Lack of Acknowledgement

[Jc]

Several times recently there have been requests for specialized information on some of the forums(fora?)and I and others have supplied it.In some cases a continuing dialogue appears but in others there is no acknowledgement,not even a "thank-you";it is just as if our answers have disappeared into the ether.

[Deimos]

I have noticed the same. Some people asking do post back a “thanks” but other not. It used not to bother me as I always felt that answering (or adding to) a response means it is there for others with the same question. However, the search facility of this forum is so rubbish that this is not the case and one does sometimes feel that spending time on an answer is wasted.

Ian

[Iceni]

Ian, JC, just because some people are simply moronic and cannot be bothered to say thanks, this does not mean that the majority of the site don't find your replies and posts interesting and worthwhile.

I have two sets of hoops I jump through in life - the low hoop which I jump as soon as asked as I always get a thanks and sometimes other thoughts not asked for but appreciated and those huge high hoops that when I jump I NEVER get a thanks and often the request does not even use my name - I feel like a button they press to get something done.

You don't answer questions to get thanks, you answer because you are interested, you are appreciated - by some who never asked the original question in the first place and found new and important information.

[Deimos]

I agree that one does not answer questions to get thanks. As an example of the “ignored response”, some time ago I was asked a question about French Estate agents via PM. As the question was asked by PM I assumed that the individual knew how to use PMs and that they wanted the question answered by PM. I spent time writing a detailed response same night and several weeks later saw that the PM was still “unread”. Eventually several months later I tidied up my PM Sent Items and deleted my still unread response.

Also, I really wish the forums had a usable search facility, that way people’s answers would help build the forum into a “reference library” (for want of a better term). You often see people posting apologising and being sure that the question has been asked before but they cannot find the response and thus need to ask again. Not blaming anybody for asking again (as there is no realistic search to find the previous responses) and many congratulations to those who keep spending their time writing out the same detailed responses. Not an issue if people keep up-to-date with posts in the forum and have a good memory but for many (myself included) this is not the case.

Ian