We now have 167 Monks level 6 and above (PotPieMan should be number 168 soon) who can send nodes to the (in)famous Nodes to consider list.

Most of the nodes on that list require editing rather than moving section or deleting. A lot of times adding <code> tags would be enough for the node to be OK.

So my suggestion is that before sending the node to the list where it will hang for a while, try /msg-ing the author (unless it's an AM of course!). Chances are that they are still around, and that they will clean-up the post before anybody else does. After all no-one likes to be ignored or even down-voted because of bad formatting. After a while, if nothing happens (probably because the poor monk is busy reading all the messages s/he received!) then you can send the node to the list.

This way the node is likely to be fixed earlier than if vroom (or one of the editors once the feature is in place) has to fix it, while sparing said vroom's time and the time of everybody reading the Nodes to consider list.

I know that that's what a lot of monks (most of them?) do, but I don't think it has ever been stated in a post, so with such a huge population of Friars and above, I thought it was worth mentionning.

  • Comment on Messaging authors of baddly formated posts

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(jcwren) Re: Messaging authors of baddly formated posts
by jcwren (Prior) on Feb 27, 2001 at 23:28 UTC
    After all no-one likes to be ignored or even down-voted because of bad formatting. After a while, if nothing happens (probably because the poor monk is busy reading all the messages s/he received!) then you can send the node to the list.

    While in principle I agree, people get voted down because they are expected to be at least a little clueful before posting. This means reading the site FAQ, and actually doing a minute bit of reading, before posting.

    There are things that could facilitate this. I've been a proponent of being forced to read a page before the first time a monk posts. Even a random 3 question questionaire that must be answered. Something to be try and be sure as possible that they've read the FAQ, and understand the implications of using HTML in posts.

    One thing that would help a little is having the code tags prestuffed into the code box on the code page. Or perhaps prestuffing the text boxes with a little bit of help text, i.e. "Have you read the FAQ? Do you know what you're doing? Can you justify this posts existence?"

    Of course, the other major issue is that even if they do suddenly realize they're a complete screw-up and want to fix it, if it's a root node, they're hosed.

    --Chris

    e-mail jcwren
[reply]
(tye)Re: Messaging authors of baddly formated posts
by tye (Sage) on Feb 27, 2001 at 23:48 UTC

    Yes, please. Root nodes of moderated sections are a different story as the original author can't edit such nodes.

    I had an evil notion to submit one recent node for consideration for the reason of "mispelled 'too' as 'to'". In the end I didn't even /msg the author as I felt it was just my borderline obsessive compulsive disorder that made me even care. (:

            - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")
[reply]
      But which sections are the moderated sections? I recently submitted a root node to be considered for editing, assuming that the original poster would not be able to edit it, then saw that the original poster had just finished correcting the node. I felt pretty silly after that, so I'd like to know exactly which nodes I can ask the original poster to edit, and which I should submit for consideration.
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        As far as root nodes, I think anyone can edit their own Snippet, Obfuscation, Tutorial and Craft. Probably some others too (reviews?), but basically anything that is not a question, a meditation, or a discussion. Things in Q&A can be edited by the Q&A editors. 95% of the things inside Nodes to Consider are uneditable root nodes, so the messaging would not really be much help in this case.

        P.S. Hey tye you misspelled "badly". So did everyone else but I thought your o.c.d. would want to know. :) <g,d,&r>

[reply]

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