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Thread Age Warning...

J

JohnKSa

Administrator
It's great that people are using the search function, but there's probably limited utility to actually replying to a thread that's years old--especially in the for sale forums.

Perhaps a warning message when someone tries to post to a thread that is extremely old would be useful?

Something like:

"The thread you are replying to has been inactive for over 6 months--Continue/Cancel"
 
M

Mal H

Staff
Man, I would love to see something like that. One of my pet peeves is when someone (usually a new member) dredges up a 4 year old thead and answers the original question as if it was of current and utmost concern to the originator. Then that post is followed by members who are essentially suckered into thinking the thread is current. Sometimes the new response to an ancient thread is both appropriate and of value (just had one today of that nature), but more often than not it isn't.
 
N

novus collectus

Moderator
Yeah, but isn't it a big boost to the ego of the one who started the thread 4 years ago to know that their topic still has merit or interest?

How about those people that started reading a thread 12 months ago, then went into a deep coma and just woke up yesterday with a reply?

What if it is really a plan by some of us to confuse the anti's who are snooping on this thread?

I guess it is a good thing that TFL hasn't been around for 40 years. There'd be a lot of startled newbies (like me) that were concerned by the threads talking about the proposed Gun Control Act (of 1968) being passed.
 
H

Handy

Moderator
Rich,

If I understand both those mods, they would PREVENT new posts on old threads. That would be too bad, especially if the thread originator or original active posters wanted to bring it back for an update.

I like John's warning idea, if possible.
 
R

Rich Lucibella

Staff
Handy-
I'd agree.....if you could cite two such examples of originators reviving old threads where a new thread would not suffice.

However, I do not write hacks. I do not like hacks. They need to be maintained, rewritten, upgraded and/or reinstalled each time the forum software is upgraded (3-4X per year).

While I've asked tyme to look at this thread and I've explained that I'd prefer a warning over an expire, sometimes progress with trade-off is better than no progress at all.
Rich
 
T

tyme

Administrator
This is just brainstorming...

What about denying new posts if the user:
- is not a mod/admin
- has not posted in the thread before
- the thread is not floated
- the thread doesn't already span more than a month, or two weeks, or something like that (which would indicate sustained interest)
and if it's been over x days since the last post in the thread.

Another option, more complicated because vbulletin has an abstracted color scheme system, but extremely simple otherwise would be changing the color scheme for old threads. Or the reply button colors could be changed... or the reply screen colors could be changed... something like that.
 
M

Mal H

Staff
Handy, I understand what yer sayin', but I also agree with Rich's observation ... and I'll up the ante. If you can cite one thread that should be "reopened" where a new thread wouldn't fill the bill with perhaps a link to the older thread (my solution to most of those) if the info in that thread is still pertinent in the least then the thread should be allowed to continue with new posts. If there comes a time when an old existing thread should indeed be reopened, a simple PM to any mod would accomplish it.

As an example (and a real one), I don't think I've ever been in a "real life" conversation where someone new to me came up and said, "Get a SIG 220."

"What??"

"Well, you asked which pistol to get, didn't you?"

"What????"

"Don't you remember? It was about 5 years ago. You asked which pistol you should get. Whassamatta, you got old timers disease or sumthin?"


Let me also hasten to add that if this is a hassle at all or has the potential to create future problems, then it shouldn't be done. It's not that big of a deal in that the dredging doesn't happen all that often. It's just really annoying when it does, but we can live with it. I'll bet vB implements something like we're talking about in a future version anyway.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
""Don't you remember? It was about 5 years ago. You asked which pistol you should get. Whassamatta, you got old timers disease or sumthin?"

I can vouch for the fact that you do have old timer's disease...
 
Y

yorec

New member
"If you'd bothered to do a search before posting this often asked question, you'll find appropriate answers here: Link to various threads..."

I hate seeing such responses to a newbie's question, but with this in place perhaps such responses will finally be seen as unneccessary and we can do away with/discourage them?

After all - suddenly ya can't post to the old topics anyway - so whay bother looking them up for "archaic" answers that may not be relevant anymore anyway? (Same reason we're considering blocking or warning about thier age... Ain't it?)
 
J

JohnKSa

Administrator
Well, it wasn't really my intent to block them, only to warn them how long the thread has been inactive before they post to it.

As far as telling a newbie to go searching, there are two sides to that coin.

When someone pops onto a board and with their first post asks a question that is currently under discussion on two other subforums at the time and has been discussed upwards of 20 times in the last month, I can see letting them know that the search function is a valuable tool--I've done it myself. The other time that I do that is when someone asks a question that requires an in depth answer that has been given repeatedly.

On the other hand, this forum has been around awhile and the archives are HUGE. It's not any kind of a sin to post a question that's already been posted before and verbally whipping someone for not managing to come up with the correct search terms to find a 2 year old thread on the topic is a bit over the top, IMO.

As with many issues, it's a matter of degree. ;)
 
T

tyme

Administrator
Not the most beautiful thing in the world, but this should work at least until vb3.5 is out.
 
S

sm

New member
I like the idea of a thread warning.

I have no idea how this Vb works, that said the ONLY thread I can think of that is still pertinent "today" and folks still post to is : Jim March's
Revolver checkout: how to tell if a particular specimen is any good
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57816

Granted this Checkout thread is in the Library, another area folks tend to not know about or use.

Yes March's thread could be locked and any new questions would either be repeated, or might be useful - Such as the infernal internal lock systems on revolvers that are more of a concern now than they were back on 2001 and concerns of "checking out" the firearm.

Mal, FWIW I was the one that suggested you get a K frame and learn to shoot DA. You told me to not touch the Capacitor....zaP! I remembered just as I touched it. :)
 
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