On closing threads

[Steve]

I have a question about the operation of the forums. What are the guidelines concerning closing threads?

Danman01 started a thread in our Security forum asking for help clearing up a CWS infection. After a couple of days, seeing that he hadn't got any help I offered to help and Danman agreed and we got the ball rolling with a fresh HJT log.

Then Budfred comes along and closes the thread saying that Danman is wasting peoples time because he is getting help elsewhere. Budfred's action, along with the attitude, is rude and disrespectful.

Budfred, who are you to be deciding which threads are worthwhile and which ones are a waste of time. And just who's time do you thing is being wasted? You don't speak for me. If you thought the thread was a waste of your time you should have just moved on to something that you thought wasn't.

The thread could have helped Danman. Even if he got the fix done from CC's reply we still could have had a worthwhile conversation about the situation at hand. There are many folks here who, I bet, would be interested in a frank discussion of Danman's CWS infection and the fix for it.

It is common for folks who are having computer problems to post a question on several sites. That's smart. If you start closing all the threads from folks who have also posted their questions on other sites, the PCG Forums will become a ghost town.

I know it's the Charle's policy to have the mods lock threads that contain spam or are meant to troll for trouble, but is it now forum policy to close threads that someone might think is a waste of time?

[hockey man]

I just finished reading that thread. It reads like Budfred closed it because danman01 was getting help else were and consequently his asking here was not needed. Locking the thread might have been a little rough though. I would have told him to decide which folks he wanted to help him, and stick with only them.

[Budfred]

Steve,

It has become standard practice on most of the forums that deal with malware to close threads for people who post in multiple forums... Most of us do not appreciate duplicating efforts when we can't keep up with the load as it is... Since you apparently like duplicating efforts, I have opened that thread back up for you...

I would also like to note that I took a stance on an issue that has been discussed many times in many places and the consensus has generally come to the same conclusion that I did... You are taking a stance on who I am and my motivations... You have told me before that I am rude and disrespectful... I hope you notice that I have not judged you in a similar manner...

[Paleo Pete]

OK...I haven't looked at the thread in question, but from the comments here, apparently it has ruffled some feathers. I do agree with the general idea, posting in multiple forums makes it difficult for us and the people helping on the other forums to keep track of what is being and has been done. If we tell someone to remove a certain line in a HJT log and another forum has already done that and three other things, the line in question might not be there any more and the person posting the question might not remember all the details of what's taken place and wonder what we're smoking...

This subject has been brought up before, and probably will be again, and the people here helping out with security issues usually ask visitors to decide on one forum to get help and stick to that one for a reason. It gets really confusing trying to keep up with what has been done at what time in several places. It can also lead to real problems.

Steve, I think you may have been a little harsh with Budfred, he is trying to keep things from getting out of hand here, for the reasons stated already, and did what he felt was best in that situation. I understand why you got upset about it, and you certainly have the right to speak up if you have an objection to the way things are being done, but please try to be more diplomatic about it.

I'm not sure if I would go as far as closing the thread if I were the one handling it, especially since I haven't read it and therefore don't know all the details of the thread, but I do agree that posting in multiple forums is not a good idea and at the very least it should be explained to the person posting the questions. If it continues after that in multiple forums, then I think it would definitely be a good idea to close the thread, since it leaves too much margin for error.

[YODA74]

It has become standard practice on most of the forums that deal with malware (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?p=249032#) to close threads for people who post in multiple forums...




:confused:

I can see someone closing a thread on a site where the poster posts multiple threads but if he has posted the same thing on another site. I think that is kind of policing the internet (social hacking) then that is kind of rude. I don't know any virus,malware fighting sites that actually have the time to search around to see if the person posted on another site.....

Most malware sites are swamped and it is sometimes hard for someone to get help or an answer to there problem.So posting the same problem to multiple fighter sites is a very smart idea.. This is why ASAP was formed..ASAP functioned just fine until a few hotheads started calling for it to be an "overseer" in the security community, dictating how forums and sites should be run,This is not the way it's supposed to be...JMHO

[Steve]

Bud',

I couldn't give a rats @ss what the "standard practice" is on the malware sites. I'm asking about the standard practice here. Sites like SpywareInfo are basically one dimensional. The whole point is to clear as many computers as possible. The PCG Forums are a bit more general in nature and have always fostered discussion. Or so I have thought.

I picked up on Danman's post once everyone else had passed it by. We got rolling. He had just caught me up to date on what was going on and had asked my opinion when you come along and close down the discussion declaring it a waste of time. Just think if the tables were reversed.

You are taking a stance on who I am and my motivations
Actually, I am taking a stance on your actions and attitude.

I know that closing threads is common practice at SWI and I think you just carried over your training from there to here.

[Paleo Pete]

Actually, I am taking a stance on your actions and attitude.

You should have contacted him by PM instead of making a public spectacle about it. I'm not crazy about your attitude concerning this matter either, you've been here long enough to know we always try to keep things from getting confrontational if possible, and this is starting to look like you intend to elevate it to a confrontational level. Let's not do that...

I've said already Budfred did what he thought was appropriate, it might not have been the best way to handle it, but it shouldn't have been turned into a mud slinging match. What "standard practice" on most malware sites is may not matter much to you, but those sites handle it the way they do for a reason. It's not to be rude to anyone, it's to keep from having to second guess several other sites and avoid making the situation worse when something has been suggested by another forum that may have unwanted results whencombined with some other steps that have been suggested. In many cases, especially when dealing with CoolWebSearch (CWS) running every malware scanner in sight can make things worse, not better, when one in particular should have been used and it would have gotten the bulk of the infection out of the way so the rest of the security scans could be done. Budfred and others dealing with malware here have repeatedly pointed that out to different people, ho of course are not aware of it and being usually first time posters should not be expected to be aware of it.

Bouncing back and forth among different forum sites is not a good idea and should be avoided, the reasons should be fairly clear, I hope. The moderators are discussing this issue privately among ourselves and I think we should have a clear general policy figured out before long, it hasn't been done yet because it hasn't been an issue until now. True, this is a more general forum rather than a security specific one, but where a lot of malware is concerned it still raises the same issues for us as it does for other more tightly focused forums. Trying to deal with a problem that is concurrently posted on other forums is risky at best and disastrous at worst.

[Steve]

Sorry for the spectacle, Pete. I'm kind of surprised at how annoyed I've become over it. I've found that when my annoyance with something seems out of proportion the best thing for me to do is take a walk and clear my head. Which is what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll look up Jabar and see what he's up to.

I hope the new policy works out well.

See you guys around.

[FastLearner]

As a helper at SWI, I can really vouch for how absolutely irritating it is to help someone only to have them post back two weeks later saying, "Thanks anyway, but I got help at site so-and-so". I am 150% against malware issues being taken to more than one forum. This probably happens a lot more than we think, but every once in a while, Budfred or someone else will see a log they recognize - so what is the logical thing to do? Close the thread (or merge them if they are both on one forum).

I am no moderator, nor am I a malware expert (although I'm working on it). I do know that when I prepare a fix for an HJT log, it sometimes takes me up to an hour and a half for a single (very difficult) difficult log. I consider it a slap in the face when someone ignores my advice, that I have volunteered so much of my own valuable time to prepare when I could be doing something else, and then goes to another forum for help. Sure, it can happen and it is a free country, so the person needing help can shop around if they want to, but that doesn't mean I need to agree with their actions.

If you are looking to start a much-needed policy here at the PCG forums and are asking for votes from the members, my vote is to make it policy to automatically close a thread (no questions asked) after giving the poster an explanation of why we are closing the thread.

Just my 2 cents...