Notice when about to bump old topic

[Luke]

I know this has been suggested before, but it's already in several other forums, and it really helps people, especially newcomers, to not bump old topics.

What many other forums do is put a banner in the post window that say something like "This is an old topic. Are you sure you want to bump it?" with a check box.

I would like to take it a step further:

1) The fast reply should have the banner with a check box.
2) The regular reply takes you to a screen with the message and the checkbox with a submit button (and thats it) and checking the box and pressing the button takes you to the posting window. See, you want to make it super in your face obvious that you're bumping an old topic.
3) If someone does bump a topic that is considered old, automatically generate a report in the report center so a moderator can see it.

Most people who see the message will realize it's old, and not bump it. People who don't care (spammers) will get reported instantly. And in the rare case someone actually has something meaningful to contribute, but the moderator can check it out anyway.

What is considered "old" should be configured. Usually anything older than a year, but this would vary from community to community

Also.... I'm not sure if deleting the post "un-bumps" it, but it would be nice if a moderator could lock and "un-bump" it. No one wants to read a 2-3 year old topic that he/she read a long time ago, but forgot about.

[Jaggi]

this sounds more like a mod than a real feature to be honest.

[Luke]

Honestly? Most every other board has this. At the very least "This topic is over a year old, are you sure you want to bump it?" would be better than nothing.

Just because a feature isn't in at present doesn't make every feature suggested better suited for a mod.

[Josh]

While I think the feature, as you originally outlined it, is a little overkill, it could be useful to simplify it down to a message that lets you know the topic is old.

[bfarber]

Personally I don't see the point myself. I honestly don't care if an old topic is bumped, and I've never really understood why others do... if someone has something to add to a topic, let em add it. If it's actual spam, it'll get reported and dealt with.

For the record, content is sorted by last_post by default, so if you delete the new post, it gets "unbumped".

[Luke]

Why? Because if a topic that is 2 years old gets bumped and I've already read it but forgot, and read through most of the topic and realize that the topic is 2 years old, I get irritated.

[Jaggi]

[quote name='Luke' date='20 August 2009 - 12:10 AM' timestamp='1250723453' post='1846545']
Why? Because if a topic that is 2 years old gets bumped and I've already read it but forgot, and read through most of the topic and realize that the topic is 2 years old, I get irritated.


check a topics date before doing it then, although by the time you get to the bottom it'll have something new so need to get irritated :P.

[bfarber]

Or you could use the little icon that takes you to the first unread post, thereby skipping the part of the topic you've already read.

Why does it irritate you though. I mean, perhaps you need a slight break from the computer in that case? :P :D

[.Ian]

At what point do you decide to start a new topic if you have exactly the same quey as someone else.

If you continue an older thread, one of the posters above may well have the answer, still be on email notification and can help. Whereas they will not see a new topic.

I agree posts should not be bumped for the sake of bumping - but if you have a point to make or need help then respond (IMHO)

[Luke]

[quote name='bfarber' date='20 August 2009 - 02:40 PM' timestamp='1250775646' post='1846751']
Or you could use the little icon that takes you to the first unread post, thereby skipping the part of the topic you've already read.

Why does it irritate you though. I mean, perhaps you need a slight break from the computer in that case? :P :D


If the topic is two years old, chances are your record of reading it doesn't exist anymore. The date is so small, I don't even really look at it. Most of the time I assume a topic is current enough to look at it. The only big clue I have is the badly converted quotes (which may have happened because this forum was the gunie pig for conversions, no going back sort of thing).

If someone has something to add to the topic, I don't mind that they bump it. But I want them to know that they are bumping an old post, so at least they've been warned. If they've added something to the topic, by all means let them add it. But when you have someone bumping a topic that is three years old with their one and only post like this one, there is just no reason for them to do this.

They can make the excuse that "I didn't know it was old" just as I make the same excuse that I didn't realize the topic wasn't current before reading it. But a little warning to them before they do it would prevent accidental bumps. Many forum softwares at least provide a warning where they have to tick a box before posting so they fully understand what they are doing.

There are a lot of features that "would be nice" but "is better left to a mod". This is not one of them. I'm smart enough to see what is or isn't an important core feature. No one, especially on this forum, likes a topic bumped that is 2-3+ years old. Many of them get locked. Very few topics that old are helpful enough to get continually bumped. One topic that comes to mind that is helpful and very frequently bumped is Deby's topic about that motor company. Anything else... there just isn't very much that is worth bumping. And if someone is going to bump something, I want them to know full well that they're doing it.

[bfarber]

My guess is that guy searched google for an issue similar to what you were posting about/answering, came across the topic, and thought the answer was good enough to register and reply to the topic.

Personally, I could care less how old a topic is when someone replies. That's just me though. I know different people, for some reason, dislike older topics resurfacing.

[Andrεw]

hah, that's funny I was just thinking that something like this would be helpful a couple of weeks ago.b

[Brett B]

It basically depends upon the nature of your board's content. My forum is a weather discussion board, therefore most of the topics are time-sensitive. It would be oxnoxious and could become confusing if a member posted in a old topic.

[Luke]

[quote name='bfarber' date='20 August 2009 - 06:44 PM' timestamp='1250790296' post='1846887']
My guess is that guy searched google for an issue similar to what you were posting about/answering, came across the topic, and thought the answer was good enough to register and reply to the topic.

Personally, I could care less how old a topic is when someone replies. That's just me though. I know different people, for some reason, dislike older topics resurfacing.


I know I'm lazy, but I don't think anyone would bother to register on a forum and go through email validation just to say "Great idea. Thanks for sharing" and then make no further posts on the board. Regardless, it would be nice to display some kind of message that requires a box to be checked if last post date is older than a year (or range specified). That way they know that they're bumping a topic that old. And having an auto-report would be cool too :).

I'm not saying "do it now", but it would be nice for 3.1.