Bumping old threads - would this help? (xenforo add-on)

[DuckLady]

We should not be discouraging new members from replying to old threads. Just because a thread is old, it doesn't mean it doesn't have good information. BYC was built on the experience of members from years back. And that means some threads are old.

We should be welcoming to new members, not discouraging to them. If there is an updated thread about the same topic, you can certainly be helpful and link to it, but please don't be unkind to a new member looking for help or advice.

 

[kattabelly]

We should not be discouraging new members from replying to old threads. Just because a thread is old, it doesn't mean it doesn't have good information. BYC was built on the experience of member from years back. And that means some threads are old.

We should be welcoming to new members, not discouraging to them. If there is an updated thread about the same topic, you can certainly be helpful and link to it, but please don't be unkind to a new member looking for help or advice.

I don't see how it's unkind to have a line of text on screen checking someone has noticed they're replying to an old post, before they hit 'post reply' and have someone type out a message saying pretty much the same thing.

Of course there's good information in plenty of old threads - but it's hardly uncommon for someone to reply to a thread giving basic advice in response to a common query that was posted years ago, or asking a question aimed specifically at an individual poster who hasn't been online for years.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have noticed this happening a lot lately and can see both sides of it. In a lot of cases you can tell a new member is bumping an old thread by giving advice to someone who hasnt been on BYC in ten years and in that case it kind of clutters up the New Posts section. The discussion isn’t active if the OP is no longer online. On the other hand, some old threads are useful discussions that show up in searches and have topics that are still relevant whether the OP is still active or not. I think new members would probably appreciate knowing they were commenting on a decade-old question before they click Post Reply because I think it is a genuine mistake.

 

[BonnieBlue]

RE: Old threads.

I often think "this has likely been discussed before" so do a search. That search may, or may not, give me all the info I need. If not, I will bump it. Some original people may not be here, but new people who might have more info are.

So what is preferable? An old thread that becomes more complete with new info, or an entirely new thread? I personally prefer the former. It's really no different than the mega threads that go continuously for years, imo.

 

[kattabelly]

I have noticed this happening a lot lately and can see both sides of it. In a lot of cases you can tell a new member is bumping an old thread by giving advice to someone who hasnt been on BYC in ten years and in that case it kind of clutters up the New Posts section. The discussion isn’t active if the OP is no longer online.

I think new members would probably appreciate knowing they were commenting on a decade-old question before they click Post Reply because I think it is a genuine mistake.

Exactly, it could just save someone typing out a post and then someone replying to point out it's an old thread (and then three other people replying with slightly different takes on the same advice because they also haven't realised the thread is so old, and then someone else pointing that out to them...) and however many people reading that exchange because it popped up in new posts.

On the other hand, some old threads are useful discussions that show up in searches and have topics that are still relevant whether the OP is still active or not.

Of course, and I was never suggesting people shouldn't be able to reply in those cases. The add-on I posted about can't even do that; at most, it makes people tick a box to acknowledge the message before they hit 'post' but even the tick box can be toggled off.

I'm not sure why so many people (talking in general now, not replying to you BLC ) seem to think I was suggesting old threads should be locked or deleted or something.

 

[Sefirothe]

Maybe I’m not browsing the same topics, but a lot of necro-posting I see is someone asking a question to the OP who posted years ago. Having that little warning more visible might help manage their disappointment about not getting a reply.

I don’t think anyone is advocating for old topics to be closed/deleted/archived in any fashion.

Just make it more visible to newer members especially that a topic is old and they likely will not receive a response if they go ahead and post anyway.