# Off Topic > The Water Cooler >  >  Things That Make Me Unhappy

## TreePapa

this group seems particularlly uptight about its rules

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## fitkhan

Yes. Very strict moderators here. Not showing any flexibility for new users. They deleted my last post without any reason. I told them i won't break a rule again. But don't know why they deleted my post.

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## royUK

We have standards for our Forum. That's why it is growing so rapidly. Of course if you don't like our rules you needn't accept our *free help*

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## Andrew-R

I'm a very new user here and, for the first couple of days, I was surprised how tightly the rules were enforced.  After a while I realised that they really did make things better for everybody.  Code is easier to read in code tags and we don't have 5,000 threads all called "Macro help please".

I've moderated other forums and know what a thankless, pain in the bottom task it is, so, from me, a big "thank you" to those who give their time to make this a pleasant place to get help, help out others and learn.

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## royUK

Thanks Andrew

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## Mordred

It seems that most of us will follow the rules because we value the help that members, gurus, and moderators give us.  Its a shame to see ungrateful people come on to a forum like this and expect help without following a few rules, and then complain about it.  What I don't understand is this:




> Very strict moderators here. Not showing any flexibility for new users



When I first started out on this forum I was told to read the rules because my first thread did not comply with rules, I did and then I followed them.  That part was easy, coming up with code (to a noob) is not so easy.  
This is a stand up site with great professionals who obviously have a passion for what they do or they wouldn't give up their time (or their company's time :Wink: ).  **Sigh** - why are some people so ungrateful?
So, the things that make me unhappy?  Ungrateful people :Mad: !

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## daddylonglegs

> ......we don't have 5,000 threads all called "Macro help please".......



although there are some called "Marco! Help Please!"  :Smilie: 

fitkhan - nobody here deletes any post without reason (except, very occasionally, accidentally). The moderators moderate to improve the experience for the majority.

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## contaminated

I would like to say, that I also liked this forum because of their discipline here. Thanks to all moderators!!!

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## davegugg

> That's why it is growing so rapidly.



As much as I love this forum, I'm curious about this.  Does the forum keep statistics for *active members*?  I know there are a number of people who use it once a year(ish) or even once ever and never come back.  I'm curious how the number of regular users trends.  I don't even know how you'd measure it because the definition of active user would seem to be arbitrary.

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## romperstomper

This is a new one on me - someone who thinks that OzGrid is more easygoing than here (or, frankly, anywhere)!

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## royUK

> This is a new one on me - someone who thinks that OzGrid is more easygoing than here (or, frankly, anywhere)!



I thought that as well. Perhaps DH is mellowing!

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## DonkeyOte

As far as I am aware 

a) there is no global conscription to ExcelForum 

b) there are plenty of free Excel communities on line

the above facts combined make this thread all the more puzzling...

edit:
The rules enforced are in general to benefit those who frequent most.
As someone who answers more than they ask - if an OP is not willing to spend a few moments of their time to read some basic rules and set out their question appropriately I'm afraid I can't be bothered to look at it.
Here you will generally find that you get back what you put in.

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## Cheeky Charlie

I agree with everything after post 2. (except OzGrid being less strict, that's a new one!)

I like to know that because searchable titles are enforced the help I have provided here will be readily available to thousands of users (who might not even need to join!).
(looking back of course, not all of it is brilliant!)

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## shermco

................................

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## shg

Welcome to the forum.

Please take a few minutes to read the forum rules, and then amend your thread title accordingly.

Thanks.

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## shg

Another unhappy customer.

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## teylyn

Fancy how the first thing new member does is go to the Water Cooler, finds a thread about ungrateful forum users, manages to hijack the thread with a badly titled unrelated Excel question and then complains about being nudged towards the rules and then THEIR feelings are hurt. I have tears in my eyes.

From laughing so hard.

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## shg

Actually, I should have clarified -- this was a new thread that I merged into this one. I thought it would be nice to have a common burial ground for all the people we make unhappy, so we can have an appropriate ceremony someday. 

DLL will say a few magic formulas, Andy will chart their passage into the netherworld, DO will explain how their sumproduct fell short of their dreams, Teylyn will muse on the interaction of culture, fora, and Excel, CC will show how pivoting could have saved them, NBVC will suggest it's possible that it still may, RomperStomper will provide liquid refreshments, and I'll drive the bulldozer when we're done.

R I P.

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## teylyn

shg, you and your devious tricks will one day contribute to my heart attack. But then, with laughter being the best medicine, as the saying goes, you also provide the remedy.

