Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: old threads

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    old threads

    web ram, is there any way of archiving old threads of say over 3 months because ive noticed a lot of newbie's get caught out giving advice on a post from over 18mth ago,and i would have hoped the original advice had helped remedy the issue, just a thought

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    50
    Posts
    1,855
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    Yes, I agree on this idea 100000000000000%
    Please make it so.
    Got a few other suggestions too, but no point airing them because stuff doesn't get responded to or things things don't happen anyway.
    I'd like some feedback on this issue at least.

  3. #3
    Brian_UK's Avatar
    Brian_UK is offline Moderator I am starting to push the Mods: of RE Site Moderator : and general nice guy
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Dorset
    Age
    76
    Posts
    11,192
    Rep Power
    60

    Re: old threads

    The trouble is that 3 months isn't very long and a lot of information would be lost.

    Some threads, Refrigeration 101 for example, have been running for several years now and still get fresh input. How would you handle threads such as those?
    Brian - Newton Abbot, Devon, UK
    Retired March 2015

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    very true maybe if the post start date was in bigger text may help some of us ,as we try to give advice and the someone chirps up that the post was 3yr old and they've prob fixed it!! ive been on both sides of that- just a thought,thanks

  5. #5
    Brian_UK's Avatar
    Brian_UK is offline Moderator I am starting to push the Mods: of RE Site Moderator : and general nice guy
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Dorset
    Age
    76
    Posts
    11,192
    Rep Power
    60

    Re: old threads

    Mind you, I was embarrassed to see the date of your first post. I'm just slightly behind on things right now.....
    Brian - Newton Abbot, Devon, UK
    Retired March 2015

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    see my point, as your right over garys 101 post is legendary,it disheartens when you see a post maybe req a manual that u have and u email it to them, and after a few days then someone alerts you it was prob fixed or retrofitted! its a double edged sword

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    NTH.QLD Australia
    Age
    62
    Posts
    1,762
    Rep Power
    32

    Re: old threads

    My hand is up! Caught out several times as well. Maybe hi-lite O.P. start date with different colours, like... green for current up to 1 month, another colour for 1 month to , say 3 months, and so on. Just a thought but that fails when someone hijacks the thread i guess..Mike.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    england
    Age
    51
    Posts
    297
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: old threads

    how about locking the thread if it dormant no posts for 5 or 6 months ?you can leave ones like 101 open there could be few others to leave as well
    I can fix broke but I cant fix stupid :)

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Fife, Scotland.
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,199
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    locking the thread is a good idea but thats a lot of work for the mods
    <img src=http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=1&dateline=1296159097 border=0 alt= />

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    but webram- think of the overtime!!!! and the satisfaction! you might find the 1st ever posted thread haha
    Quote Originally Posted by WebRam View Post
    locking the thread is a good idea but thats a lot of work for the mods

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    UK
    Age
    55
    Posts
    1,920
    Rep Power
    29

    Re: old threads

    Quote Originally Posted by install monkey View Post
    but webram- think of the overtime!!!! and the satisfaction! you might find the 1st ever posted thread haha
    Overtime, mods dont get over/t - not even standard/t, its just for the love of keeping the site clean for you 'Install' (or was that from you )

    R's chillerman
    If the World did not Suck, We would all fall off !

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    the problem is the longer its left the more posts to file!!!!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    england
    Age
    51
    Posts
    297
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: old threads

    Quote Originally Posted by WebRam View Post
    locking the thread is a good idea but thats a lot of work for the mods


    perhaps you could have mini mods for thread locking ? maybe on a short leash to lock down the old threads and archive them keep some people busy in the long dark months to come
    I can fix broke but I cant fix stupid :)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    50
    Posts
    1,855
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    I think dormant old tech help threads (where someone is looking to fix something at a particular moment in time, should just be archived (ie locked), surely that can be automated?
    If there's frequent replies (like 3-6 months), then of course it should remain open, so not locked by date thread started, but by last reply being over 3-6 months ago.

    Certain sub forums it maybe not required, like legal, marketing, stories and chat.
    But all the tech help forums where someone starts a thread just for help in one particular tech thing certainly need it. If it's a theory type thread that's popular but in the general repair subforums anyway, could that not be stickied, and then a rule made that stickied threads can't get automatically locked/archived?

    But tech help posts that are time sensitive have no reason to be left open so spammers can bump them. Leave old tech help threads archived so people can read them, anyone with a similar problem would more likely read the entire thread and maybe learn something that could help them if they could not easily reply. With the thread open it may be tempting for someone finding it on google search to just reply with a question, not read the thread at all because they can't be bothered reading it, just want to take the lazy way out and post questions to be spoonfed answers. Really, the thread is done and years later nothing relevant could be added except spammers and one hit wonders bumping old tech help threads.
    If someone needed help months later with a similar problem that could not be solved, well then start a new thread. Slightly more difficult than just replying to an old post, so maybe some extra thought went into it rather than what they would have done if replying to an old thread.

    I don't know how to automate locking of old threads, but really big and popular websites do exactly that, so it must be possible
    Last edited by paul_h; 05-10-2011 at 02:43 PM.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    50
    Posts
    1,855
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    OK webram, if the above posts don't convince you to lock or achive old dormant threads, then I don't know what will.

    This thread was dead and three months old before I bumped it. If the policy of locking dead threads was already in place, then none of the above posts would ever of happened!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Fife, Scotland.
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,199
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    Auto close threads now active they will close in 6 months
    <img src=http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=1&dateline=1296159097 border=0 alt= />

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    no updates yet?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    manchester
    Age
    50
    Posts
    5,707
    Rep Power
    45

    Re: old threads

    would it be possible to open the thread started by frank as my son has just passed and cannot post!
    C&g 2079

    Started by frank‎, 28-01-2009 09:09 PM5 Pages •12345





  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Fife, Scotland.
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,199
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    20

    Re: old threads

    sorted and opened
    <img src=http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=1&dateline=1296159097 border=0 alt= />

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •