"Works for me"

[Vermifuge]

I have been seeing an influx with posts that say "Works for me" or something very similar. This has to be the most useless 'troubleshooting tip™' on the discussion boards. When people create a thread about a problem, they are looking for others who share the same problem. Useful feedback would include how to resolve said problem or others who can duplicate the problem. "Works for me" adds nothing to the discussion unless the topic is specifically asking "does this work for anyone else" or something similar.

I understand this is more likely to happen with any new Hardware release, Operating system, App or Software update.

Currently the forum has a "Frivolous and one-word posts." rule in the Things Not to Do section. Just opening up discussion for this to be a new addition to this section.

Frivolous and one-word posts. Such posts waste everyone's time and will be deleted. Examples includes posts with only one or two words (e.g., "cool", "LOL", or a smilie), posts celebrating being the first post in a thread, posts saying "I agree", "+1", "this", "me too", or the equivalent, posting overused memes, or making posts with images or videos that contain no relevant, constructive text or commentary. If you aren't interested in a thread, skip the thread; don't post to tell us you aren't interested.

"Works for me" is meant to cover the many ways of saying "I don't have the problem you are seeing." They all have the same general meaning and are all just as useless.

 

[C DM]

I have been seeing an influx with posts that say "Works for me" or something very similar. This has to be the most useless 'troubleshooting tip™' on the discussion boards. When people create a thread about a problem, they are looking for others who share the same problem. Useful feedback would include how to resolve said problem or others who can duplicate the problem. "Works for me" adds nothing to the discussion unless the topic is specifically asking "does this work for anyone else" or something similar.

I understand this is more likely to happen with any new Hardware release, Operating system, App or Software update.

Currently the forum has a "Frivolous and one-word posts." rule in the Things Not to Do section. Just opening up discussion for this to be a new addition to this section.



"Works for me" is meant to cover the many ways of saying "I don't have the problem you are seeing." They all have the same general meaning and are all just as useless.

To be fair, in quite a few cases, although certainly not all or even necessarily most, these types of things come up in threads that directly or even indirectly ask if others are experiencing something or other. In that respect, feedback that it's working fine for someone is still feedback that provides some information. If it's done in the tone of "there's no issue and you are essentially making it up" that's a little different.

 

[maflynn]

I think it's helpful in providing scope and context in that if a person has the issue or not

 

[Vermifuge]

To be fair, in quite a few of cases, although certainly not all or even necessarily most, these types of things come up in threads that directly or even indirectly ask if others are experiencing something or other. In that respect feedback that it's working fine for someone is still feedback that provides some information. If it's done in the tone of "there's no issue and you are essentially making it up" that's a little different.

Yeah thats essentially what I meant by "unless the topic is specifically asking "does this work for anyone else" or something similar."

What I am speaking of is exactly what you described. There seems to be this subtle trolling on the forums by saying "works for me" in a manner meant to dismiss the OPs credibility.
[doublepost=1538854125][/doublepost]

I think it's helpful in providing scope and context in that if a person has the issue or not

I think is some instances you are correct. but there are others where this information is delivered as an indirect attack.

 

[chown33]

I think it's helpful in providing scope and context in that if a person has the issue or not

Works for me.

But only in a suitably scoped and contextualized unfrivolous non-condescending way.

 

[jtara]

Yeah thats essentially what I meant by "unless the topic is specifically asking "does this work for anyone else" or something similar."

This is based on the mistaken (and selfish, IMO) notion that a thread starter has some "ownership" of "their" thread, and along with that, the "right" to control the discussion.

Of course, this varies from site to site according to policy. But it is almost always a mistaken notion.

Forums such as this one exist for the benefit of ALL. It is not a help desk, but a forum for discussion. Thread starters are thread STARTERS, not controllers or moderators.

I've seen it often where the thread starter gets in a huff because the thread took a different direction, went into a peripheral topic that they aren't interested in, etc.

"Works for me" IMO is useful, if not for the thread stater, but for others. It helps viewers judge how prevalent a problem is.

It's so not hard just to skip over the "works for me" posts, now is it?

 

[Vermifuge]

This is based on the mistaken (and selfish, IMO) notion that a thread starter has some "ownership" of "their" thread, and along with that, the "right" to control the discussion.

It's so not hard just to skip over the "works for me" posts, now is it?

I'm glad the system works for you, but sometimes it is used as an attack and not a contribution.

Furthering your point, this board is private, not public. It's up to the owners of MacRumors to make such decisions. Just as there is an option to "skip over" such posts there is also the option to discuss such issues so long as the discussion falls within the forum rules.

 

[Feenician]

I do try, these days, to add a qualifier such as, “this doesn’t help you resolve the issue but..” when describing different or correct behavior as I do understand it can be seen as antagonistic, or a denial of someone’s issue. I do think it’s important to have these comments though, especially so in threads where people are presenting an issue they are seeing as endemic when it’s not and denying anyone else could possibly not be having that issue.

tl;dr we shouldn’t deny each other’s experiences, good and bad, but we should try to collectively form a balanced view of them.

