Thread first post date - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: newbrain
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2019, 09:46:26 pm
content: I don't know whether this has been suggested before, google was my friend...I've often seen newbies (and not-so-newbies, me included) resuscitating ancient threads.Sometimes this is good and brings new valuable information, most of the times it just adds noise.In many forums the original post date is shown, together with the last one: I think this could prevent some necroposting (or at least limit it).Is this a possible option with this forum software? Are there reasons this is not done?

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2019, 10:22:10 pm
content: The forum already does this.I just posted to an old thread and got an alert asking me if I was sure I wanted to post to an old thread.The only question: I don't know what the cutoff date is. Is it 6 months? A year?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2019, 10:30:45 pm
content: Quote from: MarkF on June 12, 2019, 10:22:10 pm120 days after the last post IIRC.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2019, 11:13:35 pm
content: IIRC that only warns the necroposter. After they've resurrected it, if anyone else replies they don't get a warning.I think what Newbrain is asking for is: In topic lists where the originator of the topic is shown*, cant the original date be added to the originator column?Another thing that could possibly be done to stop necroposting would be to remove the ability of members of category 'Newbie' to do so. Once a member has ascended to the next level normal necroposting rights could be granted on the assumption they'll have enough judgement to use them appropriately.Of course both ideas would depend on an existing SMF mod being available as I doubt Gnif has the time or inclination to create mods from scratch.* i.e. named subforums, Show unread posts since last visit, and Show new replies to your posts.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2019, 11:36:44 pm
content: Quote from: Ian.M on June 12, 2019, 11:13:35 pmI can't disagree more. Anyone should be able to post to anything at any time. Just because you are new to the forum doesn't mean you can't have something constructive to say or ask*. Next you will be saying you can't post if you have gray hair because you can't remember the subject.*They would just start a new topic instead of continuing the old relevant topic.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 12:21:43 am
content: Its not about censorship - as you point out they can (and IMHO should) start a new topic. It also wouldn't prevent them replying to currently and recently active topics.Its simply that the majority of newbie necroposters don't bring anything that is both on-topic and of value to the topic they necroposted to. The threshold for elevation to 'Contributor' is only five posts, so most legitimate new members would barely be affected by such a change. It would however prevent necroposting by one post wonders who never return and by most spammers.

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 12:57:48 am
content: What exactly is wrong with posting in a dormant thread? Really, when you get past a catchy label of necroposting.What is the dividing line between necroposting and not necroposting? Is it the arbitrary 120 days setting? Or is it some value judgement about the relevance of the post to the existing thread?Some threads about an obscure device lie dormant simply as a side effect of that obscurity and someone may come along and make a relevant reply. Is that necroposting? Is it better to confine the few posts about that device in a single thread or is it better to sprinkle them about in multiple threads?Then you get threads like the TEA thread where just about anything goes. No-one worries aboutnoiseas long as the beer lasts. And also threads like "Gender politics" which is near a year old but can have a gap of 3 months. Has that been necroposted? In the latter case I prefer necroposting if it keeps the shit in just one sandpit.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 01:12:49 am
content: Good necroposting: resurrecting a 'dead' topic you encountered while researching a problem to add relevant information that is likely to be useful to future searchers with similar problems.Bad necroposting can take many forms. e.g: posting a question about your problem to a 'dead' thread that has no relationship or similarity whatsoever to the O.P's question/problem, just because one keyword in the title matched a google search you used a poor choice of keywords for!Also, old topics with highly relevant content tend to be prominent in google search results etc. so attract SEO link spammers. Therefore blocking newbie necroposting will ease the burden on our moderators.

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 01:25:21 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on June 13, 2019, 01:12:49 amIs necroposting a burden on moderators? I seem to see noobs double posting get short shrift from Simon a bit. Not necroposting though.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 01:34:03 am
content: Spammers are a burden on our moderators. You don't see much of it it because our moderators are good at responding to spam reports quickly. SEO link spammers tend to necropost because they search for topics high in the results for the keywords they are trying to optimise, which are often old topics.Making it more difficult for spammers without significantly inconveniencing new members is a worthy goal.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 02:30:08 am
content: Another pro for necroposting is to involve the original participants as it will show in their "new replies to your posts" section. A new thread might not capture the original thread authors.The only con I've encountered is you start reading a revived thread and dont realize it. A minor inconvenience

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 13, 2019, 12:30:46 pm
content: Necroposting isn't a particular problem here, so I don't think we really need to do anything.