OLD POSTS

What to do with necroposting


  • Total voters
    20

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
Spirited discussion about what to do with old posts when someone resurrects them.
So being a trouble maker I thought I would start a poll. The problem is I'm not sure of all the pitfalls, so I'll list a few possibilities - please feel free to add. I'm not sure I can edit the poll so I'll put in a couple of others.

1- Just let people post to them.
Draw backs, Some posts can be very long and it's a pain to read thru them to find "I have the same problem".
2- Lock them after 1 year with a note encouraging them to start a new thread.
Drawbacks, Prevents the original poster from adding to their post. Creates multiple posts on the same topic.
3- Start an new thread for the new poster and lock the old thread. Kind of like now.
Drawbacks, The old thread is now locked.
4- Other1 - Let the thread run if it is not a hijack or useless response. But mark it more clearly as an old post.
Drawbacks - requires software change.
5- Other2- locked after 6 or 8 months except for the OP and those that contributed already prior the locking. Drawbacks. Software changes.
 
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wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
I don't care whether a noob comes along two years late with advice on how to charge a battery. I just want a more obvious cue that that is what happened so I can ignore it and not accidentally get sucked into responding. Yes I know the information is already onscreen but I don't usually look.

If it's not a useless post or a hijack, let it ride.
 

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
I don't care whether a noob comes along two years late with advice on how to charge a battery. I just want a more obvious cue that that is what happened so I can ignore it and not accidentally get sucked into responding. Yes I know the information is already onscreen but I don't usually look.

If it's not a useless post or a hijack, let it ride.
I made your idea other1 in my post. Did I get it right?
 

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
I am a moderator of one site that has an average of 500 members on line at any given time.
We allow necroposting IF the subject refers to the subject in the OP or thread in general.
Otherwise we just move it to its own post.
No thread is flagged or locked because of age.
Max.
So the first choice?
If so, can you click it?
 

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
Sounds a little like sedition.:p
Max.
Maybe, not so sure. I'm not sure the mods really care that much one way or the other. But my bet is there isn't one solution that will satisfy everyone and they don't want to be jerked around.
I could be wrong. If I am everyone will have the same vote.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
Maybe this could be the 2nd other: locked after say 6 or 8 months except for the OP and those that contributed already prior the locking.

Leaving it open to close it if someone posts a follow up is a monument to futility.

Otherwise, let it run with a warning.
 

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
Maybe this could be the 2nd other: locked after say 6 or 8 months except for the OP and those that contributed already prior the locking.

Leaving it open to close it if someone posts a follow up is a monument to futility.

Otherwise, let it run with a warning.
Sounds good.
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
I added the option choices described above to the poll list - if I didn't get it right, let me know please.
I appreciate the poll - so far the results are kind of broad but we'll see if a user consensus can be reached that also works for the staff (I'm not going back to lock 160K+ threads).
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
Maybe, not so sure. I'm not sure the mods really care that much one way or the other. But my bet is there isn't one solution that will satisfy everyone and they don't want to be jerked around.
I could be wrong. If I am everyone will have the same vote.
We care. But yeah, sometimes you have to make a call that will satisfy some and anger others. We sometimes get hot-tempered reports from different users in the same thread each demanding different, contradictory actions be taken - sometimes against one another - and then hot PMs from the one who lost the argument. It's no-win sometimes. I'm encouraged by this dialog and hope we can reach a clear consensus that works for the boards.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
I'm not sure what I was thinking (or drinking?) when I wrote "if it's not a useless post". I don't mind if a post to an old thread is completely useless, as long as I know it's an old thread. That's what I had explained in the preceding paragraph.

So in the poll questions, my suggestion of letting it ride unless it's a hijack is essentially the same as "just let people post". Everyone agrees that outright hijacks are forbidden and that wasn't really the topic here.

My point in #2 was simply that I wouldn't care about necroposting at all as long as I can easily tell that's what it is without having to remember to look at the dates of every thread I visit. So my vote is very similar to option #1 in the poll, with an asterisk.
 

Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
I'm not sure what I was thinking (or drinking?) when I wrote "if it's not a useless post". I don't mind if a post to an old thread is completely useless, as long as I know it's an old thread. That's what I had explained in the preceding paragraph.

So in the poll questions, my suggestion of letting it ride unless it's a hijack is essentially the same as "just let people post". Everyone agrees that outright hijacks are forbidden and that wasn't really the topic here.

My point in #2 was simply that I wouldn't care about necroposting at all as long as I can easily tell that's what it is without having to remember to look at the dates of every thread I visit. So my vote is very similar to option #1 in the poll, with an asterisk.
Maybe you can answer.
Lets say it is a hijack. I think the mods move it to it's own post, but does that move the old hijacked post up into the active area where it is likely to get answered even though it's old? If so, do these get locked?
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Maybe I've misunderstood the question but I doubt a mod would take time to process a hijack that escaped their notice for more than a few days.

Oh wait, that wasn't the question. (I need my coffee!). I don't know for sure but I don't think the old thread gets highlighted as new if a new post gets removed from it.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
The whole thread?
Why not? If something as benign as necroposting gets peoples panties in a bunch, just eliminate the whole archive. Then every post is a new post, end of problem.

With the number of people, long time members and new members, that respond to a reawakened post before it's recognized as such, most of the time it is due to a new member asking for more information or adding to the existing information. Why not keep ALL of the information in one place. Some times the necropost adds good information, some times not, but that's true of all threads. Spam would be treated just like all spam, deletion from a post.
 
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Thread Starter

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
Why not? If something as benign as necroposting gets peoples panties in a bunch, just eliminate the whole archive. Then every post is a new post, end of problem.
Ever look to see how many people are looking at those archives?
Right now there are 1000 while there are 50 members eager to answer their questions. :eek:
 
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