EDIT: Im leaving everything as is. Thanks for everyone’s input.
I think that there are quite a few old threads that should just be closed, some no longer serve a purpose and some are just outdated information.
What does everyone think?
If one agrees what criteria should be met before closing?
If one doesnt agree please state your reasons.
All constructive input is valued so please speak your mind.
EDIT: Keep in mind that im not talking about deleting anything. The information here belongs to everyone, im simply looking for a way to make it more user friendly.
I think the epic threads like the old RF threads should stay as they contain valuable info for anyone joining the party late. Can you please give an example of a thread not serving a purpose? My fear is that valuable comments, tips or opinions will be lost in the shuffle and that any newbie should have equal opportunity to research as we had. As far as outdated information i find the evolution of our mixes and techniques very interesting when scouring older threads which are dated by month and year for all to consider/remember that times have changed. My opinion comes partially from a fear of losing some of the nostalgia associated with the older threads but also that newcomers have ample opportunity to learn. At the end of the day it is the moderators who must decide what threads arent worthwhile to keep and which can be consolidated with other threads and i respect those decisions …
I was thinking of just archiving the old threads, i wont be removing anything.
An example is, a few weeks ago, it may be months by now, tried to use am Essential Depot coupon from an open thread, the coupon expired years ago. Stuff like this.
Oh, on the archiving thing, i was thinking of each sub category having an archive thread with the old threads in them but locked. Not sure what criteria yet, number of posts, age, usefulness, etc.
I know I’m me, but definitely old complaints that have been reconciled, as well as Giveaways that have concluded. Any threads that have trailed off into the abyss of madness as well. Flavor notes, as well as any threads that could still use input are good to stay open I would think.
The only good reason to hit the Del button is to recover disk space. Even the old useless junk could be the Google result that brings in a new Member. I know what you mean tho, soo messy …cluttered feeling. Yeah so Administration is also a good reason, and @Silhouette mentioned an obvious one (Giveaways).
Yeah, the only posts that get deleted are by our favorite resident troll, . Everything else will stay but archived with a new topic opened, if needed. Once there are hundreds and hundreds of replies in a thread it limits its usefulness, so something like that would be archived and a new post opened with reference to the original.
Id like to tidy up just a bit so i reckon ill start with the Giveaways. I have that category muted and forgotten about. Looks like it could use a dusting.
@JoJo’s rule was to close them a few hours after they finished, give people a time to say congrats and thats about it. Ive unmutified the group so i will try and keep an eye on it too.
Definitely get rid of the old useless stuff, no point in keeping it for the sake of it e.g. Giveaways… for certain!
I pity you, we have so much information and knowledge here, that just sorting it out is a huge amount of work.
Nice initiative, I’m all for archiving old material that’s lost it’s relevance, It’s so annoying when somebody posts on one of those threads, bumping it up to the top, and you think it’s something new.
Like most others, I’d be loathe to see anything deleted, but I note that wasn’t even suggested.
There are the obvious ones like giveaways, but some old threads are still very valid today.
Personally, I’d put a little more pressure on cleaning posts out (and not letting people derail so badly). As an example, just now I went through the MF Recommendations and it’s just horrible… that thread should be split up in 4 or 5 separate threads. It’s a very painful exercise to extract the information for which people open the thread. Not sure where the guidelines are scattered anymore, but I read somewhere that people should only post into a topic if they can contribute to the ongoing topic (otherwise start a new thread or continue in a more appropriate thread). I don’t give a hoot about what people just ordered and what samples they got when I’m browsing for recommendations.
I don’t often come across a thread that I think should be closed (few exceptions, especially the threads that contain a lot of bashing, they extract the worst out of some people… but the mods are usually doing a fine job to keep stuff in line).
Expired codes or whatever can be flagged for attention and perhaps removed when they’re (confirmed) not valid anymore.
The question is, what is “old material” and where do you draw the line. With an expired coupon code it’s easy but not everything is so black and white. Even older recommendations for hardware may still be valid if you can still buy it (even used).
