I think you'd be better off closing off posts to any further comments after a period of time, maybe 6 months or so. It is extremely irritating to find people commenting on posts that are several years old. After a few months they should just start another discussion.
That's an interesting question, I don't think it should banned, but I do agree some of the trolls do like to resuscitate those necro-threads from time to time. Occasionally something of value does come up though, so on balance I would vote to allow if I had a vote.
Yes we should allow them - I'm not necessarily thrilled w/ old posts but some are interesting and it's kinda interesting to see old poster's posts.
The main-problem I see is when some of our more "eccentric" members go off the rails and will spam the board reviving 10+ old threads for the sole purpose of just spamming the board, often times they will not even make a comment themselves or just make a stupid one since their interest is to just clog-up the board and I guess in their mind/state get-attention and/or somehow be relevant.
The problem is that sine the spammer reviving multiple old threads did not create the thread, then the Ignore function will not work in avoiding seeing those old threads that were revived just to spam the board.
I think it is ace to see an old thread people haven't seen in a while. Especially ones from before my time. I don't see a problem except on those rare times that some d-bag bumps a whole bunch of old posts.
I'm ok with posting on old threads but don't like the troll posts where some people post the same crap text lots of times in the same thread just to troll the thread. I usually put the poster on ignore just so I can read the thread if I'm still interested in it but you still see all the junk posts if not logged in.
Some of the older threads are TUSCL classics. It would be like deleting "Gone With the Wind." We need to preserve classic TUSCL threads like "The System" for future generations to discuss.
It doesn't matter to me. I do not sort discussions by last comment but by date posted.
From my perspective the more useful thing would be to somehow limit or prevent the crap that unfortunately comes out on the discussion board. Indian movers, the posts calling others faggot's or other names, those posts which are obviously worthless and do nothing but take up space and force others to make use of the ignore feature. Thanks for the ignore feature by the way. But our society detests censorship and that kind of moderation is seldom well received or simple. Just because I don't like something doesn't mean others don't.
Of course Txtittyfag(dot) would want to expire old posts. He doesn't want anyone learning of his massive infatuation with the BBC (big black cock). His old ghosts are haunting him, so he'd rather keep his skeletons away in the closet. If you expired old posts how else would we learn about investment opportunities like "big black dildos" before Txtittyfag(dot) corners the market with his BBC hoarding?
I think it is best when people can re-use old threads.
Now some threads always were just nonsense and trolling. But some threads have real value. Either way, I think it best if people can continue them instead of starting new ones. Better not to have as many new threads started. I try to be sparing in the starting of new threads.
I also think it would be best if Articles could be viewed by date of last post, as well as by date of submission, just like Discussions are today. Articles are supposed to have stuff of longer term interest. As I see it today, I feel that Articles are getting the short shrift.
As far as people who make posts which are nothing more than '.', there isn't much to do about it. Too time consumptive to moderate out vacuous posts. Also, once moderation starts, people can get even more argumentative, trying to prove that they are right.
You might notice that I often provide links to old threads, and then on the old threads provide links to the new threads.
Most message boards are divided into sections on the index page. But when you do that there is always the problem of people who post stuff in the wrong section, or who believe that their interpretation is right. So not having sections, as it is here, is the easiest. One less place where moderation could be called for.
You might notice that on my profile, and on my outside google sites profile, I have listed thread which I feel are significant. The idea is that I or others will continue them.
Remember that if some troll bumps a whole bunch of old threads, as no one responds, these threads will get pushed way down in the list by the next day. So it really is not a problem. And sometimes the troll actually is showing something interesting about the threads or the OP's. Interesting to see how some of the long term posters and this whole subject area have evolved.
On some message boards they tell people not to start new threads without first searching for old threads dealing with their topic.
While I would not advocate saying that here, or deleting threads, I still think it is better if people do try to use old threads.
I feel that the worst trolling is when people start a new thread, directed at one person, and just to get their title line in the listing. But again, I still would say here that moderation is very time consumptive and it does more harm than good because it amounts to the admin taking sides.
^^^^^ But someone who had not read the thread before might have something to say. And someone reading it might have some new information. Much of what people start new threads about are things which people have already started threads about.
Either way works for me, I don't mind seeing blasts from the past every now and then, some of those old topics are still pretty revelant today. But yeah six months sounds fine to me.
^^^^^ I find many of the very early threads interesting. The people who have remained regular posters often talk about things differently now than they did then.
People who troll by bumping old threads is certainly no worse than people who troll by starting new threads.
I don't see a difference b/w a 6 month-old thread and a 6 y/o thread, it's either a good old thread or a bad old thread, the oldness has nothing to do with the quality/merits of the thread.
I treat old threads like I treat new-ones - if I'm interested I read-it; if not I pass - the only problem is there not being a way around a spammer that goes postal and decides to clog the board w/ a dozen old threads - but this does not happen too-often thus no-need to throw out the old-threads w/ the bath-water.
sometimes the old threads are worth the bump. sometimes not. if this is a way to deal with trolls bumping old threads with a "." I say that's not a good enough reason to delete old threads. if it's just to keep irrelevant threads from being bumped I still don't think it's a good reason. even after 6 months or w/e some old threads are still valuable.
