Any - Follow up would be good

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 12 Dec 2011 13:59
Any - Follow up would be good - tony g
Is it just me.

Back room throws up many fascinating problems ,often from desperate individuals , who say they don't know what to do next.

So the original posters benefit from the wealth of information that contributors provide .

Then nothing ! It would be great if the original poster gave an indication of what the outcome of their problem was.

Very few seem to bother ,is it just me that's irritated by this.

Tony g
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Mon 12 Dec 2011 14:08
Any - Follow up would be good - gordonbennet

No its not just you its annoying and especially so when some of the experts here go into great detail how to diagnose intricate faults and....nothing zada zilch.

Possibly partly why some diagnostic experts have vanished over time, taking the time to have thanked them and given an update in due course would have been good manners if nothing else, regulars here who appreciate them then lose valuable contributors.

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Mon 12 Dec 2011 16:48
Any - Follow up would be good - Bobbin Threadbare

Yeah I try to remember to ask them to come back. I am nosy about what they bought etc though. I do appreciate it in the technical section, even though I can only give advice on minor faults on Fords :-D

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Mon 12 Dec 2011 22:26
Any - Follow up would be good - Avant

Good point Tony. I agree - and thanks for the professional advice that you give us. I've put up a 'sticky' thread asking for OPs to come back to us.

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Mon 12 Dec 2011 23:49
Any - Follow up would be good - rtj70

Best of luck building a loyal following - most of that original set nurtured over years got thrown away in early 2010. Hopefully you can all build on that again.

A forum is a community sort of thing. It's more than the original poster reporting back. You want them to feel welcome and stay.

Best of luck with building that community again. Can I suggest trying to determine privately (as mods) or publicly who are regulars? The stats for visitors are available but a simple post for regulars to respond to might be useful? Especially if things are quiet at times and it is hard to track regulars.

Delete my post if you think I am stirring. I am not :-)

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Wed 14 Dec 2011 00:29
Any - Follow up would be good - Avant

No, not stirring at all. We have some regulars who give good advice: we would just like the people who join us to ask for advice, even if they don't become regulars, to let us know if and how they resolve their query or problem.

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Fri 16 Dec 2011 18:56
Any - Follow up would be good - rtj70

So an easy way would be a flag on post to say problem resolved/fixed? That is something the BT broadband forum uses.

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Sun 26 May 2013 10:10
Any - Follow up would be good - papajohn

I've just posted my first issue, however I didn't see a tick box for email subscribe to this thread. That would be really useful, so replies are emailed. I can then get back to the forum and respond.

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Wed 29 May 2013 14:03
Any - Follow up would be good - FP

"...most of that original set nurtured over years got thrown away in early 2010."

It's probably best not to re-visit that too much; I would add only that a few of us hung on, perhaps rather tenuously, and still read and post here occasionally.

"A forum is a community sort of thing." Yes, though I'm extremely sceptical about how this works out in practice, the internet being the impersonal thing it is. And the BR is, or has been, plagued by the occasional souls who delight in taking and giving offence, as well as the intrusion of spam, all of which is hardly conducive to a community feeling.

As regards the follow-up of requests for advice, then of course common courtesy and regard for those who have tried to help should dictate a response, however brief. However, I'm sure there have been occasions when I have failed to do this on some forum or other.

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Sun 26 May 2013 11:48
Any - Follow up would be good - Cyd

Not just you. Me too.

It's not just good manners either - it would help our collective learning and our ability to help others in the future.

I think gaining from others knowledge and expertise (often built up over many years and often at a cost) and then not "putting something back" is plain selfish.

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Tue 28 May 2013 23:30
Any - Follow up would be good - Cyd

seems we've got some more examples doing the rounds just now.

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Mon 18 May 2015 09:55
Any - Follow up would be good - gordonbennet

Several more over the past few weeks, are these the same people who failed to grasp those three simple but magical words when they were just out of nappies, please thankyou and sorry.

You can see why people drift away when the discourteous start to outnumber the other sort.

Should mention Scot22 here who is a fine example of courtesy, he and his contributions and queries are very welcome indeed.

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Mon 18 May 2015 17:03
Any - Follow up would be good - craig-pd130

Agreed. I'm still grateful to Screwloose for his advice re a problem with my dad's Octavia, which saved several hundred pounds in parts and diagnostics.

Unfortunately, he's no longer posting.

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Mon 18 May 2015 17:36
Any - Follow up would be good - concrete

Could not agree more with Tony and the other comments. The sure way to know that advice actually works is when feedback is given. I have been helped many times through the forum. I am almost certain I have responded with feedback and thanks. Well I hope I have and I will certainly make a determined effort in the future. craig-pd helped previously with my Skoda, so just in case; thank you craig.

The collective knowledge and experience is virtually pricless and I for one would like to perpetuate the forum, more or less as it is, despite the odd ungrateful wretch that does not have the grace or manners to respond.

Cheers Concrete

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Mon 18 May 2015 20:28
Any - Follow up would be good - scot22

Thank you GB that is appreciated. Unfortunately, without wishing to be a nostalgia Norman, society appears to have lost the civility that most of us here were brought up to respect.

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Mon 18 May 2015 21:57
Any - Follow up would be good - craig-pd130

craig-pd helped previously with my Skoda, so just in case; thank you craig.

You're very welcome; what goes around, comes around. I've no idea how I helped you though - what was it?

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Tue 19 May 2015 08:54
Any - Follow up would be good - oldroverboy.

