Help talk:Talk Pages

Carrying On A Conversation

The wiki software does not make it easy to have a conversation between one or more users. When someone adds a comment on your talk page do you reply on your talk page or on the talk page of the user who made the comment? It seems that different people prefer different ways, but it is rather confusing. Shall we choose one way?

• 1. When someone posts a comment on your talk page, always reply on your talk page. If you are adding a comment to someone else's talk page and you worry you might miss a reply, mark that talk page as "watched" (tab at top of page). This will then show up in your watchlist.

-or-

• 2. When someone posts a comment on your talk page, click on the users name, go to their talk page and post the reply. This might look funny (no context for the reply), but it will notify the user that there is a new comment on their talk page. If you are adding a comment to someone else's talk page and you don't have to worry you might miss a reply.

-or-

• 3. User could post their preference for one of these ways at the top of their talk page. Someone posting a comment on that page could follow the protocol that the user prefers.

--Kay T 16:22, 19 September 2007 (PDT)

For the love of wiki make it all on wherever the conversation starts. That's what they meant about not fracturing conversations. I reply ALWAYS on my talk page if someone leaves something there. If I don't get a response, I may go poke them to bring the conversation back to my page. If I leave a comment on someone else's talk page, I check back there for updates (or watch it). --DawnBurn 15:16, 25 September 2007 (PDT)

Actually, there is no official way of responding to comments on Wikipedia. It seems to be both ways. Wiki says:

How do I reply to a message on my talk page?
You can just reply underneath the message on your talk page (click the [edit this page] tab at the
top of the page or the [edit] link just above the section you are replying to), you can visit the 
user's talk page and start a new section and reply there, or you can do both - leave a message on 
their talk page and make a note on your talk page.

The choice is up to you, but some users will say which option they prefer on their talk page.

--Kay T 17:58, 25 September 2007 (PDT)

Sorry, didn't mean wiki officially had a way of responding to comments. I meant the lines:

Avoid posting the same thread in multiple forums. This fragments discussion of the idea, creating discussions in separate places with no interchange of ideas. This is rarely desirable, and leads to redundant effort and wasted time for editors to search for discussions and repeat themselves. Instead, solicit discussion in only one location and if needed advertise that discussion in other locations using a link back to the talk page you have chosen.

I just find it easier to carry on long conversations on a single a page than to go between. I can see for short welcome or other things to go back and forth, but shrug.--DawnBurn 20:00, 27 September 2007 (PDT)

How about

• When someone posts a comment on your talk page, it is easiest if you reply on your talk page. If you are adding a comment to someone else's talk page and you worry you might miss a reply, mark that talk page as "watched" (tab at top of page). This will then show up in your watchlist.
  • Sometimes people will click on the user's name of someone leaving a comment on their talk page, go to that user's talk page and post the reply. While this is not "wrong" it does tend to make it difficult to have a long discussion split between two pages. If you have a strong preference for your own talk page, make a note for users so they will know which protocol to use.
  • When responding to a comment on an article talk page, do so on that talk page. If you want to make sure that a particular user sees that comment, you could drop a note on their talk page directing them to the article talk page.

Aaghh! --Kay T 10:12, 28 September 2007 (PDT)