Solved Necroposting Guidelines for BYC Forums?

[gtaus]

For better or worse, I cannot find any BYC guidance on necroposting. Does BYC forums have any guidance on this issue?

In general, I have followed some guidelines on other internet forums such as this....

The issue affected me directly in that I started a new thread on a subject, and another member called me out for not responding to an 8-year-old thread that was inactive for over 3-1/2 years which included the topic thread I just started. To me, I have always considered it bad internet practice to necropost to a long inactive thread. Having said that, old inactive threads may contain a wealth of information and I am glad they still exist on the forum, for research, if nothing else.

That member continued to criticize my opening a new thread and then went back to the older thread, inactive for over 3-1/2 years, and necroposted to it with this message...

"Thought I would bring this thread back to life seeing as how it has so much more useful information than the [omitted] thread just started."

I know I may be a little sensitive to that post, but it seems to me that we could kill many new threads that way.

I am just asking what guidelines or preferences BYC forums have on this issue of necroposting to long inactive threads. Or maybe BYC has decided not to have any guidance on this issue.

I am certainly not proposing banning anyone for posting to an old, inactive thread. I myself have mistakenly responded to a few threads that newly pop up on BYC forums only to notice later that the thread was posted years ago and inactive for about as long.

I would just like to know what BYC forums thinks about these issues before I start a new thread that may have been discussed many years ago. I have always considered it bad form to post to long inactive threads. But I know any internet forum may have different preferences of posting new threads versus reviving old threads.

Looking forward to considered comments. Thank you.

 

[DuckLady]

You are free to start another thread or respond to a very old one if it's relevant. If there is an issue, a Staff member will get in touch with you. You can ignore (and please do not respond) anything else. If you feel that member has violated the BYC TOS, please just use the report button.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I find it most often helpful for members to start a new thread. When an old thread gets resurrected it may not get seen or responded to simply because of the date of the thread.

This can be especially problematic in the emergency section. The member posting may have an urgent matter but because of the date of the thread it won't get seen.

 

[gtaus]

You are free to start another thread or respond to a very old one if it's relevant. If there is an issue, a Staff member will get in touch with you.

Thanks. I appreciate all the work the moderators do to keep the BYC forum a postive place to exchange ideas and information.

You can ignore (and please do not respond) anything else.

That is what I will do.

If you feel that member has violated the BYC TOS, please just use the report button.

I don't think that is necessary in this case. But I have reported a few trolls in the 4+ years I have been on the BYC forums and have always been amazed at how fast, and fair, the moderators respond. You guys do an amazing job, and we all benefit from your work. Thank you.

 

[aart]

I find it most often helpful for members to start a new thread. When an old thread gets resurrected it may not get seen or responded to simply because of the date of the thread.

I find the most annoying aspect of this is that it moves the thread up on the lists and people respond to the first(old) post rather than the newest one.

 

[Awaytome]

Those old posts may contain a lot of good information, but wading through hundreds of pages to find it turns me off. I think you're referring to the gardening post, which I saw and initially found attractive... until I saw the original posting date and number of pages I would need to dig through to perhaps contribute to the conversation and maintain some continuity. I just don't have the time for old and long threads. I'm sorry your thread was tacked onto the old thread.

 

[TooCheep]

I saw that exchange. Some people just can't let others have a little freedom.

When the topic comes up, I like to point to a "master" thread on one of my favorite topics: egg preservation, but I don't give them any grief if people continue on the new thread. Old threads can collect very good info, but they don't encourage interactions and new input.

 

[gtaus]

I saw that exchange. Some people just can't let others have a little freedom.

When the topic comes up, I like to point to a "master" thread on one of my favorite topics: egg preservation, but I don't give them any grief if people continue on the new thread. Old threads can collect very good info, but they don't encourage interactions and new input.

Thank you for all those great comments on that thread. You were one of the first people to add inputs to the thread. It was very much appreciated.

I always appreciate a good link to favorite threads that may contain valuable information. Like you, I have provided links as well to other BYC threads that I find might be helpful. But I never have done it in a way to end conversation on the new thread.

As you know, I tried over and over again to respond positively to the concerns of that other member. The new thread was pretty active up to that point, but nobody has responded since that exchange. If I knew how to handle the situation better, I would have done so. I tried to redirect the thread back to the subject as best I could.

And I know how people can easily get turned off to a thread when members appear to be arguing with one another. Nobody wants to be in that discussion. I, myself, have stopped following threads that I don't feel comfortable with.

Like you, I agree that old threads can collect very good information, but they don't really encourage new interactions and input. I always look for new interactions and input when I post a thread. That's the advantage to internet chat forums for all of us. Otherwise, I'd just go to the library and check out an old book off the shelf and read it at home.

But again, thanks for your input and comments. I look forward to conversing with you in other threads as well.

 

[rosemarythyme]

To me, I have always considered it bad internet practice to necropost to a long inactive thread.

BYC doesn't have guidelines on necroposting on old threads. As you've noted, it is considered common etiquette to not necro (or bump, or wall of text, or ALL CAPS, etc.)

I simply don't click any threads older than a year, unless I was already active in it.