I can’t say I’ve done a thorough analysis). I can see the point - you’re bumping a thread with no new questions or pertinent information. What’s the generally accepted etiquette regarding this? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/2 "2019-06-20T12:44:59Z")
I can’t imagine anyone would object. IANAM. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/3 "2019-06-20T12:52:40Z")
First of all, I’m not going to moderate people either way for this. But I’d say that it depends on timing. If you don’t come back to the thread to read the responses until two weeks later, don’t bother-- That would just be a pointless bump. On the other hand, if your thank you comes a couple of hours after the last post, when the thread is still on the first page anyway, it’s not much of an issue. Complicating this, of course, is the fact that threads rarely have a single correct and complete answer that definitively ends the thread. Even after you’ve thanked folks, you might still get more useful answers, and it gets a bit old to be thanking people every third post. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/4 "2019-06-20T15:09:19Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > As a GQ thread winds down, I usually give a general thanks to all posters who answered, but it seems most people don’t do that (though I can’t say I’ve done a thorough analysis). I can see the point - you’re bumping a thread with no new questions or pertinent information. What’s the generally accepted etiquette regarding this? Give thanks in advance as part of your OP. Problem solved… you’re welcome 😛 ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/5 "2019-06-20T15:16:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > First of all, I’m not going to moderate people either way for this. > > But I’d say that it depends on timing. If you don’t come back to the thread to read the responses until two weeks later, don’t bother-- That would just be a pointless bump. On the other hand, if your thank you comes a couple of hours after the last post, when the thread is still on the first page anyway, it’s not much of an issue. > > Complicating this, of course, is the fact that threads rarely have a single correct and complete answer that definitively ends the thread. Even after you’ve thanked folks, you might still get more useful answers, and it gets a bit old to be thanking people every third post. Just the guy i wondered whether to keep thanking 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/6 "2019-06-20T15:17:53Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Give thanks in advance as part of your OP. Problem solved… you’re welcome 😛 Yea sometimes I do that - I’ll just make it an always. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/7 "2019-06-20T15:34:36Z")
Apparently I am the only one still sending out embossed personalized “Thank You” cards. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/8 "2019-06-20T15:39:12Z")
Probably. Look, I think it’s nice to thank people when they help you. But in a message board format it’s hardly de rigeur. Do so if you want and are inclined. Otherwise, don’t. I doubt anyone will think less of you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/9 "2019-06-20T15:46:47Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Probably. > > Look, I think it’s nice to thank people when they help you. But in a message board format it’s hardly de rigeur. Do so if you want and are inclined. Otherwise, don’t. I doubt anyone will think less of you. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/10 "2019-06-20T15:50:24Z")
Oh no, thank _you_! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/11 "2019-06-20T16:00:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Apparently I am the only one still sending out embossed personalized “Thank You” cards. {Makes note for future reference} > [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Probably. > > Look, I think it’s nice to thank people when they help you. But in a message board format it’s hardly de rigeur. Do so if you want and are inclined. Otherwise, don’t. I doubt anyone will think less of you. I will. 🙂 I’m (mostly) kidding, but I try to interact with people online as I would in real life. If I would thank someone for doing something for me in real life (and I would), I thank them online, too. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/12 "2019-06-20T16:05:24Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > {Makes note for future reference} I’m afraid I have a confession to make: I don’t really send out embossed personalized “Thank You” cards. My butler assigns one of the help to do it for me. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/13 "2019-06-20T17:06:30Z")
You mean all you have to do is thank them?!?!? And here I’ve been sending large sums of money. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/14 "2019-06-20T17:08:20Z")
I agree with what **Chronos** has said. A timely “thank you” is fine, although by no means required. One thing that can be helpful in some circumstances is if the OP returns to the thread to acknowledge that their question has been adequately answered. Sometimes questions are ambiguous or inexact and posters start arguing about what the poster actually meant. Coming back to clarify the intent of the question can help. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/15 "2019-06-20T17:44:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m afraid I have a confession to make: I don’t really send out embossed personalized “Thank You” cards. > My butler assigns one of the help to do it for me. Thank you for being brave enough to admit that. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/16 "2019-06-20T19:30:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m afraid I have a confession to make: I don’t really send out embossed personalized “Thank You” cards. > My butler assigns one of the help to do it for me. But of course. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/17 "2019-06-20T19:36:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Thank you. God this gave me a good laugh. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/18 "2019-06-21T19:26:29Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I agree with what **Chronos** has said. A timely “thank you” is fine, although by no means required. > > One thing that can be helpful in some circumstances is if the OP returns to the thread to acknowledge that their question has been adequately answered. Sometimes questions are ambiguous or inexact and posters start arguing about what the poster actually meant. Coming back to clarify the intent of the question can help. This is true especially for computer related questions (or similar, tech-related). As an IT professional, I’ve often given sometimes elaborate instructions to probably solve some computer issue, but very often I get no feedback at all. I don’t expect thanks, it’s nice to get them but not needed, but I want to know if it helped to fix the problem, because that’s useful info for me too and for others with the same problems. But often, those threads just die without any feedback from the OP whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-etiquette-on-thanking-those-who-answered-your-gq/835795/19 "2019-06-22T04:35:51Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > This is true especially for computer related questions (or similar, tech-related). As an IT professional, I’ve often given sometimes elaborate instructions to probably solve some computer issue, but very often I get no feedback at all. I don’t expect thanks, it’s nice to get them but not needed, but I want to know if it helped to fix the problem, because that’s useful info for me too and for others with the same problems. But often, those threads just die without any feedback from the OP whatsoever. Not really a pro here, but I agree so much. Besides the threads where I ask for help, these are the only threads I ever subscribe to. Not only to know if I helped them, but also whether they’ll need further help. Even if it turns out you solved it yourself or got help elsewhere, it’s still useful to know what fixed it. It may even show up in some Google search for someone in the future.