suggestion Move topics to a read-only archive after being inactive for > x years?

[LimeMaster]

I don't think the staff are too keen on the idea, so it probably won't happen.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

I think the original idea is the best one. 

 

Maybe put a link to create a new topic instead of replying to the old one?

I partly agree with this.

 

I think that after lets say 18 Months or so of inactivity a thread should be Locked and archived, and if you want to revive it you can create a new thread and link back to the original. 

 

 

I don't think the staff are too keen on the idea, so it probably won't happen.

As far as deleting accounts go, I think there should be a disable option that will lock the account and if later you regret it or whatnot you can contact the forum to have the account re-enabled. but deleting the account would remove any posts made or damage the content that was posted. i would prefer it got left in.

[LimeMaster]

As far as deleting accounts go, I think there should be a disable option that will lock the account and if later you regret it or whatnot you can contact the forum to have the account re-enabled. but deleting the account would remove any posts made or damage the content that was posted. i would prefer it got left in.

This has nothing to do with this thread or am I missing something? :huh:

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

This has nothing to do with this thread or am I missing something? :huh:

No, you're not missing anything. littleneutrino strayed off-topic.

[xendrome]

I can't tell you how many times I've been searching for an answer to a problem with some tech that isn't current, and I find a result, only to find that the topic has been closed and I end up in a labyrinth of link-clicking to find the ****ing answer.

 

I honestly don't see the problem with bringing up old threads--you might get an answer, there are one or two replies, and then it dies again. Why do people get so angry about it?

 

 

Tech posts I think are ok for this, but news or non-tech related stuff should be considered to be read-only after X number of years.

[The Evil Overlord]

I do think it's a good idea, but I think 3 years is a little too long. 12-18 months might be a better timeout. Historically spammers have a habit of trying to hide their posts in threads at least 3 year old threads.

[LimeMaster]

No, you're not missing anything. littleneutrino strayed off-topic.

OK! I guess he was gonna post it at https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/632944-does-neowin-delete-member-accounts/, but got distracted and ended up posting it here.

 

I do think it's a good idea, but I think 3 years is a little too long. 12-18 months might be a better timeout. Historically spammers have a habit of trying to hide their posts in threads at least 3 year old threads.

With the exception of sticky/pinned threads, which should remain open. :)

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

No, you're not missing anything. littleneutrino strayed off-topic.

yeah sorry about that, i was responding to several parts of the thread across several pages all at once.

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

For instance, what if someone is looking to solve a problem with Windows Vista and finds a thread that relates that's archived. Do they have to start a new thread to ask a question then? I think only non-tech threads should be archived not tech threads.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

For instance, what if someone is looking to solve a problem with Windows Vista and finds a thread that relates that's archived. Do they have to start a new thread to ask a question then? I think only non-tech threads should be archived not tech threads.

 

That makes since but even on tech threads after a certain point they should be locked. Just have a longer timer on those boards than on the others. say 3 years.

[The Evil Overlord]

For instance, what if someone is looking to solve a problem with Windows Vista and finds a thread that relates that's archived. Do they have to start a new thread to ask a question then? I think only non-tech threads should be archived not tech threads.

actually, someone did mention keeping tech related threads open, I don't remember who, and as I'm using my phone to post this, I'm not going to search through the thread to find their post :p

Seems like those being kept open might acutally benefit the site though, as spammers will not be able to find ancient threads to post in, and the community, as a whole would have fewer threads to ask staff to close, etc...

[The Evil Overlord]

That makes since but even on tech threads after a certain point they should be locked. Just have a longer timer on those boards than on the others. say 3 years.

I cannot multiquote correctly on my phone ( never bothered to learn as it's rarely needed by me, but pls refer to the post above this one as I was trying to answer you both

[Raa]

Very much agree with this idea.

[Steven P. Administrators]

We discussed using the Archive feature from 3.4.5 when we upgraded but in actual fact this doesn't prevent users from replying to "archived" topics at all, it just removes them from the sql cache of topics into another table, the whole archive feature is designed for single server setups and really doesn't apply to us.

 

The work this hack would require just isn't feasible for the amount of times a thread is inappropriately bumped, and there are many more worthwhile features we would rather be working on (such as the update to the site style) than this "once in a while happens" feature.