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Home » Newcomers » Newcomers » [meta] Repeating questions?(What's the polite way to repeat a question?)
[meta] Repeating questions? [message #912617] Thu, 13 September 2012 21:24 Go to next message
Jesse Weinstein is currently offline Jesse WeinsteinFriend
Messages: 44
Registered: July 2012
Member
I apologize if this is in the wrong place, or a FAQ. (I couldn't find it, if it is.)

What is the custom on the Eclipse Forums regarding asking a question again, if it didn't generate any responses the first time around?

If it's OK to repeat questions, how long should I wait before doing so?

And how should I do it: reply to the original question with "*ping*", or rephrase the question in a new topic (and presumably link to the previous topic), or some other way?
Re: [meta] Repeating questions? [message #912622 is a reply to message #912617] Thu, 13 September 2012 21:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Russell Bateman is currently offline Russell BatemanFriend
Messages: 3798
Registered: July 2009
Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Senior Member

On 9/13/2012 3:24 PM, Jesse Weinstein wrote:
> I apologize if this is in the wrong place, or a FAQ. (I couldn't find
> it, if it is.)
>
> What is the custom on the Eclipse Forums regarding asking a question
> again, if it didn't generate any responses the first time around?
>
> If it's OK to repeat questions, how long should I wait before doing so?
>
> And how should I do it: reply to the original question with "*ping*", or
> rephrase the question in a new topic (and presumably link to the
> previous topic), or some other way?

Bumping a question doesn't usually help. It might even be a bit
annoying. You should be prepared to wait up to a day depending on your
timezone and when you ask it. Your greatest chance of response is UTC
0900 - 2300 when Europe and the Americas are at work. Weekends can often
be quite dead.

If you don't get an answer within a couple of days, which can happen
easily to newcomers, it might be one of the following:

1. Wrong forum; usually though we'll try to tell you so and redirect you
right away.
2. Imprecise; sometimes reponders will ask for more information if they
are able to understand where you want to go.
3. Obviously unprepared/didn't do research; often ignored.
4. Asking others to do schoolwork; occasionally taunted.
Re: [meta] Repeating questions? [message #912626 is a reply to message #912622] Thu, 13 September 2012 21:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jesse Weinstein is currently offline Jesse WeinsteinFriend
Messages: 44
Registered: July 2012
Member
Thanks -- good to know that bumping questions is frowned upon, and that most questions that get answered at all will usually get responses within two weekdays.

You didn't actually say what would be the right way to go about re-asking a question -- I assume it would involve making a new topic containing a rephrased question that tried to avoid the problems you listed (wrong forum, imprecision, lack of research, sounds like homework). Is that right?
Re: [meta] Repeating questions? [message #912630 is a reply to message #912626] Thu, 13 September 2012 22:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Russell Bateman is currently offline Russell BatemanFriend
Messages: 3798
Registered: July 2009
Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Senior Member

On 9/13/2012 3:44 PM, Jesse Weinstein wrote:
> Thanks -- good to know that bumping questions is frowned upon, and that
> most questions that get answered at all will usually get responses
> within two weekdays.
>
> You didn't actually say what would be the right way to go about
> re-asking a question -- I assume it would involve making a new topic
> containing a rephrased question that tried to avoid the problems you
> listed (wrong forum, imprecision, lack of research, sounds like
> homework). Is that right?

I think bumping works better for forums where doing it results in the
question getting repositioned at the top. Since I read this forum using
Thunderbird via NNTP, bumping is less likely to draw my attention. And
if I see "bump" or "will nobody answer?", etc. I know there's no new
information, that I've probably already read the original question and
didn't feel like responding.

Anyway, the responders here are a good lot, fairly patient and try to
answer as quickly as possible. So, if there isn't an answer, it's
usually for a good reason. I should have added another reason for no
answer: the question's too broad or there's too many questions inside.
Elephants are best eaten one spoonful at a time. I remember when I was
new to Java and EE. It looked like climbing Mt. Everest.

Yes, rephrasing and reposting. In fact, most of us won't notice or mind
you've reposted if the question is better worded. You could, however,
just reply to your original question with more detail. Honestly, I don't
know which would get more attention. No matter how it's done, I love it
whenever a question gives me enough information to be sure I'm helping
to answer the real question when I do answer. I don't have as much time
as I used to have to spend looking into stuff that takes time or that I
don't know off the top of my head and I figure I'll just leave it to the
more experienced responders or one who knows spot-on what's being asked.

Best of luck.
Re: [meta] Repeating questions? [message #912632 is a reply to message #912630] Thu, 13 September 2012 22:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jesse Weinstein is currently offline Jesse WeinsteinFriend
Messages: 44
Registered: July 2012
Member
Thanks, that helps.

How should I go about getting this included in a FAQ list/stickied, etc?

I'm pretty certain it's a common question.
Re: [meta] Repeating questions? [message #912636 is a reply to message #912632] Thu, 13 September 2012 22:19 Go to previous message
Russell Bateman is currently offline Russell BatemanFriend
Messages: 3798
Registered: July 2009
Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Senior Member

On 9/13/2012 4:05 PM, Jesse Weinstein wrote:
> Thanks, that helps.
> How should I go about getting this included in a FAQ list/stickied, etc?
>
> I'm pretty certain it's a common question.

There are sticky posts at the top of the forum managed by those who can
and find something important to add.
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