Why multiple threads for page numbering requests?

[mlady_rebecca]

Is there a particular reason why page numbering requests are the only thing we encourage multiple threads on? I think it would be more efficient to have one thread just like we do with "please delete this book", "this author needs help", and "please correct this quote".

[Lisa]

Rebecca, That's a good suggestion. I like it.

[Lobstergirl]

I agree. Why do we do it this way, anyway?

[Marilu]

I am not sure I agree. It would require reading every new post, as you won't know which ones are done, and which ones are not without doing so, especially when more than one request is posted before someone does them.
For example there may be 20 posts between the request for a change and the message saying it was changed.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

mlady_rebecca wrote: "Is there a particular reason why page numbering requests are the only thing we encourage multiple threads on?"

It seems to work fairly well, actually.

[MissJessie]

What problems does it cause?

[[ JT ]]

Marilu wrote: "For example there may be 20 posts between the request for a change and the message saying it was changed. "

I kinda wish that every request was encouraged to have its own topic created. Looking through one huge topic to see what has/has not been fixed is difficult in my opinion. I tend to ignore those topics for the exact reason Marilu said (quoted above).

[mlady_rebecca]

I think having a single thread would give us a cleaner interface, it would eliminates dead threads that have little archive value, and it would keep people from opening threads just to see that they've already been handled.

There were 12 such threads (from one user) the day I posted this suggestion. Those 12 threads could have been handled by one post in one thread.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

mlady_rebecca wrote: "it would keep people from opening threads just to see that they've already been handled."

Personally, I find it easier this way. If I see a page request w/ 1 post, it needs a response; 2-3, and it's taken care of and I can click "mark all read" on a bunch of them; 4 or more posts, and I should pop in and see what's going on.

Edit: Which is not to say I mind the times when users make multiple requests in one thread or post, or keep a running thread that they return to.

[Cait]

rivka wrote: "Personally, I find it easier this way. If I see a page request w/ 1 post, it needs a response; 2-3, and it's taken care of and I can click "mark all read" on a bunch of them; 4 or more posts, and I should pop in and see what's going on."

This is what I do too.

[MissJessie]

Ditto

[Marilu]

mlady_rebecca wrote: "I think having a single thread would give us a cleaner interface, it would eliminates dead threads that have little archive value, and it would keep people from opening threads just to see that the..."

I think a better way to deal with that would be to have the discussion board cleaned up. It would require either a moderator (or maybe even the original poster, if that applies in this group) going back and deleting the requests that have been taken care of, or having a moderator archive them.
That would eliminate the clutter,(there are requests from 2009 still appearing in that section.) and eliminate opening threads that have already been dealt with. Of course, it couldn't be done by a moderator all that often, (say once every week or two) as I am sure they have other things they need to do!

If it is decided that that is how it can/will be dealt with, I would be willing to go through and see which ones are no longer " needed' and archive them, if I could.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Sometimes users come back to check on threads days or weeks later. Some requesters post a thank you that a request-fulfiller might or might not have seen.

[Marilu]

rivka wrote: "Sometimes users come back to check on threads days or weeks later. Some requesters post a thank you that a request-fulfiller might or might not have seen."

ok. I understand that. But if they are coming back strictly to check to see if it was done, wouldn't they know it had been done since the info was updated? I mean, wouldn't it be easier to check the book details than scroll through all the requests?
I wonder how many request fulfillers come back weeks or months later to see if they were given a thank you? I don't. Although I noticed a couple from edits I did for someone yesterday, I don't really go look for them.

Personally, it makes no difference to me how many threads are there, I was just trying to think of a way to deal with the issue someone else pointed out.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Regardless, I see no need to delete threads.

[Marilu]

rivka wrote: "Regardless, I see no need to delete threads."

It isn't really something that needs to be done, like I said it makes no difference to me. I just thought it made more sense than having all requests in a single thread. (unless from the same user of course!)