 

[jtara]

Furthering your point, this board is private, not public. It's up to the owners of MacRumors to make such decisions. Just as there is an option to "skip over" such posts there is also the option to discuss such issues so long as the discussion falls within the forum rules.

And are you them? (The owners of MacRumors?)

Nobody here is trying to shut down your discussion of whether "works for me" posts are appropriate or should or should not be allowed, or the forum rules in general. Did you perceive such?

Since linking to memes or YouTube videos is probably a bridge too far, I will just leave a couple of retro/80's audio suggestions:

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears
"Too Sensitive" - The Orange Juice

The "problem", IMO, lies somewhere in the intersection of these two concepts.

Do we really need to have a picayune rule for every little thing?

Now, I'll admit, some might perceive an undertone of "must be pilot error" in the phrase "works for me", depending on context. So, perhaps a more sensitive phrasing that indicates "I haven't encountered the problem, perhaps you are suffering from unique circumstances" would be better.

That would be nice, but I don't think it ought to become one more burden for mods to enforce with a fine-tooth comb.

Now, "pilot error", IMO, goes too far, unless applied to one's self.

 

[I7guy]

This is based on the mistaken (and selfish, IMO) notion that a thread starter has some "ownership" of "their" thread, and along with that, the "right" to control the discussion.

Of course, this varies from site to site according to policy. But it is almost always a mistaken notion.

Forums such as this one exist for the benefit of ALL. It is not a help desk, but a forum for discussion. Thread starters are thread STARTERS, not controllers or moderators.

I've seen it often where the thread starter gets in a huff because the thread took a different direction, went into a peripheral topic that they aren't interested in, etc.

"Works for me" IMO is useful, if not for the thread stater, but for others. It helps viewers judge how prevalent a problem is.

It's so not hard just to skip over the "works for me" posts, now is it?

There is a difference between a thread that goes off in a different direction vs "off the rails". It seems to happen, all too frequently, for example, when a thread discussing a unique software problem starts out like this:

Thread Title: Control Center Issue
OP: I'm having an issue with the control panel, it only opens halfway then stops. Help.
...bunch of useful replies follows....

Then this is interjected:
Poster 1: It's the lack of focus and QA of the engineering teams, they are focused on emojis.
Poster 2: The reason for the lack of focus is "Tim Crook" is profits first, customers second.
...thread goes off the rails...

The threads are supposed to be a modicum of on-topic posts based on the OPs original post. However, the MacRumors news forum has examples galore of this type of thing, which it's all too easy to get caught up in.

The best thing to do is report the threads and let the mods have a look. In the past the mods seemingly have honored requests such as shut down the thread, etc. But I don't see the "works for me", being used as a weapon. Cliche maybe, but not weapon. These things are pocket computers, essentially exposed to the elements that some of these reported abnormalities could be anything including hardware and software bugs, rendering ones individual situation unique.

 

[C DM]

Yeah thats essentially what I meant by "unless the topic is specifically asking "does this work for anyone else" or something similar."

Well, part of what I was saying is that sometimes even when there isn't a specific request for that it can still be useful to have information surfaced as to whether or not others are experiencing this and/or to what degree. Again, if it's done in a fairly obvious way to say or imply something about the OP, that can be different, but that's also something that's not really all that easy to judge in plenty of instances (although sometimes it can certainly be fairly clear).

 

[maflynn]

My concern is rule bloat. Do we really need a rule for "works for me"? I mean you yourself said that there are valid uses.

They all have the same general meaning and are all just as useless.

Are they useless? I mean you're not liking them and I respect that, but those posts may serve a purpose for others.

There seems to be this subtle trolling on the forums by saying "works for me" in a manner meant to dismiss the OPs credibility.

I wonder if you're reading to much into those posts. If a post just has "works for me", its hard to infer anything other then the person is not having a problem.

I think is some instances you are correct. but there are others where this information is delivered as an indirect attack.

I feel like you're really reaching on this; I'm not sure how you can say that "works for me" can be perceived as an attack on another member.

You may not like the term, it may be used with some level of frequency, but if a post only has "Works for me" its hard to say that the member is looking to contradict the OP stating his disagreement, or to troll, or attack or its frivolous post

I believe here at MacRumors we need to give members latitude and freedom to express their opinion regardless if its for or against apple. Likewise, if someone is having an issue they believe is widespread a post contradicting that is actually helpful. How often do we see threads where a person is ringing the warming bells claiming something is widespread (because they have an issue) The works for me is a counter balance to that jumping to conclusion.

 

[bruinsrme]

Works for me, works for me.
This indicates that something may be wrong with a device, configuration or model series.

