Lack of interest [Suggestion] Old Thread Warning

[Shamil]

I don't know yet how XF functions and as such, however, some board administrators may consider old thread warnings to be useful, i.e, the user is alerted that the thread is old.

One way this could be implemented would be to overlay a div over the post-box with the warning and a button which would dismiss the overlay and allow the user to continue their post into the thread.

 

[Erik]

Bots/Spammers.

And noobs.

 

[Peggy]

eh I rarely find that new members take the time to go back through months old threads. They'd rather start a new one than take the time to look, heheh.

 

[Dean]

What an old thread is/isn't, depends entirely on context.

If a thread should be posted to, would depend on the site, and the context.

I believe the 'similar threads' is the cause of much of the older threads being posted to on our site.

 

[Carlos]

And noobs.

Hehehehe...I was trying to be nice about it. But thanks for the laugh.

 

[dutchbb]

See I don't even consider it an old thread if it's only a few months old.

I'm thinking that our definition of "old", when it comes to threads, differs.

I think it has a lot to do with how many posts you get daily and the mentality of your users. I could see how a forum that gets only 100 posts a day wouldn't mind that 3 month old topics get bumped. While on a forum that receives 10,000 posts a day it stands out more and it's much less tolerated by the users.

 

[Peggy]

When I have a forum running, it tends to be pretty busy. But yeah, 10,000 posts per day is wow.

 

[feldon30]

This issue like any issue, brings up black-and-white dogma vs. grey area.

Sometimes, an old thread is being bumped for no good reason, or the user is not aware.

Sometimes, an old thread is being bumped because it's still valid, or the issue is still not resolved 2 years on.

I've seen forum moderators who close every thread after 1 year if someone tries to reply. Some forums even auto-close threads after 1-2 years of inactivity.

Inflexibility is the root of so many problems in this world.

 

[jonsidneyb]

I think threads of a technical nature can be a little different.

There could be hundreds of threads on the composition of some alloys and one rises to the top all the time but one that may have been active for a year died off as those wanting to use it have. The next round of people that have not used it take notice of it and start using it again. In some environments this is healthy.

 

[dutchbb]

I agree feldon and that's why a warning message would be better than closing threads.

 

[0ptima]

I agree feldon and that's why a warning message would be better than closing threads.

I would like this feature.

 

[Rob]

Due to the varying content and focus of different websites this may or may not be useful. I run an education based website for students and its not uncommon for old threads to get replies. However, other sites for instance may focus upon current affairs, or politics for instance and such a feature would be far more useful in that instance. For me, it doesnt matter if this is implemented as a plugin or not but in my personal opinion most sites would benefit from this feature. It should be a standard feature (even though I wont personally use it)

 

[Enigma]

or a cobweb graphic.

Nah, make a cobweb with CSS.

 

[Erik]

or a cobweb graphic.

Nah, make a cobweb with CSS.

I tried to mock this up, but I couldn't find a cobweb that looked good. (I was going to put it as an absolutely positioned overlay in the top-left corner of the page, with a little tag graphic that would say "this thread is old")

 

[Dark_Hunter]

Good idea.

 

[dieketzer]

i love the dilemma a noob faces; post a new thread and be scolded for reposting. post to the old thread and be told off for necroposting. neither is anything i worry about, and many people (including myself) find amusement in bumping old threads for irony or whatnot.

 

[feldon30]

When it comes to forums, people take things too seriously, and fancy themselves as jr. moderators.

 

[Shadab]

I tried to mock this up, but I couldn't find a cobweb that looked good. (I was going to put it as an absolutely positioned overlay in the top-left corner of the page, with a little tag graphic that would say "this thread is old")

 

[dutchbb]

And maybe some dust(bunnies) on top of the QR box

 

[Booth]

Perhaps auto close threads after a certain time period, with a message stating that this is an old thread - to discuss this topic further please create a new thread (link to new thread).

 

[HydraulicJack]

Perhaps auto close threads after a certain time period, with a message stating that this is an old thread - to discuss this topic further please create a new thread (link to new thread).

... with a back link to the old thread. And auto-close should be admin selectable for on/off and other parameters, please!
My site is VERY archival. That is, a good percentage of the info there is timeless so it still needs to be discoverable by some method of browsing and also showing up on searches. The XF visitor's rating system might help when I'm finally able to use this system live.