Dealing with older threads


(KM) #1

Hey Robin, I have a question. I come up with the same issue often: I start responding to something that was listed as " latest " and it turns out the last time anyone responded was a year ago. Do you know why these pop up in the list? Frankly I have a hell of a time navigating this site, good thing it’s so interesting I can’t help myself.


I really could use some help before I give up on Keto
(Robin) #2

Boy, that’s a good question… my screen (ipad) shows the latest posts in bold print. We’ll ask a couple of our wiser intrepid admins that question…
Ahem, @PaulL @OldDoug

Are you on a computer/phone/ipad?
Until we figure it out, I’m glad you are hanging in there. Lots of good people and information here.


(KM) #3

I’m usually on my phone. Samsung. It certainly doesn’t happen with every post, I’m thinking perhaps people respond, realize that the post is outdated, and delete their responses?


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

I’ve moved this discussion into a new thread on the Site Feedback forum.

We actually like it if people reply to old threads. Richard Morris, one of the Dudes, feels it keeps the information all in one place. He prefers it to seeing new threads all the time with all the same information. Of course, this is contrary to how social media sites have trained people.

The only problem comes when someone responds to an urgent post from three years ago, lol! I’ve learned to check dates before worrying too much.

Also, spammers tend to post at the end of existing threads, so it’s always worth checking the most recent post first, before wading through a long thread. Often, the latest post is follow-up or newer information, but equally often, it is someone who doesn’t realise it’s an older thread. (We try to alert them, if they’ve asked a question of someone who hasn’t been seen in a while.) And if, instead of a post, you see “hidden comment,” you’ll know a spammer reactivated the thread. And if the spam post hasn’t been deleted yet, please flag it, so we know to take care of it.

If a spammer starts a new thread, the topic is deleted from the “latest topics” feed along with the spammer, but when a spammer posts in an existing thread, it stays on the list, even after the post is deleted. It’s a quirk of the Discourse software on which these forums run.

One last point, which is relevant here. Unlike most social media sites, which don’t want you to find old posts, the Discourse search function works pretty well. So if someone has a question, it’s always worth doing a forum search before posting. Often the question will have been answered before, often multiple times. Of course, everyone’s situation is different, so if you can’t find an existing thread that contains useful information, feel free to start a new one.


#5

I love the older threads. There is great wisdom therein.