Suggestion: Automatic lock

[The Dark Elf]

I suggested this sometime last year, and was told it was possible, the VB software seems to have come a long way since then so I imagine its even easier now. With the recent increase in bumping ancient threads I'm mentioning it again.

The basic idea is this. A thread is made, if nobody posts in it for a fixed amount of time, lets say 20 days then the forum locks it automatically. However staff would have the option of setting a thread as always open. To prevent automatic locks in specific threads and stickies that should be bumpable (questions for valve thread and so on)

Obviously some would try abuse this by regularly bumping a thread on purpose simply to reset the timer. But that would be so obvious it could be dealt with manually by a mod.

 

[Sui]

Personally I've never actually seen what's wrong with dragging up old threads, as long as it's completely on topic.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

We're still waiting on getting the warning system back. How likely do you think this is (good idea though it is)?

 

[Sui]

/me pokes Munro

 

[Chris D]

We're still waiting on getting the warning system back. How likely do you think this is (good idea though it is)?

Warning hack shouldn't take long now. vBulletin 3.5.0 was released today/yesterday.

 

[Munro]

Replying to old threads is alright as long as it's on topic.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Replying to old threads is alright as long as it's on topic.

except that its been shunned upon regardless of being on topic or not...which i never understood.
this place gets new users every day and so naturally a new member may want to add his/her ideas/opinions to a old thread...well anyway at least some people are aware that posting in old threads isn't always a bad thing.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Replying to old threads is alright as long as it's on topic.

Is it though?

See I or anyone else could now go and reply to as many ancient threads as we want with "I agree" or "I don't agree" or "lol your funny" and so on.. It's ontopic, but should it be allowed? It becomes annoying if just one person is doing it, dragging up threads that now have out of date or incorrect information in. Or replying to threads with images that no longer exist because of their age and complaining the images don't exist, on topic again but what happens if more than a few people are doing it? New threads are suddenly lost in a tide of these old ones, forcing those posters to bump their own threads, ending up with a bunch of new threads full of bump 6char, bump 6char, bump 6char posts.

And simply by allowing it, you should know full well someone out to cause trouble will abuse that and go and reply to every old thread they can get to, really screwing up the forum, moreso for those users that make use of the new posts feature. By saying your allowing it. You can't now do anything to stop them from doing that neither. Because how can you prove that they are intentionally dragging up old threads to annoy, they could simply be replying on topic, its not that hard to make it appear that way.

Also its a new "craze" on forums at the moment with some people. On four others that I read, none of which are connected or even part of the same area there have been people signing up simply to drag up old threads for the hell of it, no other reason than that, and one of them haven't been able to do anything about it, because their rules allow for ontopic replies. But the forums are now a mess with threads from 2003 and earlier littering the sections and it takes forever to try and find new threads.

20 day limit would work well. It's not like allowing people to drag up threads will stop the whole been posted thing, nobody uses search anyway

 

[Sui]

Seems like an overkill to me... we have moderators for a reason!

 

[The Dark Elf]

Seems like an overkill to me... we have moderators for a reason!

Yeah and only a handful of those actively moderating

No but seriously though. It's a well known fact that complaining gets moderator actions overturned. Especially in a hard to tell case such as someone dragging up old threads pretending their staying on topic. Munro will err on the side of caution and take their side over yours. So why take that chance, install an automatic lock and then nobody can complain.

And as I already covered in my original post. The mods have an option to turn off the automatic lock for specific threads where you want people to keep using the same one, as the valve thread shows. You'd certainly not force that one to be locked or ones similar to it.

 

[Asknoone]

Replying to old threads is alright as long as it's on topic.

Pffft, it shouldn't be.

 

[Sulkdodds]

It's a rather large problem in the HL2 forums bits. But the problem is often this:

You are in a large, busy forum. You need to discuss something. You can either start a new thread or use the search button for an old one on the subject.

