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Answer to very old posts

ChristianVirtual

ChristianVirtual

macrumors 601
Original poster
May 10, 2010
4,122
282
日本
Would it be possible to get some indication when answering to a very old thread ? Just happen to me that I was a send a reply to a thread which was 12 month or so old. A short warning box ?

Obvious I didn't read the full thread and for sure not the timestamp. :(
 
But surely the fact you saw the old thread says it was of the same subject? Or will be helpful to someone in the future?
 
Agree, its 90% user error and 10% missing guidance from the board software. I guess I have to live with the "shame".
 
ChristianJapan said:
Agree, its 90% user error and 10% missing guidance from the board software. I guess I have to live with the "shame".
Click to expand...

The shame? I'd already of forgot about it, if it was me. I really wouldn't worry. I don't think anyone cares. Anyone who does care, really needs a life.
 
WillEH said:
The shame? I'd already of forgot about it, if it was me. I really wouldn't worry. I don't think anyone cares. Anyone who does care, really needs a life.
Click to expand...

Not soo much "shame" but I also find it rather disturbing when people digging deep and pulling up thread from the most distance archive in MR and put it back on the queue. In few cases it even might sense; but in general it's crap.

But I see: I take it too serious and will not do anymore.
 
Last edited:
These old threads pop up because spammers post in them. Their post gets deleted and a member comes across the thread in spy or new posts and replies.

I'd like to see the thread creation date appear in the new posts view.
 
Some old threads should come back. Like an older issue with an older machine wherein the original post doesn't quite answer the entire question. You never know what people may need to know. However, I like the creation date idea.
 
I like the idea to have a notice pop up if a thread you are replying to has had no posts for a certain length of time. Spammers will ignore the notice but it'll keep the rest of us from accidentally posting in old threads when we don't realize they are no longer current.

If we do want to post in an old thread on purpose, that's fine. I do it myself sometimes, for example, with the Oldest Person in the World dies thread. But the reminder would be handy so I think MacRumors should add it to the list of potential programming projects.
 
Maybe I'm asking for too much but . . . I hate when someone posts in an old thread, I see it in the New Posts or Forum Spy, and I incorrectly assume the whole thread is new. I then respond to an some other old post in that same thread. It I would be nice that if you are quoting someone, it would look at the timestamp of the quoted post and give you a warning. If you are not quoting anyone, it would look at the timestamp of the last post in the thread and give you a warning. :eek:
 
There's nothing wrong with posting in an old thread if a question or solution directly relates to the thread. What gets me is people resurrecting a years-old thread just to:
  • Say "Thanks!" or "It worked!" or other comments that don't add value to the thread
  • Post something that has nothing to do with the thread
  • Post a "solution" that doesn't address the question in the thread
  • Post a solution that didn't exist when the thread was started and doesn't apply to older versions of software in use back then
  • Criticize a post from years ago for not knowing a simple solution that didn't exist at the time of the thread.
 
I help mod another site and agree that majority of the time these threads that are old that get resurected are because of spammers. The spammer posts and then a member posts and the spammer gets removed and the normal member then looks like he resurected the thread with a "what?"
 
cerote said:
I help mod another site and agree that majority of the time these threads that are old that get resurected are because of spammers. The spammer posts and then a member posts and the spammer gets removed and the normal member then looks like he resurected the thread with a "what?"
Click to expand...
If the reply is that trivial then the moderators will remove it along with the spam post. But if the user who replied might really want to talk about the (old) subject again then the moderators prefer to tread lightly and not remove a post just because the thread is old.
 
Doctor Q said:
If the reply is that trivial then the moderators will remove it along with the spam post. But if the user who replied might really want to talk about the (old) subject again then the moderators prefer to tread lightly and not remove a post just because the thread is old.
Click to expand...

True. The ones that are just "what?" gets removed. The ones that are "what?" then proceed to try to answer the main posters problem get left because they contribute for future refference like if someone searches google and that post shows up. They don't usually see the main posters date right away.


Or the spammers post was removed as a whole and we didn't notice the old post being resurected. Like the spammer posts 5 posts. We catch one and clean ban him which removes all his posts.
 
We have two examples right now. One is a guy wanting to remove bad smell from his car almost 4 years ago. I'm pretty sure he doesn't need more help.

The other one is about a college project, again 4 years old.

Should it be frowned upon to answer old threads such as these? It isn't like help posts where one could have the same exact problem.
 
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