Suggestion The Solved prefix has got to go and single forum thoughts

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NPT

Guest
I have never liked marking solutions as solved, it limits and often prevents more and better solutions from being presented. This is especially problematic with novices who flag poor solutions as being Solved.

However, the Solved prefix is going to be especially problematic with the new philosophy of one programming forum, with the prefix describing the problem type.

For example, if I'm interested in Shader topics, I can click on an existing Shader prefix and all the topics with Shader prefixes are displayed. That's pretty convenient,

At least until the question or problem is solved, at that point the OP might change the prefix from Shader to Solved. Now, that particular topic will not be displayed because it no longer has the Shader prefix.

Ironically, for those who specifically want to use the prefix because they want to learn a subject matter will only see unsolved questions and problems, completely defeating the purpose of the topic/catagory prefix in the first place.

As I said earlier, flagging topics as solved, really isn't as benifical as people make it out to be. But if they absolutely must, they can still place a [Solved] in the topic title. Although, I think the best approach is a new post indicating and thanking the solution provider, thus encouraging alternative and better solutions and followup discussion.

@Nocturne said in another topic
If we split the forums again, we get split posting again and people don't know where to post and so their topics get ignored or lost etc... We have topic prefixes for a reason and that reason is that it removes the need for further sub-forums.
While I like the idea of less forums and given the current traffic, I agree that one forum is sufficient. Given enough traffic than a single forum will simply not be sufficient even with good prefix usage.

But as described earlier, the prefix can not be dual usage, ie content descripter and solved indicator. You're going to have to make a decision on exactly how the prefixes are to be used.
 
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hdarren

Member
I was really dissapointed to see the shader forum go. I enjoyed looking through what shaders people had created and them showing the code so I can use them in my games too.
 

chance

predictably random
Forum Staff
Moderator
But if they absolutely must, they can still place a [Solved] in the topic title. Although, I think the best approach is a new post indicating and thanking the solution provider, thus encouraging alternative and better solutions and followup discussion.
Let's just encourage people to do this, instead of changing their topic prefix. (And perhaps eliminate the SOLVED prefix altogether. )

That solves the problem (for now) without any new sub-forums.
 
J

jackhigh24

Guest
i hadn't even thought of that @NPT well spotted and called, that is daft as hell to replace the prefix with another such as solved one, once a prefix has been selected it should stay there regardless of if it gets a solved prefix later on.
 

Nocturne

Friendly Tyrant
Forum Staff
Admin
OKay, we've discussed this and all agree with the points raised, so the Solved prefix has been removed and the posting guidelines updated to suggest that the user uses tags, adds [SOLVED] to the topic title or simply posts in the topic to say it's been solved.
 
J

jackhigh24

Guest
OKay, we've discussed this and all agree with the points raised, so the Solved prefix has been removed and the posting guidelines updated to suggest that the user uses tags, adds [SOLVED] to the topic title or simply posts in the topic to say it's been solved.
you might want to explain that guideline in a little more detail as some people dont seem to understand why its been done or what you mean

example https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/solved.5745/
so that is just doing the same as keeping the solved prefix when they do that like this person did.
 
P

ParodyKnaveBob

Guest
OKay, we've discussed this and all agree with the points raised, so the Solved prefix has been removed and the posting guidelines updated to suggest that the user uses tags, adds [SOLVED] to the topic title or simply posts in the topic to say it's been solved.
I want to Like this, but beyond removing the Solved prefix due to its conflicts, I see much less benefit to giving three different options vs. saying "this is the one way."

Multiple options' benefits:
  • More leeway on the poster, wherein a poster who's both new and not reading guidelines (which unfortunately describes many) can therefore do what one's gonna do anyway and still get by okay.
  • Simply due to statistical random chance of more targets to hit, I expect it's more likely a thread would be declared solved at all, yay.
Multiple options' detriments:
  • If tag use is spotty, (which it already is in that forum,) then tag searches get so hit-and-miss as to discourage trying (which they already are and do). Furthermore, I don't recall seeing a way to search for threads that specifically lack certain tags -- "which posts are not tagged solved?"
  • If title editing is spotty, (which it constantly was on the old GMC,) then it gets harder to glance through the list for either 1. solved issues you're curious about or 2. unsolved issues you'd like to go help. This results in the same visibility problem as the spotty prefix usage we already had.
  • If a poster only replies that it's solved, we lose the power of the title and/or tags -- and of course by diluting the standard, this adds further spottiness to both.
In short, it's difficult and nigh pointless to use the nifty tools available to sift through the posts as intended because of highly inconsistent use. How to not encourage more inconsistent use?

Regards,
Bob
 
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X

XirmiX

Guest
Let's just encourage people to do this, instead of changing their topic prefix. (And perhaps eliminate the SOLVED prefix altogether. )

That solves the problem (for now) without any new sub-forums.
Well, what I've tried to do is put a [Solved] at the beginning of the title of the topics I've created. Problem is though that one of my topic titles has used up all of the characters available. I understand the reason why [Solved] prefix got removed. But perhaps make it something separate that can be marked a bit like prefixes instead of removing it entirely? Just so people know that a topic has a solution in it already before getting into it without restricting you to a title with 8 characters less than usual. Or, perhaps a topic could have multiple prefixes at the same time? Not sure if this would apply to other things if put together, but it could be useful for Solved to stay in tact without obscuring what the topic is really about.
 
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