'Similar threads' Dredging up Old Threads

[CHlCKEN]

I think it's fine the way it is and I have actually found it useful in finding stuff.

Really, it depends on the forum. In the Emergencies forum, it is extremely helpful, but in the Breed and Gender forum, it just drags up questions from 10 years ago, and really is pointless.

 

[black_cat]

Ya, this is a really interesting discussion.

Again, for the record, we'll NEVER systematically "lock" old threads.

I think the big question is if we should remove / limit the new "similar threads" feature to more recent threads and not let it "pull up" threads over x years ago.

As it stands right now, we feel the pros of allowing the new feature to pull from the wealth of info on BYC outweighs the cons of old threads being "dug up".

I'm wondering if you could enable it for certain forums, but disable it for others?
For example, it may be helpful with emergencies.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I'm wondering if you could enable it for certain forums, but disable it for others?
For example, it may be helpful with emergencies.

We've disabled it for the BST sections since the vast majority of the time, those threads ARE date specific/limited, but in almost all other cases, we have seen evidence that there are usually legitimate reasons and information / discussions from years ago in almost every section... maybe a jokes thread from 10 years ago... someone's story about their chickens, and people forgot about it, are looking for updates, etc.

In general, we favor more of an "open ecosystem" where we let the natural and organic process of people's interest determine what threads are "bumped" and which ones aren't... and so far the pros continue to outweigh the cons.

That said, we're always evaluating things and open to changing things once the total cons outweigh the total pros.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Maybe put the "similar threads" BELOW the current threads?

 

[3KillerBs]

I think the big question is if we should remove / limit the new "similar threads" feature to more recent threads and not let it "pull up" threads over x years ago.

As it stands right now, we feel the pros of allowing the new feature to pull from the wealth of info on BYC outweighs the cons of old threads being "dug up".

I'm afraid I'm not seeing the pros of wading through 5 or 10 or 15 pages of old posts about specific issues that have been solved long ago by people who are no longer active on the forum to get to a handful of new comments posted after a 5 or 10 year gap by someone who was not involved in the original discussion.

As a research tool, old threads can be valuable and should never vanish, and there is certainly a place for long-running, general topic threads that remain active for years. But people who need to have their specific, personal questions/issues/concerns/etc. addressed should be posting new threads about those specific questions instead of tagging them onto something that's been dead for years.

Maybe put the "similar threads" BELOW the current threads?

Or order them with the most recent first?

It almost seems as if the feature is deliberately presenting old threads at the top.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

It almost seems as if the feature is deliberately presenting old threads at the top.

Doesn't seem this is the case:

 

[aart]

Geez, quit beating a dead horse people......it's more annoying than the old threads.

There will always be something(s) about a forum platform that is/are not ideal,
learn to live with it...and be glad it's here to begin with.
Not to mention the amazing amount of work that has gone into making it the best it can be.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Geez, quit beating a dead horse people......it's more annoying than the old threads.

There will always be something(s) about a forum platform that is/are not ideal,
learn to live with it...and be glad it's here to begin with.
Not to mention the amazing amount of work that has gone into making it the best it can be.

People are simply giving suggestions so the forum can be the best it can be.

 

[aart]

People are simply giving suggestions so the forum can be the best it can be.

The subject of 'similar threads' has been beaten to death in several threads since the latest upgrade.
The subject of closing old threads has been beaten to death for years.

 

[CHlCKEN]

The subject of 'similar threads' has been beaten to death in several threads since the latest upgrade.
The subject of closing old threads has been beaten to death for years.

I haven’t noticed. Sorry.