Shoutbox

Well, there is a grey area for between Help & Support, and Bug Reports.

A lot of threads posted there arent really 'bugs', but just things that need support, such as tid=71371. The forum, to me, is more for semi-confirmed (like with friends) bugs, rather than things that can be easily 'de-bugged', such as removing SweetIM or SmileyCentral.

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This brings me to my second point of having too many stickies in the Help & Support.

Have SweetIM and/or SmileyCentral installed? PLEASE READ, [Solution] Messenger Plus! is not a valid Win32 application can both be combined into Solution to problems installing Msg Plus! Live- READ BEFORE POSTING, as Solution to problems installing Msg Plus! Live- READ BEFORE POSTING already directs readers to Messenger Plus! is not a valid Win32 application when that question is stated, and Have SweetIM and/or SmileyCentral installed? PLEASE READis also part of Question 2. These threads are taking up quite a bit of room on the list, and perhaps can be merged into one thread/post.

It has always been hard to clearly separate the bug reports and support categories. I don't think we need stricter rules for this, because in the end it doesn't really matter in which of the two they post. Looking at the stats I'd say merge them, both sections aren't very active anyway, it will be easier to keep track when merged IMO. Splitting them made more sense in the past when more people seemed to be posting and there were detailed bug reports. These days almost all the real bug reports seem to be handled directly over mail to Patchou or posted in the private beta forum.

For the other part, I think you're right...
"Problem downloading/installing/running Messenger Plus!? Read This!"
Could completely cover all these threads:
Have SweetIM and/or SmileyCentral installed? PLEASE READ
Solution to problems installing Msg Plus! Live- READ BEFORE POSTING
[Solution] Messenger Plus! is not a valid Win32 application
And could also cover MenthiX's reply to Another little hint for the ones who can't start Plus! at all

You have to understand that stickies have been chosen by the moderators and/or administrators.

For the Have Sweet.... sticky, I find that since it holds precise and detailed information about that particular problem, it should stay.

It's not really about removing information... It's about merging the information together so people have to search less to find a solution and removing duplicate text.

quote:

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Originally posted by FineWolf
I find that since it holds precise and detailed information about that particular problem

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You could say the same about "[Solution] Messenger Plus! is not a valid...", things aren't less detailed and precise when you didn't create them .

quote:

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Originally posted by Nagamasa
A lot of threads posted there arent really 'bugs', but just things that need support, such as tid=71371

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You could report them to be moved to help & support (and vice versa)... I know I always try do that (only after I'm certain of something though).

Anyways, imo, those two subforums should not be merged. It is not because people get lazy or people don't know exactly where to post it (eg: because as far as they know it is a bug) that those subforums are useless and/or should be merged. It means regulars should try and make more care about reporting posts for movement, cleanage, prunage, etc etc. It is the regulars which need to report such threads in order to keep the forums clean and organized (mods can't read everything). If we all do this a bit from time to time, the forums will get more organized in (no) time...

Not merging those two forums and keeping it tidy as much as possible also helps Patchou a great deal into keeping track of real bugs for example. eg: if he is on a bug finding frenzy he could first check the bug subforum to quickly find newly reported bugs and then go to a more time consuming search in the help & support and other subforums for threads which might contain a bug report.




As for stickies, yes I agree that sometimes a post is stickyfied too quickly...

imho