"How To" sticky for For Sale section

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

When someone wants to edit a "4 sale" ad they need to contact the site team to change their ad or repost their ad. If you can not find the original posting, then we can try to help.

It would help members with ads if this sort of guidance were posted in the Escape RVs for Sale forum as a locked (so site team members can control the content) sticky (so it is always at the top) "How To" guide.

It could cover

• guidelines for content
• how to update (as described by Jim above)
• how to archive when the trailer is sold

[Ian G]

I like the idea of members being able to edit certain posts or threads like 4-Sale and the Commercial thread owners, but I would leave the allocation of a "sticky" thread to the moderators. If that was free to add everyone would "sticky their thread.

[cpaharley2008]

You have up to 1 hour to change your posting after which only the site team can make the change.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ian G

... I would leave the allocation of a "sticky" thread to the moderators. If that was free to add everyone would "sticky their thread.

Right - I'm only suggesting that one instructional thread would be a sticky, and that it would be created and maintained by the Site Team.

[float5]

I have been on this forum more years than you, cpaharley, and I still in all of those years see no good reason why people cannot edit their posts for a lot more than an hour. That is what causes the problems with these sale posts. Invariably, people need to add or change something on them.

[gbaglo]

Actually what causes problems is that people don't read the introductory instructions and that they sell a trailer and instantly quit the forum. If they did read the instructions, they would know that they should contact the site team to make changes or corrections or ask for help.
Not my problem.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ian G

I like the idea of members being able to edit certain posts or threads like 4-Sale and the Commercial thread owners...

Sure, but I don't know if the site software allows this level of control of who can edit for how long.

Also, even if For Sale thread owners had unlimited ability to edit, they could still use some guidance.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You have up to 1 hour to change your posting after which only the site team can make the change.

Right, Jim - that's why you advised those with trailers for sale to contact the site team to make later updates. I'm just suggesting that you document that in the form of a sticky thread... it would be unreasonable to expect members advertising trailers for sale to stumble across this instruction buried in Robbiebruce's for sale thread.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by float5

I have been on this forum more years than you, cpaharley, and I still in all of those years see no good reason why people cannot edit their posts for a lot more than an hour. That is what causes the problems with these sale posts. Invariably, people need to add or change something on them.

I've been a member of the all-molded towable forums longer than any of you. Though I'm far from being an expert, the reason for the limitation for editing posts has to do with security.

So, while we might not like it... that's the way it is. Anytime someone needs help with changing a post, all he or she needs to do is contact us.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by float5

I have been on this forum more years than you, cpaharley, and I still in all of those years see no good reason why people cannot edit their posts for a lot more than an hour. That is what causes the problems with these sale posts. Invariably, people need to add or change something on them.

The ability to change your posts is fixed by the software, the moderators have to work within those limits, regardless of your reasons. Some sites do not allow any changes, so we all have to follow the limits.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

The ability to change your posts is fixed by the software, the moderators have to work within those limits, regardless of your reasons. Some sites do not allow any changes, so we all have to follow the limits.

I'm not arguing with any of the forum administrators choices... but the time allowed for editing is a choice of those configuring the site, not a limitation of the software.

There's no easy answer to what the editing period should be. All I was suggesting is that there is a procedure for handling For Sale edits after the period (whatever it might be) has expired, and it would be helpful to post that as a sticky.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Actually what causes problems is that people don't read the introductory instructions and that they sell a trailer and instantly quit the forum. If they did read the instructions, they would know that they should contact the site team to make changes or corrections or ask for help.
Not my problem.

The specific issue which led to this suggestion is that the member did not quit the forum and wants to update his ad... but otherwise fair enough. Where are the instructions specific to modifying and archiving For Sale threads?

There's lots of guidance in Posting and account help | Forum 101, but the only section specific to classifieds that I see is the Classifieds use & cyber awareness post in that thread, which doesn't mention what Jim explained about contacting the site team rather than posting a new thread for updates. It also doesn't mention the existence or process for using the archive of ads.

[float5]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

If they did read the instructions, they would know that they should contact the site team to make changes or corrections or ask for help.
Not my problem.

