Category talk:Paragonians looking for help

Is anybody actively monitoring this page? If not, we should probably get rid of it so that people aren't waiting forever for help on the rare occasions that it does get used. :) -- Sekoia 22:23, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

If one could send an alert every time an article (user page) uses the helpme template, then there would be an argument to keep it. Otherwise I suspect we'll forget it exists. --Konoko 22:35, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm obviously monitoring, but the problem is that watching the page only works if someone changes the page. There's no notification if something is added to the category though. User:StarGeek/sig 22:36, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

I come in here every once in a while to check for outstanding items. I could probably get the same results by checking the "What links here" from the helpme template, though. --Eabrace 23:49, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Well, the only point for the HelpMe template is to put them in this category. Instead of directing people to use the helpme template, I'm wondering if we should do away with it entirely and refer them to the forums since using the HelpMe template is as likely as not to leave them unanswered for some time? If none of us are actively watching this category (and I mean visiting the page and looking to see if there's articles in it -- not putting it on our watchlists, which as mentioned, is unhelpful), then the helpme template does more harm than good. -- Sekoia 07:00, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

At one point, I tried using an external website checker (http://www.followthatpage.com/ IIRC) but that didn't work so well, as there would always be something on the page that would chage (date or something like that). Anyway, if no one is patrolling this category, is anyone patrolling similar ones like Category:Candidates for Deletion? User:StarGeek/sig 21:02, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

I check that one every couple of months or so, but less out of habit and more out of having a slow day at work. --Eabrace 21:33, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

I periodically check Candidates for Deletion when I think of it. I'm okay with a category like that sitting unchecked for weeks or months; it doesn't hurt anything. If nobody is checking this category though, then some poor user could be sitting around waiting for help that's never going to come--which is rather unfair. Instead of telling them to categorize themselves in a category that isn't referred to often, we should just point them to the forums, IMO. -- Sekoia 08:51, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

I added this category to my watch list to see if I'd get a notification when something is added to the category. Unfortunately, it looks like I only get notified if someone actually changes the category description itself. I'm going to go ahead and add a note to the template that response times may be faster if they post questions in the forums. --Eabrace 05:35, 15 February 2009 (UTC)