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Epidemic of necro posts in Rent forum... We seem to be getting a lot of new comers tacking new questions onto old threads, often only vaguely related to the original thread topic. I have been responding to some of those but I'm beginning to think it is a mistake to do so.
Should the regulars here boycott those threads. Responding only to tell the poster that they should start a new thread with their questions? If the majority of the regulars here did this, it would probably help improve the situation somewhat.
I see nothing wrong with users (new or old) posting on old, "dead" threads.
Why keep on creating new threads on the same topics? When a fresh question can bring new light on the subject/discussion?
This is a free & open forum, which means anybody can access it and post. You'll never get every newbie to read the sticky, or the manual, or to use common sense even.
Best to just help out, or avoid altogether. But you'll never change their behavior without draconian efforts by the admins.
Well, based on comments you find on the "About the Forum" area, it appears that leaving a post open for someone to add to it is perfectly acceptable so long as its on topic. Many times its been asked why old post don't automatically expire and get closed after months or years and the response is as i said, they say its acceptable for people to add on to an existing on-topic discussion or ask additional on-topic questions, and I think it would be a violation of the TOS to plan some form of boycott that isn't a violation of the rules or to implement new unofficial rules.
But even if the regulars were to restrict comments until a new post is open, odds are someone will respond none the less and the answers that are given by non regulars could be so far off the base that it forces the regulars to answer just to help the person out from the bad advice. (on some forums the mods take exception to members telling people to open new post unless thats the forums olicy, may want to ask a CD mod whats acceptable or not)
I don't get why some folks get their panties in a wad if a newbie finds an old post that pertains to the topic of their particular problem and adds on to it. It's just not that big a deal, folks! I always wonder just exactly what actual harm they think is being done by that.
One of the reasons that new posters post on very old threads is because they do a google or similar search on the subject they're looking for information on and a relevant CD thread pops up. Without going further than the title and without looking at the date, the new poster just jumps in. It's a common error and most of the time I do take the time to answer their question but also point out that it's better to start a new thread.
TexasHorseLady: there's a valid reason why some folks get their panties in a wad. SOME contributors prefer to read a new thread all the way through before adding to it, so as not to repeat what's already been said. Sometimes they may not get to that thread until it's already run into a few pages but they read anyway. If they forget to check the posting dates they often inadvertently read 10 pages of posts from two and three years ago to discover that a new poster has added on to this whole thread with a quite different slant on the original question. An old thread can be similarly added to several times which gets even more confusing, particularly when someone pops in to answer the original post without realizing that that particular question hasn't been addressed in years!
I'm a fast reader and usually pay very close attention to dates of posts but on the few occasions when I get caught out then I most definitely do get my knickers in a twist!
It'd be great if there were some way for older threads which are resurrected are somehow "tagged" with an alert but I'm no computer whizz so have no idea if even such a function is available.
One of the reasons that new posters post on very old threads is because they do a google or similar search on the subject they're looking for information on and a relevant CD thread pops up. Without going further than the title and without looking at the date, the new poster just jumps in. It's a common error and most of the time I do take the time to answer their question but also point out that it's better to start a new thread.
TexasHorseLady: there's a valid reason why some folks get their panties in a wad. SOME contributors prefer to read a new thread all the way through before adding to it, so as not to repeat what's already been said. Sometimes they may not get to that thread until it's already run into a few pages but they read anyway. If they forget to check the posting dates they often inadvertently read 10 pages of posts from two and three years ago to discover that a new poster has added on to this whole thread with a quite different slant on the original question. An old thread can be similarly added to several times which gets even more confusing, particularly when someone pops in to answer the original post without realizing that that particular question hasn't been addressed in years!
I'm a fast reader and usually pay very close attention to dates of posts but on the few occasions when I get caught out then I most definitely do get my knickers in a twist!
It'd be great if there were some way for older threads which are resurrected are somehow "tagged" with an alert but I'm no computer whizz so have no idea if even such a function is available.
I'm one of those posters who likes to read the whole thread before posting. I still don't get what the problem is - if the information is valid, and pertinent to the new poster, what does it matter when it was posted?
I'm one of those posters who likes to read the whole thread before posting. I still don't get what the problem is - if the information is valid, and pertinent to the new poster, what does it matter when it was posted?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady
I'm one of those posters who likes to read the whole thread before posting. I still don't get what the problem is - if the information is valid, and pertinent to the new poster, what does it matter when it was posted?
The whole point is that the old information is not necessarily valid when the new poster has simply tagged onto a post which sounds relevant.
Let's say Jones starts a thread entitled, "Landlord Won't Return Security Deposit". Jones relates the tale of how his LL refuses to return his security deposit even though he cleaned the place; he keeps calling the LL who now is getting mad at him for pestering him and Jones wants to know what his rights are. A few pages later it turns out that Jones has only been out of the apartment for two days, the LL has 30 days to return the deposit and is still tallying up the damages Jones did to the place which Jones acknowledges but conveniently omitted from his initial post...
A couple of years later, Smith has a problem with the return of HIS security deposit and, not knowing where to turn, does a Google and up pops this CD link which looks to be exactly what he needs. Without looking at the date, he reads the initial post and a couple of first responses, decides that he has the same problem and adds onto the thread - which eventually had grown to 14 pages. His situation is in fact vastly different from that of Jones, but he doesn't know that because he hasn't read the whole thread.
Within half an hour, poster Mephistotle spots what he thinks is a new thread, reads the first couple of posts and then skips a bunch of pages to the last few posts. In his haste to add his two cents he neither checks the dates nor realizes that the very last post (Smith's) is new and unrelated to Jones's old issue. But HE responds to Jones.
The combination of glitches related to the resurrection of old posts is legion and they're never going to end. My apologies for being long winded but I disagree with your contention that it's not a problem.
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