Suggestion to reduce the number of old topics being bumped

[TheBear]

Quite often really old topics get bumped by people who don't even notice the date on them, and you see people continuing years old conversations without realising.

A really simple way to reduce this would be to write a message just below "Reply to this topic" if the last reply was more than 3 months ago. Something like, "This topic has not been active for more than 3 months, please only reply if you have something meaningful to add."

I'm sure people are doing this by mistake so just making them aware that the topic is old should reduce the number of topics being bumped.

[eurotrash]

This is my main pet peeve with Eurobricks. I love the site and I'm on here daily, but it gets frustrating when good, original, new threads are bumped down by older threads being rehashed with nothing consequential being added.

I'd propose an even more restrictive policy. "If a thread hasn't been active for more than three months then only administrators or the original author can resurrect it" and if you want to add something then ask an admin.

[Off the wall]

I'm going to wait several months to add something to this discussion.

[tkatt]

I think this thread could be merged with this one about thread bumping. But then that old thread (started in 2008, last comment in February) would be bumped which would result in some bitter irony.

[Andy D]

The problem is... Which topics is this applied to? Some topics that come back from even years ago are enjoyable. I will sometimes see a resurrected topic and think... Wow, I forgot all about this, I am glad to see it again. Some new topics you wish would just go away.

I have no idea how to balance this, but I don't feel we need more moderation in this area, I prefer self moderation for things like this.

Just MHO YMMV

Andy D

Edited October 28, 2014 by Andy D

[deraven]

I must agree with Andy D. I do find is annoying when I see a thread float up to the top that looks mildly interesting and has a lot of apparent discussion, only to find it's from several years ago and the only new comment is "Wow, it's awesome!" On the other hand, it is fun to see some of those old topics (especially things I missed or wasn't interested in when I was in my lurker stage) gain new life or give folks inspiration for something new.

It seems like there would definitely need to be a balance between them, but finding that balance would be a challenge. As TheBear said, "…if you have something meaningful to add" would seem to be the differentiator, but how is "meaningful" determined? Maybe something like a new comment requiring Mod approval once a topic has gone stale for 6 months or something like that? Then, if it's the sort of thing that they'd have merged into another thread they can do so (or leave it there, already "merged" with that old topic... sorta) or they could encourage the poster to create a new topic just referencing the old thread (or do it themselves). I guess the question then would be is it better to have a new separate topic referencing an old post, or just continue the with the old post bumped up?

Or… Maybe this whole discussion has been had several times before and it was determined that it was even money either way so it's remained the way it is and this time will be no different.

[Heppeng]

It depends a bit on the thread. Two recent examples, someone bumped a thread regarding mentioning lego on your CV offering advice to the OP. The last post was nearly 2 years previously so well and truly beyond any point or use. On the other hand someone bumped an old thread about 4.5V trains. I had just finished restoring mine and it made for interesting reading that I would otherwise have missed, and prompted me to comment also as I felt it was more of a good update/continuation of that thread rather than starting another.

[Tariq j]

I agree with the latter of the comments above. I think it all depends on the theme of the discussion. Sometimes, old threads can prove to be useful and beneficial to members who missed out on them. It also gives them a chance to add to it if they want too. As long as the posts are meaningful and aren't things along the line of "Great MOC" or "I Agree" then it seems fine.

[TheBear]

My point is that people are not realising that the topic is old, maybe they are coming in from a search and not noticing the date. I don't think topics should be closed after a certain date but if you put a little message above the reply box to say that the topic is old it might reduce the number of people making a mistake.

[LEGO Guy Bri]

I like the idea of a prompt letting the poster know what they are about to do. From what I've seen, it seems it's usually new members seeing something neat, sometimes something I, myself, would have never otherwise seen, commenting on an old MOC. Much fewer do I see topics that contain good general discussion resurrected. At least a prompt on both would catch the attention someone who may be unaware of what they are about to do. I think that would solve or, at least help reduce the number of random old MOC topics coming back up

[samurai-turtle]

I'm going to wait several months to add something to this discussion.

I do not have time right now, but I will laugh at that later.

[Artanis I]

I don't agree with useless bump posts such as "cool moc" etc, but I really don't mind old moc topics being resurrected. If you've seen it before, great. Good art is good art, and can be appreciated again & again. Eurobricks is an adult site, where it is assumed that we have a slightly longer attention span than perhaps those on 4chan where yesterday's posts are now old and obsolete.

Bumping a years old question or discussion, something like that, I don't agree with so much. But I do think that an alert would help some people to think twice about their post if they haven't realised how old the topic is or how long since it died, should that make their post now unnecessary.

[Andy D]

I don't agree with useless bump posts such as "cool moc" etc, but I really don't mind old moc topics being resurrected. If you've seen it before, great. Good art is good art, and can be appreciated again & again. Eurobricks is an adult site, where it is assumed that we have a slightly longer attention span than perhaps those on 4chan where yesterday's posts are now old and obsolete.

Bumping a years old question or discussion, something like that, I don't agree with so much. But I do think that an alert would help some people to think twice about their post if they haven't realised how old the topic is or how long since it died, should that make their post now unnecessary.

Been thinking... If good art is good art, does it really Matter what the bumping post says?

However bumping a purely discussion thread... Well, I'm not sure that's really useful.

Outside of bumping new topics, I can see a thread and just ignore it and keep looking down for the new threads.

Art yes! Old discussion, well, maybe not.

Andy D

[Artanis I]

Been thinking... If good art is good art, does it really Matter what the bumping post says?

No different from a what a post says when the topic was first created, but the longer between posts, the more annoying an empty post is. But then you could argue that the most eloquent and interesting bumping comment is still fairly pointless since the creator may not read it anyway. I suppose you are earning the privilege to bring back an old moc by doing some work? It shouldn't be a habit though, it would get irritating if it happened too often.

[Ardelon]

I for one am not irritated so see an old topic resurrected, mostly because it gives me a chance to read topics from before my time here, which I would miss otherwise. That goes for both reviews and discussion topics - an interesting older discussion is still worth reading, and newer members should have a chance to add to it, maybe sparking off a new discussion. Continuing in an old topic seems more logical to me than starting a new one, if the issue is the same. The one exception would be people resonding to or asking members who havent been active for a long time, which is pretty pointless, but that doesnt happen too often.

If, on the other hand, a topic doesnt interest me, I simply ignore it. An uninteresting older topic is is just as "annoying "to me as an uninteresting new topic.

Not saying Im against a warning message, just that I dont see it as necessary.