I just simply post the link to the original thread on a particular qustion asked and give a brief explaination. If the person has a problem, they can always PM me. If they never do, then it wasnt that big of a deal :)

would've been the best action in the beginning to just say theirs already a thread on it, post the url and have it be done with.

however Zach has explained himself and he didn't mean any harm, he is very hit or miss in his interaction with people, that's nothing new.

this thread, really doesn't need to be open any further though :)

This is how I would have handled it.

that's all too formal for my liking, a simple

"we don't rightly know :( but it's already being discussed here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=328703

thread closed"

the use of smilies can really help.

So many of us who have smaller, more homogeneous forums forget how difficult moderating a larger forum and being pleasant all the time can be. I'm not a moderator here and I find the duplication of threads and the posting in the wrong forums and other site etiquette issues to be very frustrating. I don't think I'm alone either, because when somebody asks a question in the hack release forums; other members take their heads off. ;)

So, I think we users need to understand the sheer magnitude of the effort required to moderate this site in comparison to our own sites AND I think the moderators can work on some consistancy at times on how to handle all the duplicate threads and such.

It's not the thread closings that are a problem, in my mind. It was appropriate to close that thread and point you to the existing conversation. What's the problem is that it doesn't happen EVERY time somebody starts a duplicate thread.

Where can I get arcade games?
Which is the best arcade?
What is the best photo gallery?
Which CMS should I use?
Why can't I download hacks?

On the user side, we need to stop asking questions without searching first and on the moderator side, I think they need to have a clear plan of action on the topic of duplicate threads and other similar issues.

If we take a step back and consider each other's needs, I think it will go a long way to improving community/staff relationships.

Amy

If people have valid concerns, I want to here them. I do know from reading this site that all concerns are not valid and some users have grudges against certain staff members for whatever reasons. However, I still have to evaluate each complaint based on feedback to determine if it is valid. There is really no harm in leaving this thread open.

Besides, Amy asked a question and I would like to see if there are any responses to it.

Well that could be summed up as damn if you do and damn if you dont. We are all dealing with an ever changing environment. If a question is asked on an old thread then it would be closed for reopening an old thread. If another thread is made then we hit this conversation again. Keep in mind that on a large site as this one, your going to have the same question asked over and over. That is the nature of the beast. You stay on any board long enough and this will happen. You have to think about the perspective of the end user. How long have they been here? ect.

If you dont feel like answering the question then just dont. If your a mod and you are getting tired of answering the question, take a break. Its a big responsibility and people do get burned out.

I totally agree with Wayne's view, it is good to discuss any issues and get a different perpective on what other members think.
As long as it remains a discussion is healthy to talk about it.

Hence why amy stated that people need to learn to use the Search feature :)

It's a powerful tool and we get duplicate threads because people either don't take the time to search for themselves, or they simply don't understand HOW to use the search...

Chris

well, on the several boards i admin, we get multiple questions all the time and i have staff point those questions to the right areas...but everyone is different in how things are handled.

even from the response, i'll still support the site and the mods and mod creators here. i was just courious if there was a time when everyone was gunna take this step to goto the new version. also i wanted to know how it was done on a site like this...making the users database link up with vb.com to verify license's and everything. that isnt something released here is it?