Suggestion: auto-lock inactive threads [Merged]

stugib

I'd like to propose (if technically possible) that threads are automatically locked if there's been no activity in them for, say, one month.

Personally, I find it annoying when I start reading a thread shown with new content and then only realise after page 3-4 that it was actually started 6 months ago and then someone, for some unknown reason, decides to add their tuppenceworth months later when the issue's been done-to-death anyway.

If someone wants to post a follow-up to their original thread with an update on their issue they can always create a new thread and link back to the original.

Agree/disagree?

Former_MSE_Andrea

Sorry, disagree

If you have a look at Chat Tips Gold and Freebies Gold, which are linked to from the email every week you'll see there are discussion threads in those that are still good MoneySaving tips but which haven't necessarily been posted on for months, if not years.

We still want people to make their suggestions and contributions to them though. It's why they're in the email

The same goes for official MSE discussion links from Martin's articles

stugib

MSE_Andrea wrote:

Sorry, disagree

That's ok, you're allowed just this once

MSE_Andrea wrote:

If you have a look at Chat Tips Gold and Freebies Gold,...

Yes, sorry should've mentioned I was referring mostly to the Vent & Warnings boards.

Edinburghlass_2

I did notice at the w/end that a thread had been bumped from 2 years ago :eek:

However if people do start new threads on an old subject within the past month or so you'll often notice people like me come along and merge them with the old

sra

lol
People can't win on forums

Bump an old thread and some people hate it
Start a new one and people say you really should have searched first and used the old one.

stugib

sra wrote:

Bump an old thread and some people hate it
Start a new one and people say you really should have searched first and used the old one.

Yes, it is a balance, and some of the football forums I read have policies at both ends - lots of threads saying the same thing, and other threads that run for months with only tenuously linked content. Another is self-policing with duplicate subjects shouted down until deleted or merged by the mods.

However, it's slightly different on the threads I'm talking about because there's usually very little extra added - someone posts a problem and asks for advice, people give their advice, then someone else decides to give their opinion months later when the original problem has almost certainly been resolved.

But anyway, I'm digressing here - it would obviously get in the way of some of the more important threads on the site (the money-saving ones), so it doesn't look like it's a suitable solution - think I'll just start shouting down people who bump old threads

shelly

I know its good that people are using the search feature before posting new threads but it really bugs me when someone posts their question/comment onto the end of a thread that is really old. I don't realise until I get to the end of the thread that its way out of date. Also if the thread is so old then some advice on there could be out of date and people won't realise it.

Can they be locked so new posts can't be added but stay in the archive for info purposes only?

Nile

Hello shelly

A similar question has been asked in this thread:

Suggestion: auto-lock inactive threads

...........and you'll see the official response from MSE Andrea in post #2.;)

Regards

Nile

southernscouser

You do know I'm gonna start randomly bumping up really old threads now just to wind people up.

gazza975526570

Maybe one of the mods can merge this with the original question thread so we dont have new threads started when an exisiting one is available........;)

peter999

stugib wrote: »

Personally, I find it annoying when I start reading a thread shown with new content and then only realise after page 3-4 that it was actually started 6 months ago and then someone, for some unknown reason, decides to add their tuppenceworth months later when the issue's been done-to-death anyway.

Old threads are still relevant.

It's up to people to put the effort in to read & understand threads.

Often the problem is with pedantic people.

I had someone go on at me for me adding to an old thread.
They could not seem to understand that the thread had useful information & the fact the thread was old wasn't relevant at all.

peter999