Yes, I know, Glenn, LOL! It's a shame that I have not been able to bother you for some time now! I'll have to think of something.

No question that some come on only to sell but many of them do come back to say that the trailer is sold. Then they find that they cannot mark it such and apparently don't want to bother further. Of course, they can just post again which is what some do.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

.... which doesn't mention what Jim explained about contacting the site team rather than posting a new thread for updates. It also doesn't mention the existence or process for using the archive of ads.

I think it's a good idea to have a sticky regarding what to do about your sales stuff. When I first joined I listed a foam mattress pad. I didn't know anything about contacting someone else to change the ad to "sold", so it sat there long enough that I completely forgot about it until someone posted and inquired about it. Oops!

Just something like "What to do when you sell your item" would have been quite helpful.

[Donna D.]

I'm just a simple volunteer. I'll do whatever the boss says I should.


However, we're looking at this as a simple solution to a perceived problem. It is neither.


The Escape Forum is owned by Social Knowledge. An LLC that owns 51 other forums with over 1.5 million members. All the forums run on the same software with the same inclusions/exclusions. To make a change to one, would cause more work for the programmer(s) doing updates and keeping the sites secure. What we see here on the Escape Forum is a "skin" the way the forum looks. While a change to editing time may appear to be a simple change, it becomes something "out of the norm" for Social Knowledge and every time the software is updated, someone would need to remember to change a switch for just ONE of 52 forums. There's a reason why all software runs the same.


Creating a sticky to help with one small portion of this forum may fix 50% of the problems. The other 50% will remain an issue, because I can tell you people do NOT read. For instance, how many times have we read where people don't know how to post a picture. And yet that information IS in a sticky as post #7 in http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...01-a-1845.html.


As I said, you perceive a problem and think you know the solution. It's not as simple as you believe.

[Iowa Dave]

Thanks to all of the site team VOLUNTEERS for their dedicated ongoing efforts to moderate this site. A significant percentage of the members are " read only " folks with minimal posts.
However they know that if they do have a question about posting or process and procedure issues they can depend on the site team to guide them along without sarcasm, one upmanship or admonition. For that, all of us less than technically proficient members are continually appreciative. Thank You
Iowa Dave

[casejh]

Well said, Iowa Dave. I will ditto that, as I very much appreciate what I have learned from the forum. It is a wonderful resource, and I appreciate the people who help make it happen.

[float5]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Right - I'm only suggesting that one instructional thread would be a sticky, and that it would be created and maintained by the Site Team.

And in the biggest capital letters, it should have how to contact the seller. That seems to be the main problem with generating unnecessary posts that should be between prospective buyers and sellers, including long after the trailer is sold.

Yes, I know people don't read because there is too much to read, even on one thread, but many would read a sticky at the top of the sale section.

[cpaharley2008]

Found a sticky thread....

[Donna D.]

There's a really, really simple solution. IF you're not interested in buying a trailer, quit reading the For Sale forum.

I know a better solution than a sticky, but would require a programmer. The OP would be automatically subscribed to the thread, would receive an email every single time someone posted. At the end of 30 days, of original posting, the "ad" would be moved to the archives. If the trailer isn't sold, the OP would need to contact a moderator to move it back to the For Sale forum. Done. This would also take care of OPs that post a trailer for sale, with all their contact info in the ad, but never, ever come back to the Escape Forum.

But this falls to "Nothing is impossible to those that don't have to do it."

[float5]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

There's a really, really simple solution. IF you're not interested in buying a trailer, quit reading the For Sale forum.

I know a better solution than a sticky, but would require a programmer. The OP would be automatically subscribed to the thread, would receive an email every single time someone posted. At the end of 30 days, of original posting, the "ad" would be moved to the archives. If the trailer isn't sold, the OP would need to contact a moderator to move it back to the For Sale forum. Done. This would also take care of OPs that post a trailer for sale, with all their contact info in the ad, but never, ever come back to the Escape Forum.

But this falls to "Nothing is impossible to those that don't have to do it."

We have to read that section so we can tell people how to contact the sellers!

Oh, I suppose that if they have not posted at least a few posts, they cannot send pms yet.

If they don't sell in a month, they can post another ad.