topic Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent? in Community Chat

Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

ajsidney12 — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:38:32 GMT

This weekend I responded to a thread about SSC, and like a fool I had no idea the post was from last year. Yes, the thread was relative because SSC was on HSN this weekend so I just assumed it was new. Today, I went into the Fashion category, where of course someone was going after SG clothes, but the original post was from last summer. What is that all about? Why do people feel the need to resurrect a very old post?? I would imagine people have to make an effort to seach for such topics in order to bring them back to the front of the list. Is that what trolling is, because I honestly don't know.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

ctinaw — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:41:10 GMT

well when you begin a new thread, possible topics come up, and i fyou click onthem it takes you to that thread. I suppose people post to those threads feeling like if the topic has been addressed they should just continue on with it without noticing the date. It's no biggie really. I figure if it is still relevant who cares how old it is.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

ctinaw — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:44:13 GMT

No, that's not trolling. Trolling is when people bring up sensitive topics or make controversial statements JUST to start drama. Like - that is their entire goal is to start a fight or argument online.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

isaboo — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:48:32 GMT

I noticed this too.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

ChynnaBlue — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:48:58 GMT

@ctinaw wrote:
No, that's not trolling. Trolling is when people bring up sensitive topics or make controversial statements JUST to start drama. Like - that is their entire goal is to start a fight or argument online.

It's also trolling when people intentionally go digging into very old posts and replying to many of them at a time, bringing them all up to the top of a web forum. Many forums will close accounts and ban people for that because it makes getting to new content more difficult, causes confusion, and can bring old and outdated information to the top, causing further confusion. It's often referred to as thread necromancy.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Tantallum — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:52:39 GMT

LOL, there is another post on the beauty board right now with one poster demanding to know why the OP didn't just reply to an old thread instead of starting a new one!!

darned if you do, darned if you don't...

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

fortune — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:56:40 GMT

@ajsidney12 wrote:
This weekend I responded to a thread about SSC, and like a fool I had no idea the post was from last year. Yes, the thread was relative because SSC was on HSN this weekend so I just assumed it was new. Today, I went into the Fashion category, where of course someone was going after SG clothes, but the original post was from last summer. What is that all about? Why do people feel the need to resurrect a very old post?? I would imagine people have to make an effort to seach for such topics in order to bring them back to the front of the list. Is that what trolling is, because I honestly don't know.

I think it's the Ghost of Forums Past!

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:58:43 GMT

@ajsidney12 at least the thread you posted on was only from last year. I've seen threads brought back to the top that are from 2013. Why they are still around is a mystery.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

ctinaw — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:02:36 GMT

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@ctinaw wrote:
No, that's not trolling. Trolling is when people bring up sensitive topics or make controversial statements JUST to start drama. Like - that is their entire goal is to start a fight or argument online.

It's also trolling when people intentionally go digging into very old posts and replying to many of them at a time, bringing them all up to the top of a web forum. Many forums will close accounts and ban people for that because it makes getting to new content more difficult, causes confusion, and can bring old and outdated information to the top, causing further confusion. It's often referred to as thread necromancy.

I would not consider that trolling. Annoying perhaps. But it's not always intentional. It has to be intentional to be trolling.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Snicks1 — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:04:46 GMT

I wish the date/time stamp was right under the thread title like it was before the changeover to the new board. That way you could at least tell without opening it, if it is a new thread or an old one dredged up from the past.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

newziesuzie — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:05:15 GMT

@ctinaw wrote:
well when you begin a new thread, possible topics come up, and i fyou click onthem it takes you to that thread. I suppose people post to those threads feeling like if the topic has been addressed they should just continue on with it without noticing the date. It's no biggie really. I figure if it is still relevant who cares how old it is.

That's what I think it is

@ctinaw, when we put a word or

a few words in the search box

OR when we start a new thread we get

a list of Suggested Topics from other

threads and most of them

are still open even if they're old.

😊

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

missy1 — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:06:43 GMT

I generally don't start new threads. Just not my thing. I will pull up an old topic, that I want to add to it, but not start a new thread. confusing?

For example...... I pulled up a 2 week Bachelor thread to remind others it's on tonight. I did not need to start a new thread for this.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

newziesuzie — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:09:04 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
I generally don't start new threads. Just not my thing. I will pull up an old topic, that I want to add to it, but not start a new thread. confusing?

For example...... I pulled up a 2 week Bachelor thread to remind others it's on tonight. I did not need to start a new thread for this.

Good point @missy1!

😊

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Drythe — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 21:18:42 GMT

@Snicks1 wrote:
I wish the date/time stamp was right under the thread title like it was before the changeover to the new board. That way you could at least tell without opening it, if it is a new thread or an old one dredged up from the past.

@Snicks1

Hope you will post this over on the 'Suggestion Box' forum.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Snicks1 — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 22:05:35 GMT

@Drythe wrote:
@Snicks1 wrote:
I wish the date/time stamp was right under the thread title like it was before the changeover to the new board. That way you could at least tell without opening it, if it is a new thread or an old one dredged up from the past.
@Snicks1

Hope you will post this over on the 'Suggestion Box' forum.

@Drythe, I have posted it there, a long time ago. Got no response, and IIRC, got some negative feedback from other posters for suggesting it, lol. I will post it again though, thanks.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

NC Bandwagon — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 08:06:55 GMT

@tantallum wrote:
LOL, there is another post on the beauty board right now with one poster demanding to know why the OP didn't just reply to an old thread instead of starting a new one!!

darned if you do, darned if you don't...

Pretty much this. Post where you like, OP. Most of the people on this site get irritated by everything and nothing, anyway.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:13:02 GMT

Here's my two cents .....

In the interest of less duplicate threads, it's been suggested that, before you start a new thread, do a search on your topic and see what comes up. If there are other threads already started on this subject, why not add your comments to one of those? Does the original date really matter?

Makes sense to me.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

dooBdoo — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:16:40 GMT

newziesuzie wrote:
ctinaw wrote:
well when you begin a new thread, possible topics come up, and i fyou click onthem it takes you to that thread. I suppose people post to those threads feeling like if the topic has been addressed they should just continue on with it without noticing the date. It's no biggie really. I figure if it is still relevant who cares how old it is.

That's what I think it is
@ctinaw, when we put a word or
a few words in the search box
OR when we start a new thread we get
a list of Suggested Topics from other
threads and most of them
are still open even if they're old.

😊

@ctinaw and @newziesuzie,

I really do think that's the major cause, especially since I've noticed more of them showing up after the launch of the new platform.

The addition of "suggestions" for the search box and new topic subject line, plus the fact that they opened up access to ancient threads (I've seen some resurrected from 2010) seems to be the culprit.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

dooBdoo — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:22:31 GMT

Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Here's my two cents .....

In the interest of less duplicate threads, it's been suggested that, before you start a new thread, do a search on your topic and see what comes up. If there are other threads already started on this subject, why not add your comments to one of those? Does the original date really matter?

Makes sense to me.

@Tinkrbl44, I can see your point and @missy1 said something along those lines, too.

I think the problem arises with really, really old threads. Particularly when they involve a controversial topic (and in some cases were closed previously), or when the original poster isn't around and is being criticized for something posted years ago. It also can be confusing if the issue was resolved long ago.

I'm surprised the tech folks didn't re-lock access to the older threads and to those which previously were closed for comment.

Re: Why are so many old threads becoming recent?

MacDUFF — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 21:19:05 GMT

@dooBdoo

Or old, outdated information contained in the thread.