Old Thread Handling

[BetterRed]

The board needs better "Old Thread" handling - the current warning is too easily missed.

Maybe the warning could be in blinking multi-colour 48 point

I think I've seen an 'Are You Sure' pop up appear on other VBulletin boards when Submitting a post to a thread that's older than 'nn days'. My suggestion for 'nn' would be 30 days. You wouldn't want this for forums with 'long running' threads - such as the Calibre Plugins thread.

And/Or threads could be locked if they've been inactive for a while - say 60 days. A feature to create a 'Related Thread' that injected a link to the 'Old Thread' into the post would be useful.

Many VBulletin features can be applied across the entire board or for individual forums. I'm pretty sure that's true for the auto-lock feature, not sure about the old thread Are You Sure pop up.

I'm mainly active in the Calibre Forum, at least one of the mods there - DoctorOhh - supports my ideas.

Thanks & Happy New Year - BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

at least one of the mods there - DoctorOhh - supports my ideas.

I support the idea of somehow making the Old Thread Warning more prominent.

There are many threads on Mobileread in which resurrecting an old thread is appropriate, especially in the Reading Recommendations forum.

I know y'all have looked at this issue in the past, from the point of view of the board what options are feasible?

[qlob]

Yeah -- Having a "Old Thread Warning" sounds like a good idea....

[JSWolf]

I do agree that resurrecting and old thread is not always a bad thing when you are on about the same topic and can be better then starting a new thread on the same thing.

When it becomes inappropriate to resurrect an old thread is when you don't have much to add to it or you are replying to answer someone's post.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I think I've seen an 'Are You Sure' pop up appear on other VBulletin boards when Submitting a post to a thread that's older than 'nn days'. My suggestion for 'nn' would be 30 days.

If you're going to have a warning, I think it should be visible before you reach the stage of submitting the post. You need to be aware of it before you even begin composing the post. (But, on balance, I would favour keeping the thread open indefinitely.)

Mike

[BetterRed]

@MikeL - I did not envisage the pop up would replace the existing warning system

On my netbook I don't see the warning because its under the message box, Its too late once I Submit & Backspace. When I'm in advanced mode on my desktop I don't see it either, unless I run my browser 1920x1200. If a reply is created via Quote of prior post, then the message compose format will be Advanced Mode.

I at least, would be more likely to see the existing warning if it was moved to the top of the message box. And it might be better if it was based on thread creation date rather than latest reply date.

Another alternative would be to somehow automate DoctorOhh's practise of prefixing thread titles with [Old Thread]. Then one would have notice before one even opened the thread

BR

[JSWolf]

I like this idea best of all...

When a thread is old enough and someone goes to post, when the post button is clicked, a pop-up comes up saying that this is an old thread and asking if the user really wants to resurrect the thread. That way there is no way to inadvertently post to an old thread without meaning to do so.

[Jellby]

I would not like a pop-up. It's annoying, and it only appears after one has already written the post (in that case, a likely reaction would be to post anyway, rather that write it again elsewhere).

I would prefer to replace the "Quick Reply" box (and "New Reply" button) with a warning, only by clicking away the warning (and hopefully reading it) should it be possible to write a reply.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I would not like a pop-up. It's annoying, and it only appears after one has already written the post (in that case, a likely reaction would be to post anyway, rather that write it again elsewhere).

I would prefer to replace the "Quick Reply" box (and "New Reply" button) with a warning, only by clicking away the warning (and hopefully reading it) should it be possible to write a reply.

I agree. This is the best idea so far if it can be implemented without excessive work.

[GeoffC]

Most of the 'new posts' into old threads come from folk noticing the "Similar Threads" links at the foot of the page...Perhaps these ought to be limited.

I do agree, though, that something be done - as long as it's a simple issue to address, it's hardly life-threatening and sometimes interesting to re-read some discussions....

