Order of answering questions

[metulburr]

Was wondering if any other admin/mod does this as well?

I usually go in an order of attempting to answer questions VS going down the line of "unread posts". When you come in from just a single day and there are 100+ threads with unread posts. But i noticed the other day i tend to follow a pattern. 
 

1. I first glance for spam and remove it if any
   
2. I then read and answer (or just comment on) any forum issues, account activation issues, troublemakers, etc. 
   
3. Then i look for library questions i probably know the answer to (for me i would look for pygame/BeautifulSoup how to's) Or whatever library i am using at the time
   
4. Then if there is someone online at the time i am, i tend to look at their question first as it yields quick responses. 
   
5. Then i look for simple questions such as errors resulting from typos, or a missing parenthesis
   
6. Then i look at every other unread post
   
7. Then if i feel real chatty, i glance at the first page of unanswered posts. 
   

And i base almost all of that on the title of the post. *Sometimes using the hover tooltip to get more info.

[stranac]

I don't really spend a lot of time on the forum, but I usually take a look at unread posts and check anything that looks interesting, especially threads I've already posted in.
If it's either something super simple, or something I find interesting, I reply.
Then I click the "mark stuff read" link and I'm done.

[Larz60+]

I look at all.

• first those that I have been active in already
  
• next start at top of New Posts list and look at all, and see if it's
  already being answered by another. if so, quickly get an idea of the subject,
  if it interests me, I'll read the entire post, and will make a post if I think I have anything to add,
  otherwise move on to the next.
  
• if no one has answered, and it's a subject that I haven't implemented myself, will usually move on,
  but may search for what look like appropriate information on how to solve the question, and if found,
  post the link.
  
• If no one has anwsered and I know the answer, will post answer.
  
• if spam will delete it, but if questionable, will ask opinion.
  

[nilamo]

I look at unread posts, and open all threads that have zero replies in their own tabs.  Then I'll double back and go through other unread posts.  Depending on how old the thread is, and what has already been said, most of the time I just glance at it and close the tab.

[buran]

more or less I act as Larz. Sometimes just add tags/moderator note even if I know the answer...

[ichabod801]

For me:

• Posts I have responded to.
  
• Homework threads I haven't seen before
  
• Threads where there are no replies or the latest post is from the OP or someone I don't know.
  
• Skim the headlines looking for interesting stuff or spam.
  

All of this is done from the unread posts tab. Although today I broke form and skipped to the bottom, looking for info on why the board was down all morning.

[sparkz_alot]

I pretty much follow nilamo's route.

[nilamo]

Posts I have responded to.

Whoops, that's #1 for me.  If I get a notification about a new post in a thread I've previously posted in, it immediately jumps to the top of the list of things I look at.

[Kebap]

I have had 500+ unread posts for months, not going to change soon.

Also I don't think that moderators are the same as very active regular users who should give most answers. Their tasks should differ. If you can do both in same person, that is great, but please do not burn out

[metulburr]

I think we need a constant influx of new regular users to help. I think a lot of us get burnt out of answering the same question over and over. To the point where some dont even bother answering anymore. Myself included.