Unless there is a storage issue it is interesting to have the old threads around. Closing older threads to new comments is not something I have an opinion on either way.
I would think it makes sense to lock threads after a month or so. If someone wants to say something about it they can reference it in a new thread. It would be good to stymie the trolls who have no life and go back years to bump old threads.
I'm not going to defend people who log on just to fuck with other people. But It seems to me that changing the board is a solution in search of a problem. A lot of people have found their own ways to have fun with the current format.
I've logged on to other similar boards and I actually find them less entertaining and not actually that useful. I see the point of some people that want to bump old threads pointlessly. But there are plenty of good threads and the people who endlessly bump old threads will just endlessly create new threads.
It seems to me that a lot of people who post regularly find the board useful so changes would be done largely to satisfy people that complain but don't post that much. Let's be brilliant and just go with the TUSCL flow!
Mainster, there is a Google box if you can remember enough about the post.
It seems like this board is not really the revenue generating portion of TUSCL for founder. Obviously, I don't know, but especially if the reviews generate more revenue then putting energy into the discussion board seems non-aces.
The board generates foot-trafffic (counting the lurkers) plus interest in the site - I most likely would have not written as many reviews as I have if I would have not started participating on the board which greatly increased my interest in TUSCL
I don't understand why anyone would want to lock down old threads. I can see that one could lock down old threads. But I don't understand why anyone would want to do that.
If the idea is to stop trolling, that would not do that at all.
And in my view, moderation makes the trolling more intense and more negative.
42 comments
The main-problem I see is when some of our more "eccentric" members go off the rails and will spam the board reviving 10+ old threads for the sole purpose of just spamming the board, often times they will not even make a comment themselves or just make a stupid one since their interest is to just clog-up the board and I guess in their mind/state get-attention and/or somehow be relevant.
The problem is that sine the spammer reviving multiple old threads did not create the thread, then the Ignore function will not work in avoiding seeing those old threads that were revived just to spam the board.
From my perspective the more useful thing would be to somehow limit or prevent the crap that unfortunately comes out on the discussion board. Indian movers, the posts calling others faggot's or other names, those posts which are obviously worthless and do nothing but take up space and force others to make use of the ignore feature. Thanks for the ignore feature by the way. But our society detests censorship and that kind of moderation is seldom well received or simple. Just because I don't like something doesn't mean others don't.
Two weeks from last comment seems a bit short, but I don't ever remember being inconvenienced by it.
Now some threads always were just nonsense and trolling. But some threads have real value. Either way, I think it best if people can continue them instead of starting new ones. Better not to have as many new threads started. I try to be sparing in the starting of new threads.
I also think it would be best if Articles could be viewed by date of last post, as well as by date of submission, just like Discussions are today. Articles are supposed to have stuff of longer term interest. As I see it today, I feel that Articles are getting the short shrift.
As far as people who make posts which are nothing more than '.', there isn't much to do about it. Too time consumptive to moderate out vacuous posts. Also, once moderation starts, people can get even more argumentative, trying to prove that they are right.
You might notice that I often provide links to old threads, and then on the old threads provide links to the new threads.
Most message boards are divided into sections on the index page. But when you do that there is always the problem of people who post stuff in the wrong section, or who believe that their interpretation is right. So not having sections, as it is here, is the easiest. One less place where moderation could be called for.
You might notice that on my profile, and on my outside google sites profile, I have listed thread which I feel are significant. The idea is that I or others will continue them.
Thanks,
SJG
On some message boards they tell people not to start new threads without first searching for old threads dealing with their topic.
While I would not advocate saying that here, or deleting threads, I still think it is better if people do try to use old threads.
I feel that the worst trolling is when people start a new thread, directed at one person, and just to get their title line in the listing. But again, I still would say here that moderation is very time consumptive and it does more harm than good because it amounts to the admin taking sides.
SJG
And the same goes for Articles.
SJG
People who troll by bumping old threads is certainly no worse than people who troll by starting new threads.
SJG
I think old threads and old article should remain open, and that they are very useful.
I wish people would not troll, but locking off old threads or articles does not solve the problem.
And I also am firmly convinced that moderation of threads or posts would create more problems and an even more negative environment.
SJG
BUT, those aren't the posts that are getting bumped.
We can at least re read a classic
allow them.
sometimes they are interesting.
and really.... does not happen all that often.
I've logged on to other similar boards and I actually find them less entertaining and not actually that useful. I see the point of some people that want to bump old threads pointlessly. But there are plenty of good threads and the people who endlessly bump old threads will just endlessly create new threads.
It seems to me that a lot of people who post regularly find the board useful so changes would be done largely to satisfy people that complain but don't post that much. Let's be brilliant and just go with the TUSCL flow!
SJG
It seems like this board is not really the revenue generating portion of TUSCL for founder. Obviously, I don't know, but especially if the reviews generate more revenue then putting energy into the discussion board seems non-aces.
If the idea is to stop trolling, that would not do that at all.
And in my view, moderation makes the trolling more intense and more negative.
SJG