@Ken_O_Where imo derailment is still the biggest issue that needs a solid solution. I would just stick a big fat derail button next to the reply button, something that takes people to a safer place to wander off into the abyss.
OK. So, one reading that thread expects to see what? Would people go there to read about members’ experiences and thoughts? Or simply to see “Use MF Blueberry at .55%”? Perhaps they want to see “I recommend trying MF Butterscotch”. I don’t need a thread for that, really. Discourse and the banter that comes with flavor discussions actually enhance threads most times, because it allows for individual insights to be properly explained and explored. It is, at least, all about Medicine Flower for the most part, and a lot of the stuff I’ve found useful have come from those types of posts. If the contributions I’ve made to the thread have harmed it rather than enhanced it, then I apologize and will stay away. I’m not going to come on and tell anyone how to mix. I will only share my experiences and what works for me (which apparently isn’t the point after all).
If it is preferred by you and Jay that it be nothing more than “Use this at .8%” and “I like that one you should try it”, fine. But I will miss the ancillary stuff everyone shares as well, and the thread won’t be as valuable to me (or likely many others).
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If anyone cares to hear my opinion about that: I, too, enjoy the banter and have sometimes even joined in with it. I would hate to see it all swept out of sight by the mods.
I can sympathise with people who find that thread exasperating though, so was gonna keep mum on that point until you dragged me in.
Is this just because i mildly enquired if the Tasting Notes thread was now defunct? (on account of all the tasting notes now going into that other thread, along with all the banter, and just about everything MF related )
For example if you say you order flavors from MF that you haven’t even tried yet, that belongs in the thread Vape Mail (or if you want to start a new pre-vape mail thread with just your orders, that’s fine, but it messes up the recommendations thread).
There are what 350 comments in that thread and how many are real recommendations? If I’m looking for MF recommendations, I’m not getting my chest wet for a day of reading a single thread with a dozen or so recommendations.
And stop taking all these things so personal and get so excited about it, my comment is nothing personal and not directed straight at you (I get dragged in it as well from time to time). Many people can’t stay on topic for simple things. These days, even in giveaways people start chatting away with their opinions about a device… simply open another thread if you want to deviate from the topic or question asked.
When a thread gets old it fades and dies on its own. If all the sudden for someone, something becomes relevant it’s nice to put new life in it.
Take vanillin…i brought back an old discussion from a year or so ago. I got what I needed from the right people and the thread went right back to where it’s needed. Faded into the back ground.
Yes I agree. Contest threads should be closed a day or two later. A complaint thread that has been resolved…sure, close it. But flavor threads and thread that can contain a relevant ongoing conversation, today or a year from now, leave it open.
If we just start closing some of these threads then new ones need to replace them. Then the same damn answers have to be provided in a whole new thread.
I’ve not taken it personally, nor am I particularly excited. In fact, it’s somewhat less than exciting, really.
OK, so you want nothing more than “I recommend this”. Come on, think about that… Joe Vapewater can come on and say that; what value does that add? How long would a thread last if that’s all there was for content? I think KOW’s description of stinky grannies added more to the Acacia Honey discussion than anything else. But it should not have been posted, apparently.
I’m not going to argue this to death. It’s silly. Not only have I nothing else to say here, I also have nothing else to add in the MF thread either, so don’t worry.
Old threads can still contain useful information, and if lets say a new member discovers an old thread and have a question or for other reasons want to reopen the discussion, then why force them to make a new thread instead of reviving the old?
There might be obvious threads that can be deleted or archived, like old giveaways, but unless there are good reasons for deleting or archiving a thread, then it is my opinion that it is better they stay open.
Ephemeral stuff can go, and threads that get blatantly derailed and become antagonistic can obviously go (cough, Gearbest thread) but as for the rest, sure, why not keep them available.
. Everything else will stay but archived with a new topic opened, if needed. Once there are hundreds and hundreds of replies in a thread it limits its usefulness, so something like that would be archived and a new post opened with reference to the original.
I’m all for archiving old material that’s lost it’s relevance, It’s so annoying when somebody posts on one of those threads, bumping it up to the top, and you think it’s something new.
