Thread Mining

Hey one and all,

Just a quick note here.

As with any forum topics come and topics go. Once a topic is gone, lets leave sleeping dog lie.

Tread mining (the digging up of an old thread to add nothing of consequence) can confuse people and as such should be avoided.

Cheers

agreed!

Well said mate...

feeling embarrassed bout replying to an old thread without reading the date doug?

i do agree to some extent that thread mining is annoying but also that most people are only trying to help. maybe a sticky would help by stating thread mining is rather annoying and if you wish to comment, you should start up a new thread with your helpful information. new members have a right to give their opinion so we should just point out to them that its better given in a new thread. every little bit of information is useful.

Similar to kfenk, I agree, but only to some extent. I do understand that resurrecting an old thread is considered annoying, and I do not have a problem following convention, but I don't really understand why this should be so, other than personal preference.

I suppose it could be annoying if the poster has nothing new to add, but it shouldn't confuse people; it makes just as much sense to add to the same subject and keep things all in one place rather than have a gazillion threads on the same thing. That is heck to sort through, especially if there isn't a "search forum for_____ feature. Also I think most who do add to old threads are new and very excited to learn. They don't know all the "rules" they see a subject that interests them and off they go. Personally I think that should be encouraged. An old topic may be a re hash to those who have been here a while, but what about the person who just joined and maybe never considered that topic before? Should they just let it be because it's an old thread or risk being censured for their enthusiasm?


I am not a computer geek so I wondered if there was some "computerish" difference between adding to old threads vs making new ones, so I checked with the guy who is senior programmer for the state of Idaho's computer system. He told me there was no programming difference, just personal preference. Some of the forums he frequents follow that convention, but most do not, at least of the ones he uses and his personal opinion was that multiple threads for one topic just make things more difficult to use. So, if that's true, and it all boils down to just personal preference, can't we roll with different mind sets in the interest of information exchange. The exchange of information is the lifeblood of a forum like this, without it it's a dead zone. (Not that there seems to be any danger of that here, thank goodness.)

Sure, put the sticky about how you would like things to be, I think that's an excellent idea, but if somebody slips up, is it really that big a deal?

I do agree that there are times when bringing back an old thread is better than starting a new one. if a member finds a thread that ended without the issue being resolved or had some great insight that have not being previously mentioned then by all means add away. I don't term this thread mining as it is adding to the topic. What we are trying to avoid is people bringing up an old thread to add something along the lines of

These are taken from another forum, from threads that had been inactive for over 9 months

Quote :

Mine did the same thing once, how annoying!"

Quote :

I agree, modding like this is so dumb

Quote :

wow that was a long read! need a nap now

Quote :

How did i miss this?!?!

these type of comments are of no use to anyone and drag up the past.

If however, you have a real gem to add that will really bring an old topic back to life, or if the topic clearly relates to an issue you are having then by all means bring it back, I do agree that having one thread on an issue is better than several.


Things like

Quote :

sorry to drag up an old thread but this is exactly like the issues i am having, after reading it i know that blah blah blah, however, what i still dont get is X,Y and Z.

Quote :

I just read some info on this which will lay the issue to bed once and for all, seeing as we couldnt figure it out when the thread was started . It turns out that blah blah

are perfectly fine and i love posts like these, esspecially ones that solve a mystery

This issue is not a huge one here on Bristlenose World, however, with the intorduction of post counts for clasified it may become an one. We are simply trying to stop it beofre it happens.

Nuff said, back to the forums for some bristlenosy goodness!

What about a section on the fourm for questions from old threads? If they read something they could ask there question there, and most people here most likely remember the post or could just give an answer to the question. I get all my info and advise from you guys, and everynight I look forward to getting on here i've only been in this BN gig a few months and it's like crack. I'm still extremely excited, so If the new guys are half as excited as I was, they will be bringing posts up from the very begining. I think I just babbled sorry.

I think adding a section will be a bit tough. I too remember the first times i came on here and looking at some of the older topics was very helpful. If after reading a topic someone is still confused then by all means bring the topic back and ask away. that way we dont end up with hundreds of topics on the same issue, now that would be annoying!

Thread mining isn't good for any forum but it all depends on the thread being 'dug up'.

Here is a great example http://www.bristlenoseworld.com/new-members-f1/hello-i-m-new-to-plecs-t64.htm

I have just dug this up from 2 years ago ( I think it was the first ever post on here! ) but with genuine reason (I wasn't welcomed )

I think it's at the moderators discretion as to determine whether a thread is mined. Personally I agree that in most cases it should not happen on forums but using the example above (and of course in a humourous way), exceptions can and should be made.

But also members could argue that since this isn't in the rules there is nothing stopping them to thread mine. Although Bristlenose World is well regulated it is actually up to the moderators to have a quiet word with the culprits in stating that old topics are just that.. old.

i think new members just get into the forum and dont look at how old the threads are.
i was even welcomed to the forum the other day by a new member that made me chuckle.

This is cropping up a bit again

Please check the dates of the topics you are replying to!

Don't drag up old topics just to add nothing of concequence!

bump!

any posts adding no information to old topics will be deleted

deano wrote:

i think new members just get into the forum and dont look at how old the threads are.
i was even welcomed to the forum the other day by a new member that made me chuckle.

I welcomed Deano on sheaf valley AS... lol after finding him there and not realiising he was a fellow member... pmsl...

I have to admit I am with pleco paul, kfenk and amber on this one......

lets just use common sense to prevail and wehre common sense does not prevail then just let the moderator question the person,
yeah some times we thread mine by a genuine mistake, and possibly due to the fact that siometimes the date of the thread is not as clear as one would expect...

there must be lots of reasons why people thread mine....

when a genuine mistake \i am sure all parties are genuinely sorry....

though I do agree strongly with Amber..