< Use New Thread

You start a new thread, but everybody yells at you to use the search button.

< Cast Resurrection

You resurrect an old, dead, thread and get flamed. You are dead. GAME OVER.



Of course it doesn't help that most of these people who do this are complete idiots, don't post anything meaningful and can't type.

 

[The Dark Elf]

It's a rather large problem in the HL2 forums bits. But the problem is often this:

You are in a large, busy forum. You need to discuss something. You can either start a new thread or use the search button for an old one on the subject.

< Use New Thread

You start a new thread, but everybody yells at you to use the search button.

< Cast Resurrection

You resurrect an old, dead, thread and get flamed. You are dead. GAME OVER.



Of course it doesn't help that most of these people who do this are complete idiots, don't post anything meaningful and can't type.

Exactly, with an automatic lock on old threads you've then got a valid reason to post a new one.. People simply aren't going to use search unless its forced upon them before they can even create a thread. Which wouldn't go down well. Just far easier to lock aftr 20 days of nothing. If someone posts a new thread thats a copy of one still unlocked, a mod can simply lock it and direct the user to the other thread.

 

[Munro]

Two word posts aren't what I would call "on topic". I think all moderators would take this as spam and take appropiate action. I don't want a forum full of closed threads, it's not nice to look at. If you see any trouble threads then press the report button and offenders will be dealt with.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Two word posts aren't what I would call "on topic". I think all moderators would take this as spam and take appropiate action.

Still easy to do though, its just the tards who get caught out with that hehe

I don't want a forum full of closed threads, it's not nice to look at.

And threads from years back over running the new threads and full of "why are you dragging up this thread?" or "omg you n00b thats old news. Edit: oh didn't realise it was a 2 year old thread!" while the new threads are full of posts attempting to bump them back up without being locked for bumping is?

On a popular site a closed thread soon drops out of view unless you specifically go hunting for it you'd not even see it, infact isn't 20 days beyond that of the default forum display setting anyway? Which few members actually change. So the majority would simply never even see them. Certainly wouldn't look ugly, and would keep the many random threads in the past where they belong, while all the visible threads would be newly made and upto date.

You shouldn't even have to worry about closed threads appearing on the first few pages with a 20 day timer on them before lock, they'd be long gone and out of the way. In the sections you'd use something like this, the only closed threads visible on the first few pages were closed in the past few days.

Unless there's not enough people posting on here anymore then I can see your point

 

[$kelet0r]

off topic - TDE post some new art!
on topic - instead of locking old topics why not have a script that says 'this thread has been inactive since, are you sure you wish to reactivate it' - when posting a comment seeing as it is usually new forumites who open old topics

 

[The Dark Elf]

off topic - TDE post some new art!
on topic - instead of locking old topics why not have a script that says 'this thread has been inactive since, are you sure you wish to reactivate it' - when posting a comment seeing as it is usually new forumites who open old topics

That could work. Maybe add a mention in it about doing a search first too


Then maybe add an icon in a post like that showing if they really did do a search or not, since many like to just say "searched, couldn't find"

 

[$kelet0r]

let the bannings begin :E

 

[Zerimski]

I think this is a good idea.

 

[$kelet0r]

*pats himself on the head:cheers:

 

[Sulkdodds]

/me pats john on the head.

 

[Ennui]

/me also pats John on the head

good idea, I agree.

also OT: hello TDE

 

[Sui]

also OT:

I've never really understood whether "OT" means "On Topic" or "Off Topic" :|

 

[Ennui]

off topic, obviously. never have to signify that you're on topic, now would you.

 

[The Dark Elf]

I've never really understood whether "OT" means "On Topic" or "Off Topic" :|

*gasp* a Content Writer and you didn't know what OT is.. oh well I didn't know we could have transparent avatars, guess we're even

 

[ktimekiller]

TDE, your private messages are disabled, i will appreciate it if i can say hello, and welcome back to you! <3

WELCOME BACK TDE