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## NBVC

It's sad when you can describe us to a T like that  :Smilie:  ROFL  

Who's gonna give them the runaround looping until they die trying to get it right... might I suggest.. Roy?

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## Cheeky Charlie

Lots of LOL
 :Smilie:

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## teylyn

Things that make me unhappy:

Writing 9 clean (I hope!) lines of VBA that cycle through a gazillion charts in a gazillion sheets of a workbook and change a certain setting in a snap, then having to spend about double the amount of characters explaining to the OP how to install and use a macro.

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## pike

your in the right place to be happy

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## royUK

Spending more time moderating posts because the OP can't manage to read the Rules than actually answering questions

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## teylyn

Pike, seeing your rabbit blink and wiggle its ears makes me happy all the time. Post more.

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## teylyn

> Spending more time moderating posts



Forgot to mention that the 9 clean lines of code only came about after a dozen posts between the OP and a senior member about thread titles. Along the lines of:

*OP:* Don't know how to post example.
*Senior member:* Please take a few minutes to read the forum rules, and then amend your thread title accordingly. They also explain how to add an attachment.
*OP:* You don't like my title?
*Senior member:* Dunno. Try using it in a Google search and see if it works well.
*OP:* In the rules it says to add a excel file by clicking on a paper clip.
I don't see a paper clip.
Where should I be looking?
etc, etc, 
<head-desk-bang>

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## Macdave_19

I have to be honest I still haven't read the forum rules, that said it doesn't take much to pick up the right habits and, like most people in this thread seem to point out, it's free help.

I'm not saying i haven't broken a rule or two (accidentally of course)  :Smilie: 

Anyway just though i'd say big thanks to those that have helped me in the past (and hopefully will continue to do so) special thanks to

RomperStomper
DonkeyOte
RoyUK
DomonicB

if i've missed anyone then i apologise!

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## martindwilson

hemorrhoid's make me unhappy

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## romperstomper

Excellent phrase in today's CW in the Times:
My ROFLcopter has crashed into a LOLcano of "bwahaha".
God bless Caitlin Moran.  :Smilie:

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## daddylonglegs

> hemorrhoid's make me unhappy



Personally speaking I'm indifferent to them unless they belong to me

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## arthurbr

Make's me unhappy to have to shake a proctologist's hand.

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## zbor

Things That Make Me Unhappy 

=REPT("Please Help urgent", 9.99999999E+307)

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## ChemistB

Another unhappy customer



> Sorry that this site is nt that helpful. This is the 3rd time that I did not get the right answer.



What do they say...look for the common denominator, it might be you.   :Wink: 

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...t-formula.html

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## MarvinP

I used to teach high school (many years ago) and was confounded one day by a good student that didn't want to guess answers.  We were doing word problems with multiple variables.  If the part of the problem with the question mark was "How Many Hours"?  I'd always guess 10 hours and check to see if my guess was right.  This led to the process for solving the problem.  S/he just wanted the formula.  Guessing, and checking a guess, for this student a waste of time.  It must be nice to not have to guess and check, but just get formulas and plug in the values for THE ANSWER.  
I guess people who just want answers without any trial and error make me unhappy.

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## royUK

raginiy is really struggling, needs basic maths before venturing into spreadsheets. I can only find two questions!

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## froment

> Things That Make Me Unhappy 
> 
> =REPT("Please Help urgent", 9.99999999E+307)



I'm afraid it will return #VALUE error; number of characters in that function is imited...  :Wink:

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## daddylonglegs

To get the maximum repeats......put required text in A1 and use

=REPT(A1&" ",INT((2^15-1)/(LEN(A1)+1)))

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## Mordred

This seems like a good thread to vent in so I'm going to do it.  *Argh*
I have a colleague that came up to me over 3 hours ago and asked if I could spare some time to talk about setting up a database for her.  Being that I am always busy (hahaha), I said I could spare 'some' time to analyze what she wants.  Now, I must concede that she does not know about how referential databases are structured and I educated her a little about it before we really got going on the meeting.  She proceded to tell me what she wanted and I wrote everything down.  When she was done, I gave a brief example of what the structure of the database should be like.  I had to tell her (multiple times) not to worry about how the data is stored and that she should only worry about the outcomes of the queries.  She kept telling me I was wrong about the structure because she couldn't see how it would work with regards to how she wants to see the end results.  I told her again that the storage of data has no bearing on the display of the queries.  I had a heck of a time explaining 1st normal form to 3rd normal forms to her (I still don't think she has a grasp of that).  Anyhow, I finally convinced her to make a mock Excel sheet with what she thinks should be stored.  She did, it took her about 1.5 hours to make 5 rows of data by about 12 columns.  She then told me it would be impossible and that I shouldn't worry about it.  I told her that I didn't think anything was impossible and that I couldn't definitively tell her for sure unless I could analyze the data and see how it would fit into a database.  She said that she "knows" it can't be done.  I, being very diplomatic (and patient I must confess) told her that she should let me decide that since it is my area of expertise (don't laugh or I'll hit you up in the banning thread).  She said: "I know it can't be done because I've been working with this data for 20 years".  Eventually, I told her that it didn't matter to me one way or the other and that if she wanted me to try I would, otherwise I am not going to argue about it.  She eventually sent me her mock worksheet and her source data but dang, it was like pulling teeth.  

