Weddingbee boards

I agree with you and I think you raise a great point - - One thing that kind of gets to me is when the Miss Bee bloggers ask for opinions etc..then we post a note on their blog post and don't see any feedback...That I just don't get - - if there isn't any feedback then why are we reading/posting suggestion on your blog post...And yes the same goes for boards and the threads here for us threaders or for us non Blog Bees.....

Can I make a confession? I've asked some questions, gotten great feedback, realized my idea was dumb thanks to the feedback, and kind of just wanted to let the thread die. So I'm definitely guilty of that.

PS - - I also wish people would stop posting their "for sale" items on the boards and post them in Classifieds.  I wish when hey tried to pots it, certain words would be triggered and it would automatically default to the Classifieds department. 

Sorry if I am sounding harsh....

I think it's icing on the cake when the OP responds to all the comments in their thread, but hmm, it doesn't bother me when they don't. I always just assume that they read all the comments, and if they don't, it's always there for other members to read later on if they find it in a Google search or by the tags. Sometimes it's also overwhelming, especially when you're planning a wedding.

I know that when I first joined the 'Bee, I was guilty of starting threads and not commenting back because I got the answer I needed. I was very appreciative, but didn't really consider myself a member of a "hive" yet. It was all very new to me. WeddingBee is very different from other message boards in that we're all very concerned about everyone and very open and accommodating. Some newbees may just not know the drill, which I think is fine. They'll learn over time if they keep coming back like I did :)

I personally love when original posters check back in to say what they are gleaning from the advice, because then it's like a conversation! But if an OP doesn't check back in it doesn't bother me. Everyone has different ways they want to use Weddingbee and that's okay. I figure that the OP isn't the only one who is going to be able to gain something from reading the thread. If they ask a general wedding question, like, "What are your favors," then there's less use in checking back in because everyone can benefit from hearing about the topic. But if it's a hyper-personal topic, then my curiosity (and empathy) are always piqued and I want to see how things turned out! Still I could understand how an OP would be too embarrassed or upset or what have you to write more about what's happening on the Internet.

To me, it's ok (but not GREAT) if no one ever checks in again.

However, I agree with the search function. I am sick of seeing posts that have come up really really recently be reposted--why not just search for the post and then add to it? That's why Mr. Bee leaves them open!

@FutureMrs.Harless: I know what you mean!  I think part of it might be the duplicate posting problem people were talking about earlier in this thread.  Making the fiftieth of a post on the same topic adds to the volume of messages on the site and drowns out unique posts.  I have posted at boards where people get really aggressive if you didn't search for your topic before and post a new one on something that has already been discussed, especially when it's done by a new user.  Of course I don't want that for here--it would completely kill the Bee's open, friendly, helpful vibe.  But I think maybe moderators should encourage the usage of the search feature a bit more often.  Not only because it would decrease the number of threads overall, which would make the boards easier to navigate and result in less unique posts being buried, but a lot of the information in older posts is still completely relevant to the new thread, (ie, questions about stone size on a certain ring size, or venue locations, or whatever), and a lot of the time older posters might have said some valuable things that won't be mentioned in the new thread.  It's like a consolidation of helpful information, which benefits the would-be new thread poster AND all the members that read it.

Now there are a lot of times when a topic may have been almost like one previously discussed, with a few small but important differences, and it can totally make sense to post a new thread in that case.  But sometimes it's unnecessary, and it's in those sorts of instances when it might have been beneficial for the OP to have used the search function. 

So my suggestion is, maybe, for moderators or other members, if they know they've seen a thread on the same topic before, to post a link to it in the new thread and say someting like, "I saw this topic discussed a bit earlier and you might find some of the responses in the previous thread helpful.  Here's a link: http://weddingbee.com/whateverthetopicis. I found it using our super-helpful search feature, located to thee right of the Weddingbee banner at the top of the page!"  It only takes two seconds and it's a really benign way to clue in the original poster as well as anyone else who sees the thread about the search feature, and it will avoid the problem of having two nearly identical threads running at once, burying unique posts.

Just a suggestion!

On duplicate posts: I have been in the hive for almost 2 years now (crazy!) and have watched the tides of Weddingbee come and go and come again. Topics go in cycles---if you stay around way too long like me you will see it! :) Connecting to the past posts is great, but it's sort of an impossible dream. You have to find a balance between learning from the past but also forging your own way down the path.

I used to be so annoyed by duplicate posts, but now I've gotten used to it. Sure, there is a "show us your shoes" post from a year and a half ago and 3 months ago and probably one from last week too, and in my hyper-organized way I would love to consolidate them into the uber-shoe post. But despite my efforts it has not happened! :-D And I have also realized that there are uses to new posts too. A new crop of members is here, and styles change. Even though we often retread the same topics, it's special to explore things on your own too. But anytime you can link to other posts on the same topic you make Weddingbee a better place!