Cross-Post vs MultiPost

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R

Random

Not really an Excel question, but as I am a newbie and don't want to
break any of the guidelines for this extremely helpful group....

I recently saw a post where someone mentioned that multiposting? is
more acceptable than cross-posting. Can someone please explain what
these are or point me in the right direction, so that I do not
inadvertantly offend?

Thanks,

Random
 
I think that was a typo and the Bob Phillips meant just the opposite. A
multipost is where the same or substantively the same question is posted
separately in several groups. A crosspost is where a single post is posted
to multiple groups - an when answered in any group, the answer is
automatically posted to the other crossposted groups as well.

Crossposting is acceptable as long as the groups crossposted too would
consider the question on topic.

Multiposting is problematic since several people can work unknowingly on
solving a problem already solved and perhaps even acknowledged in a
different group - thus wasting their time - also, the original poster often
doesn't check all the locations where they posted - another waste of time.

Anyway, that is my take on the situation.
 
Random,


a crosspost is 1 post where you fill in a bunch of groups to post to.

a multipost is 3 posts (with the same or slightly altered content) that
you manually post to different groups (after carefull consideration:)

the 2nd option shows good intention, while the 1st option shows laziness

once you get the hang of it, you'll know which is the more appropriate
group to post to.

but start with just posting in 1 group. Some of us read and answer
questions in many groups and it's irritating to see (and answer) the
same question in different groups.


excel.worksheet.functions for Q&A re worksheet functions.
excel.programming for Q&A re VBA programming.

:)


keepITcool

< email : keepitcool chello nl (with @ and .) >
< homepage: http://members.chello.nl/keepitcool >
 
As a footnote to your other replies many people automatically filter
out crossposted messages.Reason being spammers in Usenet always
crosspost.You filter those,you never see them.Posting a message to one
only one news group is your best bet.
 
Tom is absolutely right. I got my multi confused with my cross.

Not everyone agrees, neither bother me particularly, but I would think that
if you are unsure which group to post to and you wish to do it to many
groups, at least do it in one post.

As ever, attachments raise even more ire, and all caps is pretty difficult
to read.
 
TinyURL does a good job.

http://tinyurl.com/k7uf

You can add a link to your favourites which automatically generates a
shortlink from the current page being viewed, and unlike MakeAShorterLink,
it does not require two steps to get to the original page.
 
Whenever this subject comes up in a post, the thread ends up going on
forever. It seems that we all end up having to chime in on it somehow. Lets
see how long it gets this time.
--
RMC,CPA


Not really an Excel question, but as I am a newbie and don't want to
break any of the guidelines for this extremely helpful group....

I recently saw a post where someone mentioned that multiposting? is
more acceptable than cross-posting. Can someone please explain what
these are or point me in the right direction, so that I do not
inadvertantly offend?

Thanks,

Random
 
But at least most newsreaders can track cross-posted threads, and
respond to each of the groups the previous message was posted to.

- Jon
 
Richard,
It seems that we all end up having to chime in on it somehow.
Click to expand...
Was that an invitation??
Lets see how long it gets this time.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess that this post helps with that.

For the OP........
There are absolutely no rules, guidelines, whatever in the Excel
newsgroups. You can post anything that you darned well please
in as many newsgroups as possible either by crossposting or
multiposting, attach files, write in CAPS, whatever. In a few
minutes, your post will indeed be displayed in the ng.

Now the big question is, who will respond to your question??

Those "guidelines" by Chip and Dave are designed to help
you as a poster get your post viewed by as many people as
possible and get a reply as soon as possible. You don't have
to follow the "guidelines" but by not doing so, you're limiting
your chances of getting a response. Someone mentioned in this
thread that some people filter out crossposted messages. That's
one group of people who won't see you post. Many won't touch
anything with an attachment. Others will skip over those in caps.
The list goes on.

As a test, try a post with a subject of "FREE BEER" and in the
text say "Excel sucks but I need to know how to add two cells
together". Other than some snide replies, I'd be surprised if anyone
would actually answer the question.

Best bet.....
Post in only one group.
If it's a programming question, try .programming.
If it's anything else, try either .misc or .functions.
If you don't get an answer in a few hours, you either didn't
give enough information in your post or your question is
unanswerable (the latter of which doesn't happen often).

