Start new thread or post in existing?

angelkiller · Post by **angelkiller** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:01 pm

Ok, I'm am a pretty new poster here. I've been reading for close to a year and decided to join. I'm also pretty sure the "Off Topic" is the wrong place for this thread. Sorry!!

Anyways, Let's say I have a problem, and I found a thread about someone else with a similar or same problem (and none of the proposed solutions work), what do I do? Do I post my problem in the existing thread, or do I start a new one?

From what I've seen, If I started a new thread, people will redirect me to the existing one. But, if I posted my problem in the existing thread, it looks hijacked; people will be responding to two problems in the same thread (mine and the original poster's)

Either situation doesn't make me look too good. So in this situation (that I just happen to be in), what do you do? (I thought I would ask before I screwed up.)

klankymen · Post by **klankymen** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:04 pm

I think with the references to other threads, the idea isn't to tell you to post in that thread, but to suggest you look there, incase you hadn't seen the thread yet, because there might be a solution hidden in there.

although I do see forums where people tell newbies to use an existing thread instead of "spamming" I never thought of spcr to be that way

angelkiller · Post by **angelkiller** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:37 pm

klankymen wrote:although I do see forums where people tell newbies to use an existing thread instead of "spamming"

That was my main concern. I would hate to introduce myself to this community by being a spammer.

floffe · Post by **floffe** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:12 pm

Something like "Hey, I have this problem [bla bla]. I found this other thread (link to it), but it doesn't help. Any ideas?" would be a nice way to show that you've done your homework, and you're more likely to get useful answers from the start (that do not point to thread X). Admittedly, here on SPCR people usually answer you anyway, but on other forums they might not...

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:11 pm

Hijacking a post is only sensible if you are in the "off topic" forum............. like now

can I hijack your post.???

As you have got our attention you might as well tell us your problem AND start a new post in the approriate section, and link between, but you must only post in one section from then on, as you will confuse everyone otherwise.

Andy

angelkiller · Post by **angelkiller** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:32 pm

floffe wrote:Something like "Hey, I have this problem [bla bla]. I found this other thread (link to it), but it doesn't help. Any ideas?"

Sounds nice. I probably should have used this. Really good advice.

andyb wrote:As you have got our attention you might as well tell us your problem

Nobody had answered the guy's question here in three weeks so I decided to start a new thread here.

Thanks to klankymen, floffe, and andyb for thier help.

andyb wrote:like now can I hijack your post.???

Uhhh.. No.

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:17 pm

I always search for key words first. Most of the time, there are threads discussing the same or similar questions.

If the thread doesn't answer my question completely, or it is related but not the same, I usually start a new topic, stating I read this and that thread (with links) so people know I've "done my homework".

If the question is asked in an existing thread, about half the people won't even recognise it and it gets buried.

Heh... I read the other comments later and Floffe's post comes very close to mine

even his "homework" comment is the same