Fairly simple request for the mods/ higher powers (DTG Alex, DTG JD etc.), purely because I've noticed users doing this recently. Can we make it so that threads over a year old (if not younger) are automatically locked, it's strange/annoying to see people necro bumping inactive threads from 2 years ago as if they're still current and it shouldn't happen imo. I've seen other forums do the same, it just seems like it's down to users to report this which isn't a very robust system. Plus I'm pretty sure it's against the forum rules anyway. Thanks.
As long as it's on-topic I have no problems with people bumping old topics. I rather have they search for and use an existing topic instead of creating a new topic on the same subject.
If all the threads were locked there would be no way to update threads about bugs being fixed or add to known bug threads to report the issue still occurs as it is often a lot longer than a year for many bugs to be addressed.
I agree. After all, you are not forced to answer. And if the threadbumpers do not get an answer, they themselves will eventually stop bumping their threads.
Why not create a new thread then, refresh the interest? Why jump on an irrelevant 2 year old bandwagon contributing to spam? Plus being on-topic is a cop out because why wouldn't you respond to a specific thread with an on-topic post if it's not an obvious troll. I'm talking about suggestions & miscellaneous, like routes etc. Inconsequential things that are long dead, not ongoing technical issues which are very much alive. Nobody said you were forced to answer it. And that's not something to rely on if they have the thought to bump in the first place. A semblance of order ain't a big deal.
Very often so called necro bymping accusation plays role of still/not/solved/bugs/reminder censorship.
DTG themselves have said here that they have no problem with people making on-topic posts to old threads that can still be considered active topics. Suggestions can still be supported long after the fact. But now you're also talking about some threads rather than all, which means people taking the time and effort to evaluate and close threads that for the most part will never be touched again anyway. Why go to the trouble? It could also be argued that a plethora of new threads is less orderly than new comments on old threads.
What I’m trying to say is that the problem solves itself if the threadbumper doesn’t get a response from the community. In addition, there are constantly new members joining the forums. If you deleted every thread that is older than 1 year new members won’t even have a chance to explore all the suggestions that have been made in the past, making those unable to be discovered by potential supporters. And you should note that making a good suggestion takes a lot of time and effort, it would be unreasonable to delete every suggestion that is more than a year old just “because it’s too old”. People (usually) make suggestions here because they want want to bring something new to the game (which, if so, mostly happens more than a year after being suggested) and not because they want to talk a little bit about a route and then just throw it to trash (otherwise, this forum wouldn’t be called “Suggestions”). In my opinion, a route suggestion can’t become “outdated”. In addition, it doesn’t seem like this is a big problem on this forum.
Because there shouldn't be two threads about the same subject. Also makes it harder to find search results (because you're getting more threads). Everything on the same subject being in the same thread is easier for everyone. If replying on-topic on a 2 year old thread, then that thread isn't irrelevant. May be irrelevant for you, but not for the people contributing to the thread. No clue why you'd call this spam, but not the creating of a new thread on a subject that already being discussed in another thread. Well, those useless or off-topic posts is what I'd call a necro post. That's why I specifically state that I'm totally ok with on-topic posts, which IMO aren't a necro post. Then perhaps you should've said so in your first posts. But my opinion still stands. If someone likes to suggest a route already being suggested, I'd rather have him re-use the existing topic, no matter how old it is. Order is always nice to have, I'd say not having duplicate threads on the same subject would contribute to order.
To be fair, OP suggested old topics to be locked, not to be deleted. Quite a difference here as locked topics can still be read. Well, I guess when a suggestion becomes reality the suggestion might be considered "outdated". But that only happens to a happy few. And I haven't seen any notable amount of necro-posting in those threads. Can't say I consider there to be a problem.
Agree there is far less necro posting in this section than there are yet more one liner suggestions asking for the whole ECML or WCML. That is what should be getting removed or consolidated or better still a sticky from N3V along the lines of what routes and countries we are unlikely to ever see considered.
Well, although the suggestions themselves as a whole may be unrealistic, at least it indicates a certain desire for ECML and WCML, which I think would be useful feedback for DTG and its third parties. I don't think those one liners need to be removed, but that's a different topic (one discussed elsewhere already I believe) So you want to prevent people from posting suggestions from unlikely countries, if I understand correctly? That only means we'd even more stuck in the cycle of the same old three countries DTG is tunnelvisioned on. Before there can be a supply, there needs to be a certain demand. The suggestions forum is a good way of showing where this demand is. Intervening with this by removing certain suggestions is only counterproductive IMO, as it'd give a skewed image of what's actually desired by the community. But this too, is a different topic.
I think you misunderstood my intention on the latter part. For example in a recent response Matt indicated a NYC Subway route is very unlikely as the operator is not receptive to any form of official cooperation and there are issues that prevent casual gathering of data, particularly on the sub surface section (no photography and the very real risk of getting mugged). However as you say that’s a bit OT for a post complaining about necro bumping and probably for a separate discussion.
I apologize for being so misleading. But it amounts to the same thing: the thread ends up on like page 87 of the topic list, and potential supporters don't even have the opportunity to support good proposals. Yes, that might be true. But as you said, this case is very uncommon.
I have no problem with commenting on older threads as long as it’s on topic. they get told to search for it then when they do they get told not to respond cause they’re “x” weeks too late… If it’s on topic it’s constructive, why should others govern and deny that someone wants to continue to contribute. If you don’t want to reply, there’s a thing called you don’t have to.
I think it should be fine if someone genuinely wants to add something, but if they are just going to say one word and leave it at that, then that should be enforced as a rule
