Can old threads in non-hacking forums be closed?

[N9ne]

I'm getting extremely annoyed at the fact that people are becoming more illiterate by the day and failing to notice a thread's date. It's actually quite unbelievable, maybe it's a summer thing but i've seen old threads being bumped up in the lounge from months if not years ago. The best solution i've seen (they do this at SPF) is closing all old threads in non-hacking forums (ie. don't close them in the full releases forum) so that will prevent people from bumping them back up. Also, maybe a nice flashing yellow text page if they do try bumping is in order, to either blind them or teach them a lesson .

But seriously, it has got way out of hand.

[pie]

I'll second this!

[SmEdD]

Today at 12:31 AM pie said this in Post #2
I'll second this!

Maybe when they upgrade to vB3 they will prune anything over 30 days old besides the hacks

[Dan]

I don't suggest that SmEdD.... it would screw up the search engines that spider this place regulary. I do like N9ne's suggestion though

[Chris M]

Perhaps assign someone who is active alot a forum in which they can close threads over 30 days old?

Satan

[Dean C]

A script could be wrote to do this but this is a support forum. There may be old threads but people have a right to reply to them. If people do it pointlessly then if I see it I will close the thread.

I'm not behind this idea.

[assassingod]

Today at 03:54 PM Mist said this in Post #6

I'm not behind this idea.

I second, although it can be done easily

[Xenon]

.... insert mists post here ....

i don't think we should do that!

[Logician]

1- I once suggested Date blinks to get attention if viewed message is older than X days hack to be installed here so that such problems will vanish but I guess not everybody finds it handy as I do. I use it in my own board for a long time and it ultimately solved "mistakenly replied" old thread problems.

2- On the other hand I really don't understand why many people are so opposed when a member knowingly replies an old thread? :knockedout: I had had a very old email group before opening my bulletin board and when I installed the board I credited and stressed this very feature of bulletin boards to get my email group members to the forum: A board message is accessible and discussable even after months later, but a email group discussion vanishes after a few days just like a match light.

So joining an old discussion in a bulletin board is something that makes a bulletin board a nice communication tool. It allows new members to blend in, it allows popular discussions stay so, it prevents same questions asked over and over again in different threads as new comers can access and participate the old thread instead of creating their own. So in many ways it is a blessing for a site.

Take our hack request forum: I really hate when everyday a new user joins and posts a thread about "having 2 forums and sharing 1 user database". It has been discussed a lot of times and there is a very nice and informative *old* thread which many people shared good ideas and one can learn much from that thread. If someone has another view, he can post there so it will again be accessible in that particular thread even after months. So I would really rather people "bump" that "old thread" instead of posting another useless thread.

Thus it is surprising to me to see that many people just get irritated when someone adds a comment to an old thread and the commenter usually criticized harsly too. Even if you don't like the idea, well remember that there is no rules against it! :lick: We should all take it easy about this joining old threads issue. :glasses:

(Ps. I assumed bumped thread is not obselete due to its subject and in most cases here in vb.org it is not. Otherwise nobody -including me- likes to see a Window XP question bumping a thread from 1994 about Windows 3.1 hehehe)

[N9ne]

09-04-03 at 03:54 PM Mist said this in Post #6
A script could be wrote to do this but this is a support forum. There may be old threads but people have a right to reply to them. If people do it pointlessly then if I see it I will close the thread.

I'm not behind this idea.

There's support threads in the lounge?