Perhaps the tone of the second request is the key.

I think, it's hard to get good info if the report is beyond 2 weeks.
Unless there is an active conversation going on between the reporter and the map editor...the time of the report shouldn't matter. If the report has been sitting 20+ days without question by the map editor, try to solve it. If you cannot solve it, mark non-identified.

sketch wrote:You should still ask and wait 7 days or so. I've gotten responses on URs half a year old.

I'm not against against it... if you ask and didn't get an answer (after you wait 7 days) it's time to close the UR, if you cannot find what's the issue.. IMO

I suggested before. Thus the reason we had this forum.

txemt wrote:I've seen editors ask for more clarification within a couple of days, which is fine. After about a week, they'll say something to the lines of "still looking for a response, if no response, this will close in 7 days." Why? Why are we waiting for TWO WEEKS to close out a UR if they haven't responded?

txemt wrote:My response: 7 days and it's NI.

I'm not sure I understand your position. Are you proposing that there be only one contact from an editor prior to closing NI?
To expand this more precisely, are you recommending the following course of events?
•UR submitted
•Editor sends initial request for more information.
•Editor waits x number of days
•If no response UR is closed as NI

If so I would recommend a follow up request with a short waiting period prior to closing the UR. So after waiting x number of days (let's say 3-5) with no response, send a second updates request for details, and wait another day or two at least before closing NI. You can still maintain your 7 day total time from first comment if you wish.

The reason I suggest this is because in my experience reporting and trying to edit URs, the client and email notification system isn't always reliable. More than once a question or response was sent to me which I wasn't notified of in my app or email in a timely manner. Several times I only saw the original question after a second comment was made. Not getting a response to your first question may not necessarily be due to reporter disinterest, they may simple have never received the question. A short follow up reminder question may get through and allow a willing reporter to help you solve the UR.

DwarfLord wrote:...
Not much we can do about that except use polite language, which of course is best practice anyway.

The only thing I try to do about it is to send a second comment/request for information, politely of course, and hope the second message gets through. This has worked for me on a small yet significant number of URs with no response to the initial inquiry.

txemt wrote:I haven't seen evidence of a user responding after a second request.

It has definitely happened to me several times, unfortunately the evidence is hidden in a Waze database somewhere, if it hasn't been deleted already.

vectorspace wrote:Has anyone considered creating a Wiki page on suggested methods of interacting and replying on user reports? The page could include a knowledge summary from this thread such as ... there will be diminishing user memory and interest over time by the reporting user but all are worth responding, general guidance about how long to wait for a response, a set of "canned" suggested response templates.

I would also think a technical section on common user causes of URs, common map causes for URs, techniques for investigating and diagnosing URs, etc. would be nice.

This could be added as a subpage to the handling URs page

For not identified after two attempts I write

Closed due to inactivity. If you are still experiencing this problem, please send a new report as you pass the area with the details so we can fix it.
Happy Wazing

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qwaletee wrote:Vector,

You are welcome, and thanks back at you for the kind words.

I like your table, including the suggestions on the right. I don't think the closeout response is necessary, but can certainly be useful, including for mentoring.

The timeframes will definitely have to be variable. I suspect that dealing with the dense NYC metro area, most of my cohort has learned to think "close fast." You can probably understand why! When I work on some of the more distant suburbs and rural areas, I don't worry nearly so much about closing out URs, and you're probably coming form a similar frame of mind.

Another thing to consider is closing out a stale UR edited by someone else. I think we can probably set a national standard that one month after last response, any UR you see should be closed out unless comment mentions keeping it open. Regionally, we can have shorter time-to-live limits, but one month should be safe as an outside limit nationally. (I would even be open to making it one month after the UR was reported, but that opens up a can of worms for URs that were not responded to for a couple of weeks.)

I tell the other editors working in my area, if I responded to a UR twice (I always make two attempts at contact) with no response for 7 days after my last comment, and insufficient information to solve in the comment, to go ahead and close as as Identified.

I advocate leaving a closing comment when any UR is closed explaining why it was closed, be it due to inactivity, not a map issue, or documenting what was done to correct the issue. this message then goes to any other editors who worked on it so they know it was handled correctly, and the reporter gets some closure as well. This also gives the reporter an idea of how to get us the information we need to fix it if it's not Identified.

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