Thanks or No Thanks

[plumsmum2005]

Hello

I have tried to be an honest and helpful member since joining end of last year.

My replies are honest, heart felt, from experience or learning/reading and usually succinct. I do my best to help those that say they want it and it is given gladly.

Of late I have noticed that there are some that seem to have an aversion to pressing the 'thumbs up/thanks that was useful' button even though they have asked for help and received it.

What I ask is how am I supposed to evaluate my replies to the questions being asked in terms of quality, usefulness and have I helped that person sufficiently?

Some give thanks at the end of the thread but that is sometimes unclear as to who it is aimed at.

I always try to make sure that if you have made me laugh, I have found it useful or I have learned from the post that I 'thank'.

It is part of the generosity and spirit of the forum, a tool to be used. It helps to keep the forum alive and not end up stale and negative. You will notice it is used freely by the Mods all the time.

If you put out a call for help and it was read and noted but you were met with a wall of silence how would you feel?

I think some will interpret this as oh she is only looking to clock up thanks and to those I will say you are wrong. But answer this, for how long do you go on doing something for people who never say thank you?

 

[JerseyWendy]

.... But answer this, for how long do you go on doing something for people who never say thank you?

Beautiful thread/post! Thank you for raising this topic/issue!!

IMO there are members who truly are unaware of the 'thank you' feature. Then there are some who appear to pick and choose whose posts they thank. I don't take any of it personally. I feel if I took the time out of my life to try and answer someone's question to the best of my ability, my work is done. LOL. Hey, I tried, right?

They (the members who've asked) can do with my answer as they wish.

Not overly helpful, am I? :21:

 

[plumsmum2005]

.... But answer this, for how long do you go on doing something for people who never say thank you?

Beautiful thread/post! Thank you for raising this topic/issue!!

IMO there are members who truly are unaware of the 'thank you' feature. Then there are some who appear to pick and choose whose posts they thank. I don't take any of it personally. I feel if I took the time out of my life to try and answer someone's question to the best of my ability, my work is done. LOL. Hey, I tried, right?

They (the members who've asked) can do with my answer as they wish.

Not overly helpful, am I? :21:

.... But answer this, for how long do you go on doing something for people who never say thank you?

Beautiful thread/post! Thank you for raising this topic/issue!!

IMO there are members who truly are unaware of the 'thank you' feature. Then there are some who appear to pick and choose whose posts they thank. I don't take any of it personally. I feel if I took the time out of my life to try and answer someone's question to the best of my ability, my work is done. LOL. Hey, I tried, right?

They (the members who've asked) can do with my answer as they wish.

Not overly helpful, am I? :21:

Thank you Wendy and no nor do I but then perhaps my point is if it is reversed and members pick n choose who threads or posts to reply to as a result are they OK with that?

Repeating part of my original thread - It is part of the generosity and spirit of the forum, a tool to be used. It helps to keep the forum alive and not end up stale and negative.

I love that there on the whole is a great feel to this forum it would be a real shame for that to change.

 

[Dopey]

Try not to take it personally. sometimes I just can't hit that Thank You button anymore. And - yes- some days it takes a lot of energy to hit a button.

 

[henpecked]

I tend to use the thanks button when someone says something i agree with. It saves me from posting the same info/answer. It's more of a "vote" , "i agree". I would also say that i don't participate in the social / feel good topics that much. But that's just me. I don't count likes/thanks or what ever. I'm not here for social exceptance. Many times i go to great effort to give good replies but don't stress if no one cares. Maybe someone will read that thread later and be able to take some useful info from it.

 

[gracebowen]

I thank sometimes. Sometimes I forget. Also I'm not sure exactly how to use the thank you button.

Thank every reply, especially helpful replies etc.

Sometimes too I just plain forget it's there

 

[plumsmum2005]

Try not to take it personally. sometimes I just can't hit that Thank You button anymore. And - yes- some days it takes a lot of energy to hit a button.

Really I don't take it personally but my question is for those who never do - how does one evaluate ones replies if you don't or won't.

If we all end up as just lurkers or one shot posters there's not much left is there?

 

[plumsmum2005]

I tend to use the thanks button when someone says something i agree with. It saves me from posting the same info/answer. It's more of a "vote" , "i agree". I would also say that i don't participate in the social / feel good topics that much. But that's just me. I don't count likes/thanks or what ever. I'm not here for social exceptance. Many times i go to great effort to give good replies but don't stress if no one cares. Maybe someone will read that thread later and be able to take some useful info from it.

Absolutely, no probs with that!

 

[JerseyWendy]

..... sometimes I just can't hit that Thank You button anymore. And - yes- some days it takes a lot of energy to hit a button.

Am I smelling sarcasm? Honestly confused here.

 

[Allee]

K, thanks for this lovely post and for offering a little clarity to the uninformed. I hit the thank you button generously for several reasons, sometimes just to let the OP know I've read it, wished I'd said it, have no argument or I am in absolute agreement. Sometimes just to show I appreciate the OP's personal view, wisdom or input.

Grace, the thank you button is at the bottom right of every post, just click on it and your name will appear in the thank you box with the others.

 

[SilverSage]

This is a good thing for us to consider as a group I think. Typically I don't thank a lot on my own threads, I tend to use it when someone posts what I was about to say, as a form of agreement and adding my support for their point of view. The exception is probably when I have posted about losing a bird, I try to thank each person who expresses sympathy just to let them know that they have shown me comfort. As for who thanks me, I mostly only pay attention if I think what I said may be controversial and I'm waiting to see if an admin tells me to take it down a notch lol.

 

[texsize]

I have to admit I am one of those that don't make much use of the thanks button.
It's not out of rudeness, lack of respect/appreciation, or even disagreement of the help offered. I truly value the information I have gotten here on this forum.
I think it's mostly that I just don't think of it at the time of reading the replies.
I am relatively new to online forums and this is only the 2nd forum I belong to.
My other forum does not have the "thanks" button and the forum members are not nearly so polite, friendly and helpful.
I will try to do better in the future.
texsize.

 

[Doublete]

I try to thank if I am just scanning the forum
(Like now in the ten minutes before I fall asleep after a 15 hour work day with autistic children) it's mostly because I don't have time to reply so I'll hit the button to show involvement.

 

[chris-md]

My honest unfiltered take? I'm here to chat and be chatted at. I'm not worried about a button. . Button's nice but I'm always thanking people for their advice anyways because it's the right thing to do. They put the effort into advising, I can put the effort to actually acknowledge their contribution to my knowledge. Sort of renders a "thank you" button useless.

I use it more like the Facebook like button. And in that context I don't worry about how many "likes" I or someone else get.

 

[plumsmum2005]

My honest unfiltered take? I'm here to chat and be chatted at. I'm not worried about a button. . Button's nice but I'm always thanking people for their advice anyways because it's the right thing to do. They put the effort into advising, I can put the effort to actually acknowledge their contribution to my knowledge. Sort of renders a "thank you" button useless.

I use it more like the Facebook like button. And in that context I don't worry about how many "likes" I or someone else get.

Hi and thanks for your reply. OK that's nice and polite thing to do if it is clear who you are thanking.
Please re-read my post as not sure of total comprehension IMHO as to my meaning and possible consequences on the forum.
So do you think the button should be ejected because it serves no purpose?
I don't use FB so wouldn't know. As I stated nor do I.
Question: If an OP doesn't at least acknowledge some of the replies forum members have given it can be perceived that they haven't even come back to read them. My point - if this happens why bother replying to them in the future? Seems an empty hole to me.
And after all it is only a thanks button nothing more.
I will step off my soap box now and thank you for replying

 

[Doublete]

My honest unfiltered take? I'm here to chat and be chatted at. I'm not worried about a button. . Button's nice but I'm always thanking people for their advice anyways because it's the right thing to do. They put the effort into advising, I can put the effort to actually acknowledge their contribution to my knowledge. Sort of renders a "thank you" button useless.

