A new section in Discussion Time - "Benefit Time"

kermitfrog

cit_k wrote: »

Rather difficult and time consuming for MSE to decide what was the last productive post...

No, it isn't. When I said 'last productive post' I merely meant drawing a line in the sand where the thread would no longer be bumped to the top. It doesn't matter where you do it.

fermi

kermitfrog wrote: »

Why not allow the children to continue playing, but simply (although it mightn't be so simple) hold the thread at the date of its last productive post instead of allowing it to constantly bump to the top.

You mean like this?

vBulletin hack - topickill - antibump of topic

Gives you another option rather than deleting or closing you can kill the topic. Which will leave the topic there and open, but when someone responds to it, it will not bump the topic. So basically it just falls down the list.

kermitfrog

fermi wrote: »

You mean like this?

vBulletin hack - topickill - antibump of topic

Yes fermi, that's precisely what I mean. You could lock the squabbling kids in the playroom and let the rest of get on with our activities.

fermi

kermitfrog wrote: »

Yes fermi, that's precisely what I mean. You could lock the squabbling kids in the playroom and let the rest of get on with our activities.

Has been suggested before, which is why I knew where to look.

Personally I think it could be useful, if nothing else than a less disruptive way of temporarily dealing with a thread while waiting for the Forum Team to have a look.

Regards using the abuse@ address for issues that are clearly not abuse as such, then that has been the case for years. The forum team's remit is wider than just "abuse", and if they can't deal with something then they will pass it on. I agree however, that it should be clearer.

I've got to say that I only feel it worth closing and referring a few threads a week to the FT. Considering the massive number of individual post reports and spam reports they get, then me asking them if closing the odd thread or two is OK is a drop in the ocean.

dmg24

fermi wrote: »

I've got to say that I only feel it worth closing and referring a few threads a week to the FT. Considering the massive number of individual post reports and spam reports they get, then me asking them if closing the odd thread or two is OK is a drop in the ocean.

There are certainly more than a few closed or moved on the Benefits board each week. I do find it a shame that there are four BG's on that board, but only one that does anything.

(Not having a go, just making an observation.)

Murphy_The_Cat

fermi wrote: »

You mean like this?

vBulletin hack - topickill - antibump of topic

that would be perfect.
Very little time wasted by admin people.
The 'usual suspects' could still fall out with each other to their hearts content - but DT wouldn't be constantly cluttered up with waste of time threads, being contributed to be the same people, saying the same thing, again and again, achieving absolutely nothing, except for boring the pants off other users of DT.

You could always live in hope that once they saw there 'look at me' threads dying a rapid and unmourned death, they would take their typing skills and thoughts elsewhere.

fermi

dmg24 wrote: »

There are certainly more than a few closed or moved on the Benefits board each week. I do find it a shame that there are four BG's on that board, but only one that does anything.

(Not having a go, just making an observation.)

No probs.

I was put as BG there as an "extra" just in case. To help if needed, and pop any debt related threads over to other boards. As in "while you are doing that, do you mind this..........."

(Major "arm twisting" from the lovely MSE Andrea if I remember. ).

So I keep half an eye on it, but don't tend to get involved unless others can't.

dmg24

fermi wrote: »

No probs.

I was put as BG there as an "extra" just in case. To help if needed, and pop any debt related threads over to other boards. As in "while you are doing that, do you mind this..........."

(Major "arm twisting" from the lovely MSE Andrea if I remember. ).

So I keep half an eye on it, but don't tend to get involved unless others can't.

A very honest response, and a genuine thank you for the explanation.

It is a pity that others, and indeed members of the MSE Team could not be so honest when explaining such anomalies.

TurkishDelight

Agreed.
A lot of threads go to the dogs, but it's the sheer volume of threads about benefits that is depressingly stifling, and when you add the endless threads about there being too many benefit threads, then there's usually 5 or 6 benefits threads on the first page, which considering it's a handful of posters saying the same things they've said for the last 20 threads is rather OTT.

Personally I'd just merge the lot- they can get a new one every 1000 posts, just entitle it "here be dragons". (but the subforum suggestion is more sensible)