15

Sometimes a feature request is made and then, for whatever reason, time passes and it is ignored without much feedback and without being graced with "status-declined." Suppose someone else comes along later and agrees with that feature request. What is the protocol for that user calling attention? Options as I see them are combinations of the following:

  1. Upvote the old request
  2. Make a change in order to bump the old request
  3. Place a bounty on the old request
  4. Make a new request

It seems to me that #4 is likely to be the most effective but is in risk of being closed as a duplicate. What's the correct way to handle this sort of thing?

On a related note, suppose that rather than being ignored, the old request actually was explicitly declined, but now someone that wasn't around the first time wishes to add to the discussion. It's not unheard of for "status-declined" to be changed, but it seems unlikely that upvoting an old, stale, declined feature request is going to do anything.

Improve this question
2

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4

Old questions that didn't get much attention are (a case of) exactly what bounties are for.

As for status-declined feature requests, you should post a new question — but you'd better be armed with new and better arguments and data, and explicitly point out the old question and why things are different now.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    I had no luck using bounties for this purpose in the past. However, perhaps the success rate of bounties used for this purpose will be higher with the new addition of bounty comments; I have only tried before that feature existed.
    – Michael McGowan
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 21:42
2

#4 is wrong if the request is the same. If you think 1-3 aren't enough, then try to understand what is preventing the request from getting attention or approval, and come up with some ideas to fix it. If they are modifications of the original, post an answer. If it's a different way of accomplishing a similar thing, a new request is fine.

Bounties are the canonical way to draw attention, but bumping the question by adding an answer, or modifying it will bring it a little short term attention.

Usually there's a reason the old idea isn't getting approved, or declined, or attention. Trying to understand why, by participating in the discussion via answers and comments, is a great way, as it draws others into the conversation.

Improve this answer
6
  • 3
    "Usually there's a reason the old idea isn't getting approved, or declined, or attention." Shouldn't every feature request eventually get some kind of status? If it's a bad idea it deserves "status-declined," and if it's a good idea it deserves to be implemented or "status-pending." Under what circumstances is it correct for a feature request to not get any mod tag?
    – Michael McGowan
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 21:33
  • Why don't all bugs and feature-requests have moderator status tags?
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 21:37
  • @MichaelMcGowan A feature request without any status tag could be something that could eventually be implemented, but it is not planned.
    – avpaderno
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 22:11
  • 1
    @kiamlaluno Isn't that a good use case for status-deferred then?
    – Michael McGowan
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 22:15
  • @MichaelMcGowan That would be the next grade. Something that is deferred is something that would be implemented, even if it has not the priority. When they still have to decide about two different feature requests, where one would exclude the other, I imagine they would not use status-deferred.
    – avpaderno
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 22:24
  • @Michael "If your bug or feature request gets a lot of votes, or is urgent in some other obvious way, it will be handled. Otherwise, you need to rally support for your request by convincing other users in the community (and, by proxy, us) it's worth doing" They don't decline them because they haven't been convinced of the need to do so. They don't accept or defer them because they haven't been convinced that it needs to be implemented. Are you seriously asking for another tag, "Status-we-read-this-but-weren't-convinced-either-way-and-so-are-waiting-to-see-if-the-community-really-wants-it"?
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Sep 20, 2011 at 23:54

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .