Need your help with a collection of 0 reply threads

[Greg Bernhardt]

I don't know, some key that makes Google index it. E.g., we can add tags on WordPress to categorize our articles. Maybe something like that would be possible here.

We do have the ability to add topical tags to threads

 

[fresh_42]

We do have the ability to add topical tags to threads

At which level? It looks as if only moderators could do this, and only outside of the thread on the forum list. A bit too complicated and elitist I think. Do such tags regulate anything, or what is the effect? I would have tested it but didn't see how to remove the result again.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

At which level? It looks as if only moderators could do this, and only outside of the thread on the forum list. A bit too complicated and elitist I think. Do such tags regulate anything, or what is the effect? I would have tested it but didn't see how to remove the result again.

During the creation of a thread, you have the option of adding a tag. They are just for categorizing.

 

[Astronuc]

The first one I see on the list is
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/.610398
Methods used to measure the density of solid materials and liquids.

I wrote a short, but very belated response.

Part of the topic is measurement techniques and measurement error/uncertainty. Is there an Insight article on these subjects/topics?

 

[PeterDonis]

Many of these are homework help threads.

A few spot checks indicate to me that many of these threads are very old (I have so far found ones from 2004 to 2009). That means that, even if we make a response, the person seeking the homework help is most likely long gone, which defeats the whole purpose of homework help threads. Either we would just have to post the solution, or IMO we should delete the thread rather than try to make it useful for a search engine.

I have also come across at least one thread (the "what is Coulomb gauge" one) that is a comment thread on an Insights article. IMO having those indexed by Google is useful even if there are no (or very few) responses since they link to the Insights articles themselves.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Either we would just have to post the solution, or IMO we should delete the thread rather than try to make it useful for a search engine.

Yes, walkthrough solutions would be fine, this is for readers' benefit. We should try to not shut doors Google still cracks open.

I have also come across at least one thread (the "what is Coulomb gauge" one) that is a comment thread on an Insights article. IMO having those indexed by Google is useful even if there are no (or very few) responses since they link to the Insights articles themselves.

Agreed

 

[PeterDonis]

Agreed

I think this would also apply to the threads which are posts based on old "Library" entries (like the "what is work done" one). In today's PF they would be Insights articles.

 

[mathwonk]

The one I thought was nonsense actually made sense to me after a long hiatus at the beach to think about it. When I got back, DrMalawi had already posted a clarification along the lines I was thinking of so I answered in that vein. The problem was the poster was using symbols with no attention at all to quantifiers explaining which symbols depended on which others. I.e. I thought he was choosing a K to make two expressions equal for all n, whereas he was choosing a different K for each n. So it was the huge distinction between "there is some K such that for all n, we have..." and "for every n, there is some K such that we have..." Since neither one was stated, I had no idea what was meant and made the wrong assumption. Oh yes and apparently also a subscript was written as a factor, hence the function K(n) was written as the product Kn, further confusing me.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Really?

 

[fresh_42]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Really?

I deleted at least two threads that required more information or dialogue. But I also resolved a problem and added an explanation video in a thread about torque. No one said one method fits all.

... and I have a serious motivation problem with that one ...

Now this is a lot of work, especially when it comes to finding the torsion $$\tau=−\dfrac{d\overrightarrow{B}}{ds}\cdot \overrightarrow{N}$$
a total of four derivitives.

 

[vanhees71]

Well, if the question is interesting, why not answering a decade-old thread?

Another question: How is it with the Homework Section? I guess for this purpose we should give simply the solution and not try to guide the long-gone OP to an own one, right?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Really?

Yes this not about the OP but searchers and readers

 

[phinds]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

I interpreted Greg's request as being that we should answer the posts as if they were posted today. Asking for more info emphasizes that requirement for new members, even if it does seem a silly way to answer a decade old post to an OP who is long gone.

 

[.Scott]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Number 29, https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/voltage-amplifier-transistor-circuit-diagram-provided.232024/ (14 years old), provides a hotlink diagram that is no longer available. It is a critical part of the problem statement. I will respond by asking for the poster to provide a fresh link.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Number 29, https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/voltage-amplifier-transistor-circuit-diagram-provided.232024/ (14 years old), provides a hotlink diagram that is no longer available. It is a critical part of the problem statement. I will respond by asking for the poster to provide a fresh link.

This is a reasonable example of a thread we could delete if the source material is missing.

 

[fresh_42]

This is a reasonable example of a thread we could delete if the source material is missing.

Done.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Awesome day 1 progress! Let's keep chipping away
google sheets link

 

[Astronuc]

I interpreted Greg's request as being that we should answer the posts as if they were posted today. Asking for more info emphasizes that requirement for new members, even if it does seem a silly way to answer a decade old post to an OP who is long gone.

First thing I do is check the date of the post and the date of when the member was last seen on PF.

It's best to address the post rather than the poster, since often in such posts, the member is long gone and the HW assignment has been completed (on not) long ago.

Certainly, on some where effort and work is lacking, one can simply state, "PF requires members to show work and demonstrate effort." That said, some helpful direction might be appropriate, primarily for others looking to solve a similar problem.

 

[phinds]

Could you either (1) redo the spreadsheet to drop the already answered threads or (2) sort the list so that the answered ones (checked) are all at the end?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Could you either (1) redo the spreadsheet to drop the already answered threads or (2) sort the list so that the answered ones (checked) are all at the end?

I set a filter to only show unmarked

 

[Vanadium 50]

Did someone do a silent delete of my message?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Did someone do a silent delete of my message?

Message where?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Yup.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Had some threads and numbers. Nothing deletable.

 

[phinds]

I set a filter to only show unmarked

OK, I did a "filter by value" and it got rid of the checked ones. I had been hesitant to do filtering because it didn't say what it was filtering ON and I didn't know if I would mess up the spreadsheet.

 

[WWGD]

Well, if the question is interesting, why not answering a decade-old thread?

Another question: How is it with the Homework Section? I guess for this purpose we should give simply the solution and not try to guide the long-gone OP to an own one, right?

I don't know if it will lead people to believe PF is not " With It", or that their questions will not receive a prompt answer.

 

[fresh_42]

I don't know if it will lead people to believe PF is not " With It", or that their questions will not receive a prompt answer.

I wrote e.g.

Let's see, so that once and forever not everybody has to redo the exercise.

as a justification. I apparently have a follower since I received an answer to my post. So even that old one created traffic.

And do not underestimate how many people actually read those old threads. I frequently receive likes to posts I do not even remember!

 

[PeroK]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Really?

Where's Winston Smith when you need him?

 

[Mark44]

I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Well, if the question is interesting, why not answering a decade-old thread?

This seems reasonable, assuming that the question is interesting and we're not talking about a homework thread.

I interpreted Greg's request as being that we should answer the posts as if they were posted today. Asking for more info emphasizes that requirement for new members, even if it does seem a silly way to answer a decade old post to an OP who is long gone.

Regarding decade-old (and older) homework threads, if the OP showed no attempt, IMO we should just delete the post rather than waste our time trying to add something meaningful to them.

 

[Astronuc]

One of the oldest unanswered posts/threads on PF.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/.8053
Oct 30, 2003

Edit/update - kuruman responded to it, so I checked it.