The person posting it may not know why it’s working for them but it can be used as a means of determining there is an issue to the person asking about a particular issue.

If Sue says it’s working for I may be able to ask probing questions to determine why something isn’t working for me. Perhaps Sue had her phone set up at a store and someone one their did something.

Who knows.

But knowing something works can help drive an issue to resolution.

Or determine the person posting works for me is clueless

 

[Vermifuge]

Unpopular opinion is unpopular I guess. No need for this thread, feel free to lock it.

 

[decafjava]

Unpopular opinion is unpopular I guess. No need for this thread, feel free to lock it.

Works for ... no actually I get what you mean, I won't repeat what others have said except that this is useful for determining if a problem is real (antennagate, bendgate etc.) or something else is going on - like every time I mean every time a new version of iOS is released there are a battery (heh) of complaints about battery and other issues. some of which may be related to the iOS and other things.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

There has been no shortage of troll threads and posts on these fora, but "it works for me" has never struck me as being a part of the troll family.

In my experience, someone would post about a problem they have or something that they have experienced, others would confirm that they, too, have experienced this, while yet others - and this is useful to know - chip in that "it works for me", meaning that, for them, this problem is not a problem.

In attempting to solve or address problem, this is very useful to know.

 

[Arran]

The best answer to "Works for me" is "Thanks, appreciate the info". Why?

• If the person was genuinely trying to annoy you (and none of us know that for a fact) then you've just shown them you're not annoyed. Quite the opposite. That'll really bug them!
• If the person was trying to be helpful, a thank you is polite. They'll appreciate it.

You win either way.

 

[chown33]

The best answer to "Works for me" is "Thanks, appreciate the info". Why?

• If the person was genuinely trying to annoy you (and none of us know that for a fact) then you've just shown them you're not annoyed. Quite the opposite. That'll really bug them!
• If the person was trying to be helpful, a thank you is polite. They'll appreciate it.

You win either way.

Works for me!

Man, I'm just loving how this works, both as a genuine reply and as a passive-aggressive retort. And it's impossible to tell which one I mean. Even I don't know which one I really meant! It really is a floor wax and dessert topping in one.

 

[Arran]

Works for me!

Man, I'm just loving how this works, both as a genuine reply and as a passive-aggressive retort. And it's impossible to tell which one I mean. Even I don't know which one I really meant! It really is a floor wax and dessert topping in one.

Appreciate it!

 

[Mac'nCheese]

Works for me!

Man, I'm just loving how this works, both as a genuine reply and as a passive-aggressive retort. And it's impossible to tell which one I mean. Even I don't know which one I really meant! It really is a floor wax and dessert topping in one.

There's a reference not a lot of people will get nowadays!

 

[millerj123]

There's a reference not a lot of people will get nowadays!

Yeah but even now, I use carnauba wax on my cars, and it’s in my favorite gummy snacks. It’s a love/hate relationship with you, Swedish Fish.

 

[GGJstudios]

"Works for me" is meant to cover the many ways of saying "I don't have the problem you are seeing." They all have the same general meaning and are all just as useless.

So basically, you're saying that any post that offers a perspective, opinion or experience that differs from the original post is useless. Nonsense. It's very helpful, for example, if someone posts about a particular problem, to know whether the problem is widespread, or only an isolated case. "Works for me" proves for readers that the stated issue doesn't affect all who have the same or similar circumstances, and the more "works for me" posts added would indicate that the problem is more likely to be something unique to one or a few users. I understand if this perspective doesn't work for you, but it works for me.

 

[chown33]

Yeah but even now, I use carnauba wax on my cars, and it’s in my favorite gummy snacks. It’s a love/hate relationship with you, Swedish Fish.

Ruth is stranger than friction.

(Another reference that even fewer people will get.)

 

[mw360]

If someone posts in an absolute rage that something isn't working and Apple are fools and meanies and the poster just can't seem to comprehend that it might be just their device, or something they did, then 'works for me' is the perfect snarky response.

If someone posts that they have a serious problem which obviously can't be widespread (like a keyboard not working after reboot), then whoever writes 'works for me' should be catapulted into the sun.

Everything else is just somewhere in between.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If someone posts in an absolute rage that something isn't working and Apple are fools and meanies and the poster just can't seem to comprehend that it might be just their device, or something they did, then 'works for me' is the perfect snarky response.

If someone posts that they have a serious problem which obviously can't be widespread (like a keyboard not working after reboot), then whoever writes 'works for me' should be catapulted into the sun.

Everything else is just somewhere in between.

I think much depends on one's perspective.

If you view the world through a prism of rage, then, it is entirely possible that any response short of obsequious servility will be taken as a source of possible offence.

I have to say that I have never thought that any post which read "works for me" was snarky in the least: Rather, it was merely notifying those reading that this problem didn't apply to them, which may serve as useful information to others when mapping a particular problem.