Cross forum posting

[TysonLPrice]

I've noticed what seems to me an uptick in cross forum posting (exact same questions posted at several forums). Sometimes the ID is a little different but I can tell it is the same poster. I'm seeing this a lot between here, Tek-Tips, and VBCity. It may be I'm a little more active than usual but I don't think so.

Do you have any issues with cross posting? I don't and do it myself. I try and share whatever I got a one site at the others in case someone searches the topic later. I remember one forum where some members didn't like people doing that. I don't see anything wrong with it.

I also noticed another school year kicked in somewhere

It's fun watching people trying to get someone else to do their work.

[TysonLPrice]

That went over like a lead balloon...OK...what are your thoughts on cross dressing?

[FunkyDexter]

cross dressing

I always try to dress angry.

Do you have any issues with cross posting?

I didn't answer before because I thought you were after a forum policy rather than personal opinions but since we're in CC I probably should have assumed the latter. Personally I wouldn't have an issue with it. If someone's trying to get help I don't see why they wouldn't go to as many sources as possible.

I'd have actually said that sharing the answers across sites is more controversial. If you take an answer someone gave you in VBForums and post it to e.g. VBCity, you're strengthening VBCity's offering at the expense of VBForums. Essentially you're giving VBForums product (which is knowledge) away to a competitor. I'm not sure VBF would really mind if it was just about sharing an answer that you got to a question you asked (though the mods may correct me on that) but I know there was an issue a while back where another forum was just reaping answers wholesale from VBF. I think they took legal action in the end but I'm not sure. Quite where the line between acceptable and unnacceptable is I don't know (but it's probably in the AUP somewhere).

[TysonLPrice]

I always try to dress angry.

I didn't answer before because I thought you were after a forum policy rather than personal opinions but since we're in CC I probably should have assumed the latter. Personally I wouldn't have an issue with it. If someone's trying to get help I don't see why they wouldn't go to as many sources as possible.

I'd have actually said that sharing the answers across sites is more controversial. If you take an answer someone gave you in VBForums and post it to e.g. VBCity, you're strengthening VBCity's offering at the expense of VBForums. Essentially you're giving VBForums product (which is knowledge) away to a competitor. I'm not sure VBF would really mind if it was just about sharing an answer that you got to a question you asked (though the mods may correct me on that) but I know there was an issue a while back where another forum was just reaping answers wholesale from VBF. I think they took legal action in the end but I'm not sure. Quite where the line between acceptable and unnacceptable is I don't know (but it's probably in the AUP somewhere).

Never thought of it in some proprietary or competitive way…

[Siddharth Rout]

Personally (And not as a VBF Mod)--and I don't claim to speak for anyone else--it demotivates me to even try to help people who unnecessarily cross post.

1. Types Of Cross Posting

Cross Posting can be of two types

1. Posting the same query in different forums AT THE SAME TIME
2. Posting the same query in different forums if your query was not answered within a fair amount of time.

Personally I am OK with the latter but definitely despise the former. And the reason is very simple... I just don't want to waste my time!

I am sure most of you would agree that our time is precious. One might say that

"I simply see VBF and MSDN Forums as two different communities so posting a question in both forums would give me more answers."

Which is true! However, one is probably going to get almost the same answers twice, which means twice as many people had to take the time to answer the same question. So for one's convenience you put that many experts at inconvenience. You wasted their time. And that, in my opinion, no one has a Right. We all are experts who love a good challenging question and we try to answer those questions in our free time. No forum such as VBF, XtremeVBTalk, MSDN Forums, Stackoverflow etc. pays the experts to answer questions and it is disheartening to realize that after working on a solution (and finding a solution), someone else has already posted a solution in another forum. I would personally never help a person who unnecessarily cross posts.

2. What is the best way to Cross Post?

1. After you posted a query in a forum, give that forum some time. We all live in different timezones so ideally 24-34 hours should be good enough.
2. If you still haven't received an answer, feel free to post the question in any other forum BUT ensure that you mention something like this (Not a guideline though)

I posted a question in www.WhateverSite.com and this is the link<Insert Link to that question> to that question but I have not received any response....

This way you will ensure that whichever expert tries to answer that question first checks the link and sees whether you got a solution or not and then attempt to answer your query and hence effectively utilizing his time.

In Short... You respect my time... I respect yours

[Shaggy Hiker]

That went over like a lead balloon...OK...what are your thoughts on cross dressing?

I think I was in a meeting when I first read the post. My initial reaction was to alter your thread into one on cross dressing, but I figured you wanted at least one serious answer before anyone went off into the weeds. So, imagine my surprise when you derailed your own thread and in the exact same way that I was going to.

As for the original topic. I didn't reply because, while I rather agree, it is the same old lament: Around the beginning of any semester we get a series of really neophytic questions....along with one post in CC complaining about the rash of neophytic questions. We might as well just resurrect past threads rather than create new ones all the time. The good thing is that among all the chaff there is often a little wheat.

[Spoo]

I'm a neophytic dresser, and I'm unanimous in that.

[Jacob Roman]

I can assure you I'm quite comfy wearing my gf's panties

...her bra will come later

[dilettante]

Um, isn't that you wearing her sports bra in your avatar?

[Jacob Roman]

Um, isn't that you wearing her sports bra in your avatar?

O.O ...[hides]

[Spoo]

Um, isn't that you wearing her sports bra in your avatar?

Thank goodness the avatar is only a head-shot.

[dilettante]

Thank goodness the avatar is only a head-shot.

Yeah I'm just fine without seeing the leopard-print thong below it.

[abhijit]

Sometimes it is done by programmers who are being chased by Ninjas on fire and they want a quick way to douse out the fires, before the Ninjas catch up with them.

I've noticed what seems to me an uptick in cross forum posting (exact same questions posted at several forums). Sometimes the ID is a little different but I can tell it is the same poster. I'm seeing this a lot between here, Tek-Tips, and VBCity. It may be I'm a little more active than usual but I don't think so.

Do you have any issues with cross posting? I don't and do it myself. I try and share whatever I got a one site at the others in case someone searches the topic later. I remember one forum where some members didn't like people doing that. I don't see anything wrong with it.

I also noticed another school year kicked in somewhere

It's fun watching people trying to get someone else to do their work.

[moonman239]

No, cross-posting isn't a problem. It's not every day someone posts angrily.

In all seriousness, I see cross-posting as an opportunity to get additional help. Maybe someone on another forum came up with a fix for your problem before you even thought to post about your problem there.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I tend to agree with moonman on this. The point is to get the most eyes on the problem, and the population at different forums is different, so I do see a value in asking a question at multiple points if the question crosses several domains.