I use it more like the Facebook like button. And in that context I don't worry about how many "likes" I or someone else get.

Hi and thanks for your reply. OK that's nice and polite thing to do if it is clear who you are thanking.
Please re-read my post as not sure of total comprehension IMHO as to my meaning and possible consequences on the forum.
So do you think the button should be ejected because it serves no purpose?
I don't use FB so wouldn't know. As I stated nor do I.
Question: If an OP doesn't at least acknowledge some of the replies forum members have given it can be perceived that they haven't even come back to read them. My point - if this happens why bother replying to them in the future? Seems an empty hole to me.
And after all it is only a thanks button nothing more.
I will step off my soap box now and thank you for replying

We reply because while THAT poster may not read it, this is the internet and it WILL be read and it may help any number of people that come across it.

 

[plumsmum2005]

My honest unfiltered take? I'm here to chat and be chatted at. I'm not worried about a button. . Button's nice but I'm always thanking people for their advice anyways because it's the right thing to do. They put the effort into advising, I can put the effort to actually acknowledge their contribution to my knowledge. Sort of renders a "thank you" button useless.

I use it more like the Facebook like button. And in that context I don't worry about how many "likes" I or someone else get.

Hi and thanks for your reply. OK that's nice and polite thing to do if it is clear who you are thanking.
Please re-read my post as not sure of total comprehension IMHO as to my meaning and possible consequences on the forum.
So do you think the button should be ejected because it serves no purpose?
I don't use FB so wouldn't know. As I stated nor do I.
Question: If an OP doesn't at least acknowledge some of the replies forum members have given it can be perceived that they haven't even come back to read them. My point - if this happens why bother replying to them in the future? Seems an empty hole to me.
And after all it is only a thanks button nothing more.
I will step off my soap box now and thank you for replying

We reply because while THAT poster may not read it, this is the internet and it WILL be read and it may help any number of people that come across it.

Yes I see what you are saying but IMHO that doesn't make a forum. My take is try to help the OP and obviously it's there for future viewings. I think my original post is relevant.

 

[Christinenc2000]

K, thanks for this lovely post and for offering a little clarity to the uninformed. I hit the thank you button generously for several reasons, sometimes just to let the OP know I've read it, wished I'd said it, have no argument or I am in absolute agreement. Sometimes just to show I appreciate the OP's personal view, wisdom or input.

Grace, the thank you button is at the bottom right of every post, just click on it and your name will appear in the thank you box with the others.

Same here.

 

[chris-md]

Hi plumsmum,

I read your post and got it the first time. I think you missed the point of my post.

First it's not always feasible to thank every person who responded to a thread while your away. Nor would a thread where the OP does a post per thank you per person going to be easy read. Even a quick "thank you everyone" before addressing specific people is quite sufficient. MANY times I've posted as one among five or six, and not have the OP address my post specifically, but they do start with "thanks everyone!" This is sufficient acknowledgement for me.

Secondly, the point of my post can be summed up thusly:

Your post: "why are people so aversed to the thanks button? What do you think?"
My post: "what do I think? I think, why care? In my interface with the forum, The thanks button is ancillary at best and, preoccupation with it detracts from my purpose, talking to people about parrots. I personally have more important things to worry about than whether someone hit a button on a post."

As a bell and whistle on this Ferrari of a forum platform, it's nice to have and I'm certainly not wishing it go away. but I'm not stressin' over it.

 

[Piasa]

I try to make my own forum behavior what I would want the overall community to be like. Golden rule. Not everyone is going to be this way, but I will and there are others who will too. I'm a relatively new member here, and I've stayed because the community has been friendly and active. Overall, I feel very welcome. There are new discussions every day to take part in.

You, Plum's Mum, have been very kind and helpful to me in several posts, and your contributions are appreciated by more than just the OP who may not return.

There are many posts, especially in the Health section that I really wish the OP came back with an update. C'es la vie. But others do come back, and that makes it worthwhile.