I seem to remember writing a "Thanks" a while back and having my leg pulled......

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Wed 20 May 2015 17:43
Any - Follow up would be good - John F

I have yet to be thanked for all my generous, thoughtful, intelligent and knowledgable money-saving advice over the years.

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Wed 20 May 2015 17:55
Any - Follow up would be good - Avant

Let me thank you now, John. I think this may be because people often disagree with your views, genuinely held as they are.

You clearly have a lot of knowledge and experience, and what you've said on here, for example, about tyres and brakes, may work well for you. But in the hands of less experienced readers of this forum, some of your advice could be taken too literally with unfortunate results.

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Thu 21 May 2015 14:40
Any - Follow up would be good - Gibbo_Wirral

I think it happens on many motoring forums. My bugbear is when people sign up and demand instant help (usually in the evening) then get stroppy when they've had no replies.

They then usually moan that their problem has had xx views but nobody bothered to reply, without considering that spambots may have clicked the links in order to try and find a weak link to post their wares, or another member has read the problem and been unable to give an answer.

People need to remember that they're more than welcome to pay for the advice from a garage, assuming they can be fitted in the same week.

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Thu 21 May 2015 14:55
Any - Follow up would be good - John F

Let me thank you now, John.

Well, thanks a lot, Avant! I am sure you guessed I posted with tongue in cheek - I have never expected any gratitude! And you are right about the rare possibility of 'unfortunate results'. As I am sure you will agree, most 'unfortunate results' are due to the faults and carelessness of that most unreliable component - the nut behind the wheel.

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Fri 22 May 2015 18:50
Any - Follow up would be good - concrete

craig-pd helped previously with my Skoda, so just in case; thank you craig.

You're very welcome; what goes around, comes around. I've no idea how I helped you though - what was it?

Testing the memory banks here, had the car for 10 years now. It was something particular about the pd130 engine. As I recall I conveyed your comments to the dealer technician who agreed and did accordingly.. It was also something about making sure some drainage ducts are clear to prevent water flooding the engine compartment. Now I will have to go and lie down ! Cheers Concrete
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Mon 16 May 2016 09:45
Any - Follow up would be good - Discbrake03

Came to get some relevant advice, but unfortunately, following 2 helpful posts, the next posters got personal.

Shame. Site was recommended for helpful advice, but all I got was personal abuse. So count me out.

Thanks.

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Mon 16 May 2016 10:47
Any - Follow up would be good - Bromptonaut

Shame. Site was recommended for helpful advice, but all I got was personal abuse. So count me out.

Thanks.

Wan't really abuse was it? Several posters, including me, thought your expectations, reducing the VAT element on a new car, were unreasonable.

Your own language was not exactly temperate either.

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Mon 16 May 2016 11:44
Any - Follow up would be good - Auristocrat

As an occasional contributor, I didn't think the responses to a question that had an obvious negative answer, were either personal or abusive.

Responses would probably have been very similar on other forums

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Mon 16 May 2016 11:57
Any - Follow up would be good - FP

"... the next posters got personal."

"... all I got was personal abuse."

There's probably little point in raking over matters which are history, but I've re-read the thread concerned and can find absolutely no personal abuse.

As for saying some posters "got personal" - well, some used the word "you" and that was as far as it went. There certainly was some bluntness - surprise that someone who had run his own businesses had apparently not grasped how VAT works, for example.

The OP, on the other hand, suggested some posters might be trolls and complained that people were going off the point.

I have spoken out against some unpleasant and provocative posts and posters on here quite a few times in the past, so it seems only fair to point out that there also some who have fragile egos and don't understand that discussions on a forum such as this will nearly always drift and that plain speaking, per se, is not malicious.

I also have to say that this is not the only recent example of someone asking for advice and getting upset at the response.

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Mon 16 May 2016 18:23
Any - Follow up would be good - NARU

My father reckoned there were two types of people. Givers and Takers.

Glad to say that he raised a family of givers.

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Wed 18 May 2016 18:23
Any - Follow up would be good - concrete

Twas ever thus. Having worked in construction management for many years I have encountered all types. It just has to be accepted that there is room for us all and some people just don't 'get it'. It seems that some people cannot have a debate or exchange of views, they either have to be right or wrong or they win or lose. They cannot accept that there is a balance somewhere and very few subjects are so clear cut as to present an easy solution. Luckily these people are vastly outnumbered by people who do 'get it'.

Mu old Dad had a great saying about unreasonable people....

You could give them a bag of gold, and the bag would be the wrong colour!

I have noticed a few regulars from the past no longer seem to be posting or commenting. Bobbin Threadbare, Jamie etc etc. Are they just reading the forum or not visiting any longer? Who knows?

Keep the faith people, the forum is generally very good to excellent for real world advice. Unfortunately that is the kind of advice that some people really don't want to see or hear. Reality can be cruel.

Cheers Concrete

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Wed 18 May 2016 19:13
Any - Follow up would be good - Avant

Thanks for the supportive comments chaps. I try to delete all personal abuse, but there wasn't any in this case as you know. He (I presume it was a he) just didn't get the answer he wanted.

People come and go on forums - it was ever so. But it's good to have quite a lot of regulars who stay with us: I think the backroom is (as well as being a general discussion forum) a really useful complement to the wealth of other information which is available on this site, and now is a good opportunity to say thank you so much for the time you take in giving advice (which fortunately the great majority appreciate!).

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