General Forum Etiquette - Thanks in Advance etc

[Communicator]

When I see the terms "Thanks in Advance" or "Cheers in Advance", used as a complementary close to requests for help, I find myself less willing to donate my time to research, and suggest solutions to the originators problems.

My interpretation of the use of such phrases, is that the originator has no intention of updating the Forum as to the eventual outcome.

A forum is a place for the exchange of information and ideas. It cannot function properly, if the flow of information is only in one direction.

 

[Maybemaybenot]

Sounds more like being polite to me

 

[varesecrazy]

Yes
I can see it both ways..


As I posted early in Lockdown :

I could post exhaustive GUIDES of..
If the car doesnt start :

Is it cranking..try A

Not cranking.. try B

But they might not even join- say hi

They would just treat the forum like youtube..


I also do say.. thanks as always..

On the odd occasion I am doing the asking

Charlie

 

[jimboy]

I think some overthink things. This a large forum with a fair old slice of people with different ideas. Horses for courses. It’s always good when an individual comes back with an update, but that can happen or not with any words exchanged.

 

[RS3100]

I don't see any negative connotations to the words "thanks in advance" or similar. For people of my age, it probably stems from common usage in formal written letters and was considered polite.

It might be interesting to conduct a survey of posts and responses if it bothers you, to see whether such posts result in more or less follow-ups.

It seems to be a fact of modern life that many people have no thought to saying thank you after a question is answered or returning to update posters about an issue in question. Witness faceache where many people seem to think spending time asking questions of people who for all they know have no credibility in the answers they provide, is somehow preferable to (often spending less time) looking up the answer themselves with the most powerful research tool anyone has had available to them in the history of mankind, that just happens to be in their hands.

As someone of a certain age, I possibly find short and direct questions with no form of thanks or politeness in their construct to have more negative connotations, but I suspect the actual answer lies somewhere in between. It's the internet, and all forms of life are here, as they are everywhere else ;-)

 

[dave]

Sounds more like being polite to me

polite i just putting thanks at the end to thank people for reading. Or putting please when you request information

putting thanks in advance or just putting TIA is not the right Etiquette.

 

[Maybemaybenot]

polite i just putting thanks at the end to thank people for reading. Or putting please when you request information

putting thanks in advance or just putting TIA is not the right Etiquette.

We obviously went to different finishing schools

 

[taffybloke]

I don't mind the TIA comments, it's the ones who ask a question in their first post only to get an answer then never to be heard from again.

Also recently someone unable to find a drain plug then commented "Cue the smart guy to tell me where that plug is hahaha" needless to say they didn't get an answer.

We have all needed help at some time and acquire knowledge and skills as we go forward, it's not about being elitist or clever, it's about sharing but sometimes peoples action or inaction irritates.

Stay safe folks

Mike

 

[dave]

We obviously went to different finishing schools

mine was taught at home, if you dint say please you didn't get if you didnt say thank you it got taken away.
you cant use the word for after when you are supposed to be using the word for before.
its like going on a first date and saying i hope you will enjoy the sex we are going to have later

 

[jimboy]

I’m old school and was taught please and thank you as a kid, I was soon put in place if ANY adult thought I was being disrespectful, this is however a place for grown ups, well it should be Recently I witnessed a member with many questions and with no real thanks or acknowledgement. Not the end of the world, but ANY acknowledgment goes a long way in my book. Just my observations

 

[dave]

this is however a place for grown ups, well it should be

we had a member beau joined when he was only 14 learning how to take his uno to bits and put it back together again, (many wanted to ban him just because of his age) he now makes a living out of cars and one of his personal cars is a Maserati Granturismo S 4.7 MC Shift, think he is only in his early 30's still

 

[jimboy]

we had a member beau joined when he was only 14 learning how to take his uno to bits and put it back together again, (many wanted to ban him just because of his age) he now makes a living out of cars and one of his personal cars is a Maserati Granturismo S 4.7 MC Shift, think he is only in his early 30's still

Indeed, that’s to be commended, I’m certainly not against the likes of that, why should I. When I was referring to grown ups, I was really referring to grown up behaviour and play nice and be of good manners, but I think you knew that..

Actually when I think about it, I do remember him, I never realised he was that young. I may be wrong but did he start off with a Haynes manual?

 

[dave]

I may be wrong but did he start off with a Haynes manual?

maybe i think most people did at that time, when i was a kid you got a manual with the car and my dad had books that covered most cars as everything used the same hand full of bits.
wasn't that easier then, if a part broke no limp mode just get a tow to nearest garage/petrol station and get a part off the shelf

 

[jimboy]

maybe i think most people did at that time, when i was a kid you got a manual with the car and my dad had books that covered most cars as everything used the same hand full of bits.
wasn't that easier then, if a part broke no limp mode just get a tow to nearest garage/petrol station and get a part off the shelf

Aye, many a time when I had a break down back in the day, it was either carburettor or points, both easy fixes. Other things were at fault at times, but as you say, so very easy back then.

Isn’t there another young lad on here, an American, he asks questions for his mother, Writes very well and polite.