Might as well start this off in “agree to disagree” because we probably will...
I sometimes see replies from TFP gurus which say something like “I am sending this to someone who may know the answer. Hold on a bit until they get back with us.”
Now I’m a TFP noob, so feel free to slap me. But it seems to me this kind of reply could discourage other users from replying because An Expert may chime in. There is at least one thread right now which is stopped dead after this response.
I know the responding guru is being helpful, and I’m sure the intent is not to discourage user replies, but I think perhaps better wording could be used in this situation.
Hi Rocket Squirrel! (love your username, btw) Well, I have to admit, I had my hand up ready for the slap. Then I came to the part where you capitalized "An Expert", and it hit me. The light came on, and I had never looked at it that way. I'm more of the fluff 'n stuff kind of guide, so I don't often get involved in expert-needing-posts. I KNOW what everyone on this side means, but I hadn't looked at it from a noob side. (I recently was a noob and still am for complicated things...Lol!!)
Three years ago, if I had paid a lot of attention to more complicated or technical threads, you would have been so right. If I saw they were waiting on an Expert, why would I even answer? And that is too bad. You never know, I might have had recent experience with the issue. I may not have had a full answer, but I might have had a useful nugget or two. "Nope, gotta wait for the Expert to show up."
So, maybe something like this would work, "Hold on while I call out for someone who may know the answer. While we wait, everyone out there please reply if you have any help here. Thanks!"
What do you think? Of course, I did my usual 50 words when 10 would work. So while I wait for that Expert to show up, anyone feel free to reword it with the same meaning. (just modeling what you suggested!)
You don't find many forums this active with so much response (and often fast), so you can imagine, once in a while we are busy with Life. We'll (meaning the others who open up those complicated or technical threads but aren't quite the right Expert) try to do better, and there may (will?) be times we slip up.
We have a July challenge going on now, and your post addresses that exactly. TFP is always striving to do a better job. And what you're asking us to consider is actually pretty easy and free. Now hopefully we (probably 'I' mostly) can remember this simple addition to the wording. Feel free to follow my posts and knock me over the head if I forget! I do open some of those threads these days, but usually just to be polite and let the poster know they aren't forgotten.
Thanks and take care,
Suz