When threads become too long....

[danisgoat]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm finding some threads just going on and on and on. More pictures, more cute updates all on the same thread that's being going on for pages.

Frankly, I time out and I tend to now ignore the thread if it keeps coming back day after day. There is so much participation on the forum now, that i cannot possibly go through them all every day.

By all means, post your pictures; talk about what's new in your world, but please don't just tack it on to an existing thread. Please start a new one with a heading "New Pics" or whatever.

And as Takeroll4 rightly corrected me this evening...if you find a new thread within a thread....start a new one...don't just tack it on

As a former mod of another site....we are told to do exactly the opposite, as you are asking here. We are to combine threads that are about the same topic, so that everything is in one thread.

Ultimately...this is respectfully, the mods or admins call.

 

[SheepOfBlue]

As a former mod of another site....we are told to do exactly the opposite, as you are asking here. We are to combine threads that are about the same topic, so that everything is in one thread.

Ultimately...this is respectfully, the mods or admins call.

and civil discussions where folks give reasons help them make the best calls by providing information, opinions and insight

 

[Lovely]

This has been a question on my mind over the past few days.

If I want to resurrect an old topic (with a slightly new take or new information), do I create a new post or post on the old thread? I can see getting pounced on by the more senior members quickly in either situation. It is either "Look - we already did this here" or "Excuse me, but this thread hasn't had a post in 2 weeks or 3 months, why not start a new thread?"

My thought is that the people who keep their longer posts going for pictures are conserving space. If they are going to make a thread every two days for new pictures, I think people would complain more often. However, condensing it keeps things tidy for them and those who want to ignore it will only have that one thread to skip over, rather than tons of them.

But I do agree that off-topic conversation should get its own thread (with a link to where it started).

 

[MissSuzie]

I personally like when threads about particular dogs go on indefinately. Like the continuing Sca Ga, or the threads about Trapp and Jasper. Sometimes I even go back and look at the older pictures to compare with the current. I'd have to say I rarely look at peoples albums. Perhaps I should do so more, but I like the pictures that everyone post in their threads. It's about 90% of the enjoyment I get. And, the stories about the puppies growing up and the progress they make in training, etc. is so fun to read.

I also don't mind when there are duplicate topic threads. We're adding so many members that there could be new opinions or input.

There are many threads that I don't read. Mostly about agility, etc. just because that doesn't interest me that much. But that is the beauty of this forum. You can pick and choose the threads you choose to participate in and nobody takes any offense if you do not comment.

 

[Strider]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm finding some threads just going on and on and on. More pictures, more cute updates all on the same thread that's being going on for pages.

Frankly, I time out and I tend to now ignore the thread if it keeps coming back day after day. There is so much participation on the forum now, that i cannot possibly go through them all every day.

By all means, post your pictures; talk about what's new in your world, but please don't just tack it on to an existing thread. Please start a new one with a heading "New Pics" or whatever.

And as Takeroll4 rightly corrected me this evening...if you find a new thread within a thread....start a new one...don't just tack it on

I remember a camp song from my youth

"This is the song that never ends
It goes and and on, my friends
Someone started singing it not knowing what it was
And they'll keep singing it forever just because..."

Repeat, repeat, repeat!

That was Lambchop's song!!! I miss Lambchop.

To be honest, there are some threads that a few of us tried to make long. There are times to continue a thought as well, such as some of the update threads in flyball. I do agree that if you start to derail a thread, not that I would ever think to do that mind you.. but if someone should.. they should just start a new thread!!

Allthough there are times that a thought that is a product of the original thread but cant be self sustained, that riding on the coat tails of the mother thread is warranted. I think we can all appreciate that life in any form is worthwhile and that while biologically, a shared thought may not be 'life' as we knw it, is it right to foist it out on i's own in a barren forum with no nurturing concept to help it get started..

What would we do with our threadlings running arround starved of content and left for naught but scraps of quib to try and keep it's for-ordained death at bay for yet one more 'mark forum read'...





RIP mighty Threadling.. we knew you but a moment and you touched us.. that is enough.

 

[JessicaR]

If I want to resurrect an old topic (with a slightly new take or new information), do I create a new post or post on the old thread? I can see getting pounced on by the more senior members quickly in either situation. It is either "Look - we already did this here" or "Excuse me, but this thread hasn't had a post in 2 weeks or 3 months, why not start a new thread?"

I agree, I have seen many times, mostly on other forums. New person asks a question and gets jumped on because this has already been discussed use the search button! or if they ressurect an old thread people complain and say check the date of the thread.

you cant win

 

[Silaria]

This has been a question on my mind over the past few days.

If I want to resurrect an old topic (with a slightly new take or new information), do I create a new post or post on the old thread? I can see getting pounced on by the more senior members quickly in either situation. It is either "Look - we already did this here" or "Excuse me, but this thread hasn't had a post in 2 weeks or 3 months, why not start a new thread?"

The way I tend to handle this is to search the old threads to see if my topic has been discussed and if so, does it answer my question. Sometimes it does, especially on a technical support forum.

If the answer is 'no' or I'm not clear on something, I'll start a new thread and say something like 'I searched the forum for an answer to this but the information I found wasn't related to my question/wasn't really clear' and go on from there. Sometimes I'll reference the thread(s) I already looked at.

 

[danisgoat]

and civil discussions where folks give reasons help them make the best calls by providing information, opinions and insight

You are so right!

So, how do you think threads should be handled? Do we continue The Sca ga, Trapp, Jasper, Dandie, etc. threads, or start new ones everytime we get an updated picture?

 

[Lovely]

The way I tend to handle this is to search the old threads to see if my topic has been discussed and if so, does it answer my question. Sometimes it does, especially on a technical support forum.

If the answer is 'no' or I'm not clear on something, I'll start a new thread and say something like 'I searched the forum for an answer to this but the information I found wasn't related to my question/wasn't really clear' and go on from there. Sometimes I'll reference the thread(s) I already looked at.

Good point.

But what if you just have more to add on a subject already done? For example, I went pedigree crazy this weekend, cross-referencing everything from here with what I found. There was an old thread that inspired me. Anyway, I guess I could have just made a new post listing some of the Shelties on here that I know have family links and asked for more... I stuck to visitor messages to avoid the whole thing. I would have really liked a discussion, though... In fact, I might actually just do that when I have the chance to pull out my notes!

 

[Kelly]

The mods & I are talking about a potential redesign & expansion of the categories.

That way new users can more easily drill down into areas to find answers and the more experienced users don't have to weed through as many posts.

We are working on it.