Is there any way we can mitigate all these duplicate threads?

[Varmint Hunter]

I don't want to hijack the thread but what bothers me is a thread that (essentially) ended years prior but gets revived by someone who apparently located it in a search. The poster obviously didn't notice the last date a post was made (years prior) and thinks the original poster(s) are still watching the thread. The new poster inevitably posts a question or response to something he has just read on the old thread.

Shouldn't a thread that has been inactive for months or years automatically become a "read only" thread?

Just my 2 cents.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Originally Posted by Varmint Hunter

I don't want to hijack the thread but what bothers me is a thread that (essentially) ended years prior but gets revived by someone who apparently located it in a search. The poster obviously didn't notice the last date a post was made (years prior) and thinks the original poster(s) are still watching the thread. The new poster inevitably posts a question or response to something he has just read on the old thread.

Shouldn't a thread that has been inactive for months or years automatically become a "read only" thread?

Just my 2 cents.

LOL ya the necro threads pop up alot, I like Cheifs idea. Its the best when there like is this still for sale and it was from a guy who had 3 post no one has ever heard of and the add is 8 years old.

[retiredcpo]

I fully agree about the for sale threads as well
I think those need a time limit then dispapear go for ever unless the person starting the thread renews it.
retiredcpo

[jmason]

I typically read new threads or threads with new posts. The Polls drive me crazy. I wish there was a view that would shut them off. Most of these polls are very old.

[theflyonthewall]

One thing that seems to be holding back the ability of new users (like myself) to use the search function is that it doesn't seem to work with three digit search terms like........6mm, 7mm, RUM, etc.... so many of the cartridges are referred to with nomenclature that only reads three digits. And the search function returns "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

That's ONE part of the issue.

There is also the part where some people just aren't going to search. As an admin at another unrelated site, the only way that I've seen to curb this is to require a 24 hour wait before allowing posting permissions to new users. Yes, it CAN BE a hassle, but usually it isn't since the user is told via auto-PM that their account is "awaiting approval".

Aside from that, a POLITE response showing a searched result for the repeat posting may curb it as well. But being rude will only run people off.
For instance:

"I searched Hodgdon powder uniformity and got this as a result. Try the search function, you'll get your answers faster."

Instead of " if idiots would use the search function....."

Any way you slice it, it's a tough issue for forums to tackle. All we can do is tweak the search function, possibly add some wait time to see if they find their own answers by then, otherwise all we can do is inform folks.

[royinidaho]

Originally Posted by WyoElk2Hunt

The only issue with this site is the search button is not good I usually go to google and then it brings me back to this site with the information i was searching for.

Haven't read below this post.

This is the way to go.

How to train users........I have no idea.......

[ss7mm]

Guys this comes up periodically and I believe it was only a couple of months back that we thrashed this around.

One thing we, as long time members, need to remember is what it's like to be the new guy on the block. Maybe they don't know how to search or maybe they searched and couldn't find what they wanted. Or.....maybe, as a new member, they want to participate and engage in some conversations to get the feel of the site and how it all works.

It's easy for those of us that have been here a long time to say to ourselves that a thread has been repeated many times. That's because we've been here a long time and have seen them all. Remember though, that the new guy hasn't seen them all and doesn't remember them all and may just have an honest legitimate question that he wants an answer to.

We were all new at one time and we all asked questions that the old timers had seen countless times but I seem to remember they answered ours so maybe we can do the same for the newbies.

When this came up before I did a little test and I just did it again. It's not scientific but it might bring things into perspective a little. I always go to "Today's Posts" first thing when I log on. This shows all of the posts since my last time on. I go to the last page and work back to the front, scrolling through the threads. I find that I can typically scroll through 10 polls in about 1 to 1.5 seconds. The way I look at it is that I can spare that 1.5 seconds and it's not really that big a deal. Remember, nobody forces us to read the polls.

The same goes with the repeat threads. It only takes about 1 to 2 seconds when scrolling through the threads to know if it's a subject that I've read about before and if I want to read it or not, and I just continue scrolling on to the next thread/post if not interested. That is 1 to 2 seconds that I can spare also.

The neat thing about polls and repeat threads is that we aren't forced to read them and we only stop to look at them and complain if we allow ourselves to do so. I find that I can subconsciously scan through the polls and repeat threads and don't feel that it costs me any time since I can determine the status of the thread and my interest while scrolling by it.

There's nothing Len can do about the search feature of the site software but there is something we can do to make it easier on ourselves and this has been posted many times. If you can't find something using the site search feature then use Google. Simple enter the following to look for 243. Site:Longrangehunting.com 243. I just did that and got 14,500 results and they all are from LRH. Just replace the "243" with whatever you want to search for and it'll run circles around the site software.

The thing I'd like us to remember is that new members don't know all of the ropes when they first come aboard so I think it's somewhat our duty as seasoned members to gently mold them into the computer wizards that we are.