Sorry this was so long but I had to rant to people that have experience working with others who think they know about the capabilities of programming but have no clue what so ever.  What a frustrating afternoon.

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## MarvinP

It's always more fun to accomplish what the peanut gallery thinks is impossible.  

It sounds like a set-up to me.  S/he (for tyelyn) tells you that it is impossible and dangles the carrot and you bite!  Now you're hooked.  I'd bet s/he will change the requirements many times before you're done.  It also sounds like there are many unknown or uncertain criteria with the way the data fits together.  S/he is so confused on how to structure it they can't explain it.

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## Mordred

> S/he is so confused on how to structure it they can't explain it.



That was a big part of the problem and my explanations of how things should be were not hitting home.  I don't mind when requirements change although it can be a pain in the behind and I know it happens, especially when writing custom programs for people.  I just don't like being asked to help with something while at the same time being told that that something will be impossible. Why even bother asking for help then?  Oh well, it'll get figured out and she'll probably say something like: "I knew it could be done".

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## NBVC

> It's always more fun to accomplish what the peanut gallery thinks is impossible.  
> 
> It sounds like a set-up to me.  S/he (for tyelyn) tells you that it is impossible and dangles the carrot and you bite!  Now you're hooked.  I'd bet s/he will change the requirements many times before you're done.  It also sounds like there are many unknown or uncertain criteria with the way the data fits together.  S/he is so confused on how to structure it they can't explain it.



I fall into that trap many times at my workplace  :Mad: 

And exactly that.. once you prove it can be done.. then suddenly their eyes sparkle and change up everything on you... this whole past week has been exactly that...... that's the reason I haven't been on here that much this week...  :Frown:   keeping my fingers crossed that my last submission meets the approval of the big cheeses.

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## davegugg

It makes me unhappy when my boss asks me to do a report that takes me less time to do than it took her to type out an email to me describing what she wants me to do.  <Growl!!!>

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## MarvinP

I'm unhappy about questions with only statements.  I'm working on an OP to ask a question and use a real question mark at the end of his words.  His last question :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  was "I want you to read my code and tell me what is wrong."

I must have stepped in some s**t this last week as I'm a little less friendly than normal.  I believe that there is very few stupid questions, if you are looking for an answer.  The posters that just give statements without wanting to know anything are beyond me.

The worse part of the whole thread is, I don't think he gets it.  What could be so hard about asking a question?  See, I just used that funny period at the end of the sentence.  Maybe we shouldn't call it a sentence as it is an Interrogative statement.

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## Blake 7

> DLL will say a few magic formulas, Andy will chart their passage into the netherworld, DO will explain how their sumproduct fell short of their dreams, Teylyn will muse on the interaction of culture, fora, and Excel, CC will show how pivoting could have saved them, NBVC will suggest it's possible that it still may, RomperStomper will provide liquid refreshments, and I'll drive the bulldozer when we're done.
> 
> R I P.



Hilarious. cant breath!! aaahhhhhh

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## macromaniac

Not everyone gets help here!! You are lucky. 

Atleast I never even got replies to any of the posts I posted!! 

Not even resident gurus helped me. I am new and I was hugely disappointed. 

 :Frown:

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## macromaniac

I hope some Forum contributors help people like me. Not that I am complaining.. its just to bring to notice and request for help!

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## royUK

> I hope some Forum contributors help people like me. Not that I am complaining.. its just to bring to notice and request for help!



You should write comedy scripts, I've seen 3 or 4 posts where you complain! Your posts aren't over 24 hours old, & need a fuller explanation.

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## kt090678

since two days i am begging this forum guys to help me out with my request it's all gone for waste!!!!

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## romperstomper

Make your mind up.  :Wink:

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