As for your specific question regarding multiposting vs
crossposting..........multiposting is a no no. It can waste
our time. As for crossposting, while generally acceptable
to some, doesn't really gain you anything since whatever
single group you do post it to, we will get to it. And if you
do follow the "guidelines" more of us will get to it and your
chances of a speedy and accurate reply are increased.

John
 
Hi Thomas. Just out of educational curiosity, I could not find any "Message
Rules" to automatically filter/delete crossposted messages using Outlook
Express. Are you using Outlook Express? If so, what rule would that be? I
probably won't turn on that particular rule. I am just curious now since I
can't seem to find it. Thanks.

--
Dana DeLouis
Using Windows XP & Office XP
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Thomas said:
As a footnote to your other replies many people automatically filter
out crossposted messages.Reason being spammers in Usenet always
crosspost.You filter those,you never see them.Posting a message to one
only one news group is your best bet.
Click to expand...

<snip>
 
No, I don't use Outlook.Mozilla 4.80 w\ FixNews filtering add_in >"Kill
all articles with more then <?> cross referenced groups."You can also
filter by line count" kill all articles with more then <?>lines" or
"less then <?>
lines"Filters are handy once you get them set up to your
likening,especially for filtering out junk email.
 
a crosspost is 1 post where you fill in a bunch of groups to post to.

a multipost is 3 posts (with the same or slightly altered content) that
you manually post to different groups (after carefull consideration:)

the 2nd option shows good intention, while the 1st option shows laziness
Click to expand...
That depends on what the 'good intention' means. If it is to get a
quick answer by any means possible irrespective of the cost to others,
then maybe. If it means being a good netizen, then, no. The first,
cross-posting, is preferred. Though, neither is as good as posting to
the one group that is best suited to the job on hand.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta, MS MVP -- Excel
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA add-ins, tutorials
Custom MS Office productivity solutions
 
John,
My post was a simple rhetorical comment, which turned out to be 100%
correct. Anytime the current subject comes up, the thread becomes 10 miles
long. Real hot-button issue. It just seems like overkill to me. I guess your
comment was that my post was just adding to the stack. That may be true, but
you would have to agree that adding my comment to the stack is just another
deck chair on the Queen Mary.

These cross-post/multi-post discussions, IMHO, just become like a cancer.
The same things have been said a million times and nothing is going to
change. Just as you and others have said in the past, if a person is too
discourteous, they will probably be ignored by the NG. However, I have
noticed that even the worst offenders seem to get a helpful reply, even if
it is accompanied by a scolding.
--
RMC,CPA


Richard,
It seems that we all end up having to chime in on it somehow.
Click to expand...
Was that an invitation??
Lets see how long it gets this time.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess that this post helps with that.

For the OP........
There are absolutely no rules, guidelines, whatever in the Excel
newsgroups. You can post anything that you darned well please
in as many newsgroups as possible either by crossposting or
multiposting, attach files, write in CAPS, whatever. In a few
minutes, your post will indeed be displayed in the ng.

Now the big question is, who will respond to your question??

Those "guidelines" by Chip and Dave are designed to help
you as a poster get your post viewed by as many people as
possible and get a reply as soon as possible. You don't have
to follow the "guidelines" but by not doing so, you're limiting
your chances of getting a response. Someone mentioned in this
thread that some people filter out crossposted messages. That's
one group of people who won't see you post. Many won't touch
anything with an attachment. Others will skip over those in caps.
The list goes on.

As a test, try a post with a subject of "FREE BEER" and in the
text say "Excel sucks but I need to know how to add two cells
together". Other than some snide replies, I'd be surprised if anyone
would actually answer the question.

Best bet.....
Post in only one group.
If it's a programming question, try .programming.
If it's anything else, try either .misc or .functions.
If you don't get an answer in a few hours, you either didn't
give enough information in your post or your question is
unanswerable (the latter of which doesn't happen often).

As for your specific question regarding multiposting vs
crossposting..........multiposting is a no no. It can waste
our time. As for crossposting, while generally acceptable
to some, doesn't really gain you anything since whatever
single group you do post it to, we will get to it. And if you
do follow the "guidelines" more of us will get to it and your
chances of a speedy and accurate reply are increased.

John
 
Richard,

Was just looking for a place to put my deck chair and you gave me
an opening.
Agreed that this and many of the other "guidelines" discussions accomplish
nothing seeing as the people who would most benefit by them will never
read them and we're all pretty lax in trying to educate obvious new posters
when we reply to their posts.

Take care,
John
 
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