Limited access for some forums

[Musashi]

It is relatively common for help requests to be posted in an inappropriate forum, for example :
"Developer General Discussion", "AutoIt Technical Discussion" or "AutoIt Example Scripts".

Although the header of these forums contains the unambiguous statement :
"Do not post general support questions here, instead use the "AutoIt Help and Support" forums." , this is often ignored or overlooked, especially by new members.

Perhaps it would make sense to allow access to these forums only for 'Active Members' (20+ posts), similar to CHAT.

That could probably save @Jos 90 percent of the effort to move these contributions.

Just an idea .

[Jos]

We have discussed solutions already a couple of times but I don't think it would be a good idea to deny access to these forums for other groups.
Especially Examples contains a wealth of information for starters.

It is just on click to get the topic moved and standard post added, so it's not that much work anymore these days.  

Jos

Jos

Edited October 16, 2019 by Jos

[JLogan3o13]

Not to mention the very number of topics which the Mods need to move speaks to the fact that people simply don't read. Were we to actually block access to those forums, even with a carefully worded explanation of why, we would simply get a bunch of reports and emails akin to: "Site is broken, can't access xxx forum!"

Edited October 16, 2019 by JLogan3o13

[pixelsearch]

Just found this thread and I have a suggestion concerning another kind of blocking, something I wanted to share with you Mods, for a long time.

For years now, each and every day, we notice that newbies (and even members being here for some time) answer to very old posts (i think you call it "necro post") with for example the last post being written a few years ago.

Then a Mod will answer to that with a new post, something like : "Have you noticed that you're answering a post which is 5 years old ? Please do not necro post especially when you don't bring any new element to solve this issue" etc...

Each time (each day) I read this, I always think : "Mods being here for years sure spent days (and weeks) of their lives facing and answering this same situation, in hundred of posts and it's a pity that so much time is spent on this"

My suggestion is : wouldn't it be possible to block any new post being sent (or even written) if the last post is dated (you choose) 6 months, one year ago ? etc...

I mean... there are already a lot of very good functionalities in the web pages of this Forum, so maybe the person(s) who programmed this html Forum could be so kind and take a few hours to add this functionality, freeing all Mods from this daily task which will never (never) end ?

I'm aware that very few times, necro posting can bring a new approach to an issue, when the poster brings some new valuable information. But that happens only a few times, and well... the pop-up message which may appear before the poster starts to write his "necro post" could indicate for example : "This thread is now 3 years old and comments are closed. If you think you have important elements to solve this issue, please create a new thread, thank you."

2nd Edit : if you think it's doable, please consider to allow a little group of persons who shouldn't be concerned by this functionality (for example MVP's, Mods, Devs, Jon & Admin.)

Edited October 16, 2019 by pixelsearch
forgot the smiley

[JockoDundee]

On 10/16/2019 at 3:13 PM, pixelsearch said:

My suggestion is : wouldn't it be possible to block any new post being sent (or even written) if the last post is dated (you choose) 6 months, one year ago ? etc...

Just testing to see if this suggestion was actually adopted

[Melba23]

JockoDundee,

No - because there is nothing in the IPS forum software (or at least nothing that we can find) to allow us to do something like this. And the replies we post to common problems are all semi-automated by the same software, so it is not too much of a burden to remind those who do not look at previous post dates (or commit other more serious infractions)!

M23

[Jos]

...and just looking at some of the resent made posts by others would have given you an clear answer too...   

e.g. somebody decided to reply to a post from 2007:

 

[JockoDundee]

1 hour ago, Jos said:

and just looking at some of the resent made posts by others would have given you an clear answer too...

true enough.  

and tbh,  I can’t deny I was somewhat driven by serendipitously coming across the post (initially) on the eve of its first anniversary. but as it had not fully reached its maturity, I waited until the 17th and even then, waited until today to reply, just to be sure since 2020 was a leap year

[JockoDundee]

2 hours ago, Melba23 said:

No - because there is nothing in the IPS forum software (or at least nothing that we can find) to allow us to do something like this.

Are we not coders?

[Confuzzled]

I love how this thread about necroposting was necroposted!

If there is something relevant to add that will fully round out a lengthy discussion and be of benefit to a reader that is researching a topic to help solve their challenge, better it be found in one thread than snippets all over the place. Do you agree?

Correspondingly, sometimes you are tempted to just have a 'hints and snippets' thread to sweep some of these great posts into without all the fill/gumph in between.

[JLogan3o13]

7 hours ago, Confuzzled said:

If there is something relevant to add that will fully round out a lengthy discussion and be of benefit to a reader that is researching a topic to help solve their challenge, better it be found in one thread than snippets all over the place. Do you agree?

No, because what one person deems relevant is not always truly adding to the discussion. Also, as the language changes and updates, a topic that was incredibly relevant years ago may very well not be any longer. Adding something to a thread, even if it adds to the conversation, isn't worthwhile if the UDF/code/behavior hasn't been in play since 2006...

7 hours ago, Confuzzled said:

Correspondingly, sometimes you are tempted to just have a 'hints and snippets' thread to sweep some of these great posts into without all the fill/gumph in between.

We have several, if you do a search on the forum.

[JockoDundee]

3 hours ago, JLogan3o13 said:

Adding something to a thread, even if it adds to the conversation, isn't worthwhile if the UDF/code/behavior hasn't been in play since 2006...

So even in the case of a legitimate question being clear, e.g., 

“Why does x fail?” 

that goes unanswered for years until

”X fails because of Y”

you don’t find it worthwhile?

Why not close the thread altogether then after some_long_period, if you believe there exists no post that could add anything?

Could the new poster start a new discussion with “Saw this old post, here’s the answer?”  I assume you would say no because the information is likely extant somewhere else on the site.  But still, people do end up old posts for a reason.

I don’t know about you, but when I search, I often find unanswered posts from years gone by. Certainly I would have preferred an answer in that moment, if there was one.

Maybe necroposts could be made to not bump the queue?

[JLogan3o13]

As to why we don't go through and close every thread that is old, the short answer is because the Moderation staff has lives they would like to lead in addition to their duties here.

 

[JockoDundee]

32 minutes ago, JLogan3o13 said:

As to why we don't go through and close every thread that is old, the short answer is because the Moderation staff has lives they would like to lead in addition to their duties here.

Let me just say that, as a newcomer to this site, but as someone who has posted on similar sites 20,000+ times, the mod staff here is possibly the most competent and consistent i have seen anywhere.  Three cheers for the mods!

But the irony is that, anyone of you could write an autoit script in 30 minutes that would run daily and close threads as they reach some ageing.  Surely, the net time effort would be positive.  

Physician, heal thyself...:)

[Jos]

55 minutes ago, JockoDundee said:

But the irony is that, anyone of you could write an autoit script in 30 minutes that would run daily and close threads as they reach some ageing.  Surely, the net time effort would be positive.  

Physician, heal thyself...:)

Yeap .... was done one time and we abandon that due some (lets say) issues and only use the standard forum capabilities.
Pretty sure there will be some sort of add-in that would be able to handle it for us but we have never bothered.

... and honestly, I do not see any issue here.    We can now tell you that you are a dumb-ass when you post in some "long bearded" thread ... so let's not take that "pleasure" away for us.
 

Edited October 21, 2020 by Jos

[Melba23]

JockoDundee,

Quote

Let me just say that, as a newcomer to this site, but as someone who has posted on similar sites 20,000+ times, the mod staff here is possibly the most competent and consistent i have seen anywhere.  Three cheers for the mods!

Many thanks for that vote of confidence - much appreciated.

M23