Way to prevent new users from bumping old threads?

[GAD]

We have a problem where a new user comes in and posts a reply to an eight-year-old thread instead of starting a new one, even though they had to acknowledge that they're bumping an ancient thread (thanks to an add-on).

Is there any way to prevent this?

All of my new users are in a special usergroup until they get 10 posts, so a usergroup-based solution is fine.

Thanks!

 

[Paul B]

Is there any way to prevent this?

No.

Handle it like you would any other site moderation issue.

 

[Max Taxable]

Think about something like this possibly.

Auto Lock Threads [Deleted]

au lait submitted a new resource: Auto Lock Threads - Automatically close thread This add-on allows you to automatically close threads after a number of posts or after a date. Information: This add-on is based on the XF1 idea of [DS] Auto Lock Threads This version is compatible with the data...

xenforo.com

 

[GAD]

Think about something like this possibly.

Auto Lock Threads [Deleted]

au lait submitted a new resource: Auto Lock Threads - Automatically close thread This add-on allows you to automatically close threads after a number of posts or after a date. Information: This add-on is based on the XF1 idea of [DS] Auto Lock Threads This version is compatible with the data...

xenforo.com

Thanks. I considered that but there are legitimate reasons to bump old threads so we don’t really want to lock them.

 

[GAD]

We can't be the only ones having this issue.

• Human spammer joins. We're fairly good at catching them, but they still get through
• Human spammer posts in an old thread something that looks legitimate but is just fluff
• Unaware members see the old post and start posting again because no one looks at the last post date
• I usually catch the human spammer and spam clean them, but now the old thread has been revived for no good reason
• If we don't catch the human spammer than they try to come back weeks later and edit their posts (which is why we lock all posts after three days)

Our forum has been live for 20+ years so we have some OLD threads.

Additionally, we sometimes get new users who respond to a 15 year old thread where they ask the OP a question and the OP has literally died.

Yes, we can force new users to posts in a hello node or some such, but that just seems ham-fisted when it should be trivial to make a user group that can only reply in threads younger than X days.

 

[duderuud]

[XTR] Old Thread Notice

Warnings Don't upgrade this add-on with old version (File directories have been changed.) What does this add-on do? This add-on adds a warning to the selected position of threads with the most recent reply being more than a specified number of...

xenforo.com

 

[GAD]

[XTR] Old Thread Notice

Warnings Don't upgrade this add-on with old version (File directories have been changed.) What does this add-on do? This add-on adds a warning to the selected position of threads with the most recent reply being more than a specified number of...

xenforo.com

Already using that. They don't care.

 

[duderuud]

Nothing you can do then...

 

[Dragonfruit]

We can't be the only ones having this issue.

You're not. We use this: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/auto-close.5956/

And if a thread should be reopened instead of being a new thread, users can ask mods/admins to do that, or the Mods/Admins can merge it into the older thread and reopen it.

Making it so only a specific group can bump really old threads sounds like it's out of scope and would require a custom addon, if none of these solutions suit you, then go about that solution.

 

[AndyB]

You might like this add-on:

https://www.xf2addons.com/resources/old-thread-email-staff.538/

 

[PatriotGB]

A funny thing I've observed over all my years participating on forums...

If a newbie posts a comment / question on an old thread, they get admonished for "necro-posting."

If the newbie starts a new thread with that same question, they're admonished to "do a search!"

Newbies can't win for losing! Damned if they do. Damned if they don't.

 

[Suzanne O]

close the threads and move them to a new section.

 

[webbouk]

Try this add-on:

Old thread deny reply

Description: Disallows replying to old threads. This add-on performs the same function as locking a thread, but does so dynamically based on the last post date. (Example post) (Example of options page) Features: All phrases start with...

www.xf2addons.com

 

[Xon]

I've got a paid add-on around which helps prevent very new users replying to too old threads:

Post Friction

Introduces friction for low-effort posting. Asks if they are sure and really want to post when: Replying to old threads - global, forum or per thread. Low-word count posts - global, forum or per thread. High-word count posts - global, forum or...

xenforo.com

This add-on has a permission around accepting the old thread warning and posting anyway. Virtually all the various options can be configured globally or per-forum or per-thread.

Basically this slots well into using a user-group promotion to give a user full permissions after a day or a few posts.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Is there any way to prevent this?

It's not a problem I have as we prefer people replying to old threads rather than start another one, but I am really surprised that you can't actually do this with batch thread update. I thought you could lock all threads that are not responded to for x months or years. Seems not.

 

[Dragonfruit]

It's not a problem I have as we prefer people replying to old threads rather than start another one, but I am really surprised that you can't actually do this with batch thread update. I thought you could lock all threads that are not responded to for x months or years. Seems not.

Andy has an addon that creates a cron job that does exactly that: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/auto-close.5956/

 

[Suzanne O]

This is what i do.
I create a new board for all the old threads to go into that is readable when logged in.
But in the section where a particular thread was i make a part 2 or part 3.
Once a certain thread is at a particular page limit i close it and then move it to where the old threads go to.
That works out to be a good thing.