[orlok]

I honestly don't see why it matters if an old thread is resurrected. There is still likely to be stuff in there that is relevant to someone, and if it diverts your attention for a moment when that someone posts to it and you aren't interested, the browser back-arrow is only a click away.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I would prefer to replace the "Quick Reply" box (and "New Reply" button) with a warning, only by clicking away the warning (and hopefully reading it) should it be possible to write a reply.

This seems like a nice alternative if easily workable.

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Most of the 'new posts' into old threads come from folk noticing the "Similar Threads" links at the foot of the page...Perhaps these ought to be limited.

I do agree, though, that something be done - as long as it's a simple issue to address, it's hardly life-threatening and sometimes interesting to re-read some discussions....

Excellent observation. If "Similar Threads" can be limited to relatively recent posts it may help the situation.

Originally Posted by orlok

I honestly don't see why it matters if an old thread is resurrected. There is still likely to be stuff in there that is relevant to someone, and if it diverts your attention for a moment when that someone posts to it and you aren't interested, the browser back-arrow is only a click away.

In the Calibre forum Old Threads rarely have any relevant information. Calibre updates its features and fixes program bugs about once a week. An Old thread is frequently 26 to 100+ versions behind the current version and most items simply do not apply any more.

When someone resurrects an old thread it pops up to the top of the forum and well meaning folks waste their time helping (often with detailed time consuming explanations) an Original poster that had his/her post answered a year ago. It can be very annoying to those that have been active in calibre's forums for 6 months to a year and a half. After that time frame you rarely get caught answering an original poster because you are often subscribed to the threads and you pick them up with the offending necropost and not at the beginning of the thread.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

In the Calibre forum Old Threads rarely have any relevant information. Calibre updates its features and fixes program bugs about once a week. An Old thread is frequently 26 to 100+ versions behind the current version and most items simply do not apply any more.

When someone resurrects an old thread it pops up to the top of the forum and well meaning folks waste their time helping an Original poster that had his/her post answered a year ago. It can be very annoying to those that have been active in calibre's forums for 6 months to a year and a half. After that time frame you rarely get caught because answering an original poster because you are often subscribed to the threads and you pick them up with the offending necropost and not at the beginning of the thread.

Understand what you are saying, but two comments - narrowing it down to a technology thread like calibre is somewhat skewing the argument; and you always have the option to unsubscribe from/ignore an old thread.

If it's really that much of an issue, then I like BetterRed's suggestion of "a feature to create a 'Related Thread' that injected a link to the 'Old Thread' into the post would be useful." This would no doubt create a not insignificant amount of coding, though, and I doubt it would be worth the effort.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by orlok

Understand what you are saying, but two comments - narrowing it down to a technology thread like calibre is somewhat skewing the argument;

It is not skewing the argument it is why BetterRed made the argument to begin with. If you look at post 2 above you'll see I recognize that Old Threads have their place, but making the Old Thread Warning easier to see would benefit all forums.

Originally Posted by orlok

and you always have the option to unsubscribe from/ignore an old thread.

Being subscribe to the old thread makes it immensely easier to avoid confusing it with a new thread and ignoring the thread is after the fact and is of know benefit.

Originally Posted by orlok

If it's really that much of an issue, then I like BetterRed's suggestion of "a feature to create a 'Related Thread' that injected a link to the 'Old Thread' into the post would be useful." This would no doubt create a not insignificant amount of coding, though, and I doubt it would be worth the effort.

This is what I do by hand in the Calibre forum, when I catch them, in order to give folks a heads up.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

It is not skewing the argument it is why BetterRed made the argument to begin with. If you look at post 2 above you'll see I recognize that Old Threads have their place, but making the Old Thread Warning easier to see would benefit all forums.

Ok, my post was badly phrased. By narrowing the argument down to technology threads ignores the fact that many threads on MR are about ideas, books and general discussions, and the fact that they get resurrected matters not one bit.

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

This is what I do by hand in the Calibre forum, when I catch them, in order to give folks a heads up.

I agree that good practice, particularly in technology threads, would be to open a new thread and make reference to an old one, rather than post to the old thread.