Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

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curtstein
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Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by curtstein »

In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
Every forum I’ve ever been on with much traffic has this rule. We do make exceptions to this rule when there is good reason.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
If there is a topic that you want to discuss, start a new thread, even if it’s an old topic.
The reason for mummifying old threads is due to the likelihood that those who posted to it are gone now.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by jimmi »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 11:13 pm
curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
If there is a topic that you want to discuss, start a new thread, even if it’s an old topic.
The reason for mummifying old threads is due to the likelihood that those who posted to it are gone now.
It seems somewhat roundabout to start a new thread to add to an old topic simply because the original thread participants are long gone. That they are gone may not be relevant to what is being newly said since, I think, we are mostly speaking to who is here now and those who are reading now may be moved to respond and so the thread lives again. Even a blah, blah, blah thread can breath again if today’s members wish to make it so. Old doesn’t have to mean dead. Attaching the term necro to old threads forces a condition that is arbitrary and unnecessary. Just sayin’.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by jimmi »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:30 pm
curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
Every forum I’ve ever been on with much traffic has this rule. We do make exceptions to this rule when there is good reason.
What is/was the good reason to make the rule in the first place?
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

jimmi wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 12:11 am It seems somewhat roundabout to start a new thread to add to an old topic simply because the original thread participants are long gone.
The point is, if you comment on what has been posted, the person who posted it may not be able to respond. In other words, they can’t defend their statement if necessary, or clarify it if it is being misunderstood.

If you have a topic to discuss, just bring it up.
There’s nothing ‘roundabout’ it.

If there’s a statement in an old thread you want to refer to, you can do that. You can include a link to it, or you can copy it and paste it into a new thread.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

jimmi wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 12:17 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:30 pm
curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
Every forum I’ve ever been on with much traffic has this rule. We do make exceptions to this rule when there is good reason.
What is/was the good reason to make the rule in the first place?
Do you guys not use other forums?

No necropostung is a really common rule. The basic reason is general forum continuity and the fact that necroed threads often involve users who are no longer active, dredge up issues which haven’t been relevant on the forum for years, etc. Again, this is rule we make exceptions for semi-regularly because we know sometimes there are good reasons to do so.
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Ayu
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Ayu »

curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
I cannot perceive any alarm bells. It's a simple rule that has factual reasons due to experience.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by curtstein »

Referring to how "all the other forums" do things is not a very good argument. Internet discussion forums do not provide very good role models as a general rule.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

curtstein wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 12:38 am Referring to how "all the other forums" do things is not a very good argument. Internet discussion forums do not provide very good role models as a general rule.
Again the rule is granted exceptions when needed, and is a useful rule for the reasons explained.

I’m not really sure what the issue is beyond that.
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Malcolm
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Malcolm »

curtstein wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 12:38 am Referring to how "all the other forums" do things is not a very good argument. Internet discussion forums do not provide very good role models as a general rule.
You can revive an old conversation by citing it in a new thread with a link. Problem solved.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Inge »

curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
I agree. It is a silly rule.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Malcolm wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 2:18 am
curtstein wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 12:38 am Referring to how "all the other forums" do things is not a very good argument. Internet discussion forums do not provide very good role models as a general rule.
You can revive an old conversation by citing it in a new thread with a link. Problem solved.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Inge wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 5:46 pm
curtstein wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:16 pm In a discussion forum dedicated to a 2500 year old spiritual tradition, it seems a bit odd to automatically raise alarm bells when someone posts in a thread that has been dormant for a year or three. Just sayin'.
I agree. It is a silly rule.
If you post your reasons for thinking that, we can consider them and see what changes might make it less annoying.

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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Have you guys experienced some negative effect from the rule? If so, what was it?

If you haven't then I would suggest that you don't really understand the function of the rule because you don't mod DW.

As someone who has for however long (it's been a bunch of years), I can tell you, you guys don't see probably 70% of the posts that run afoul of the rule, and the rule does serve a good purpose. Again, we make exceptions with some regularity because we know that some threads are valuable and there might good reason for necroing them.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by narhwal90 »

Not sure why its a problem to create a new thread and include a link to the older one in the 1st post. If theres a compelling reason to resume an older thread by all means contact the mods and make the case. Or, make the reopening post sufficiently interesting so its obvious why the thread should continue and not be split. Or ask the mods to split the thread for you. Its unfair to the posters from long ago to resume a conversation many are not present for.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by DNS »

As others have noted, exceptions are made. A good example of that is the great vegetarian debate. A new member might join who is somewhat enthusiastic about vegetarianism and they want to add a point to the thread, but it has been dormant for some time. We allow them to post there. If they started a new thread, it might start another whole long thread about the debate. And that way the new member can see some of the old arguments on both sides and see if they are adding anything new.

At DWT we don't have a rule against necroposting. It works okay that way over there most of the time, but as an example of how that can not work just happened yesterday. A member necro posted a 10 year old thread:
https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.p ... 17#p706517

Most of the members who posted in that thread may not even be active any more.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by Ayu »

The usual pattern is:

1. A newbie necroes a topic asking a question.
2. Because nobody knows this person, their question is being overlooked.
3. Rather people read the headline and the OP of the topic. They don't notice the date and start to...
4.... answer the OP...
5.... or start to argue on old remarks as if they were new,...
argue with members who have not been seen for years
,... offer help for problems that existed actuallly many years ago.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

I think this thread should be closed and then reopened in about five years.
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Re: Necro posting (deserves a rethink)

Post by jimmi »

Perhaps all threads should be locked (automatically?) six months after the last post rather than the method/non-method now on place. As it stands the necro posting rule is something of a reverse ad-hominem … addressing the alleged concerns of the person (who may or may not be long gone) rather than the content of the post which may well be completely pertinent to the interests of new members (or other members who haven’t yet voyaged through the vast archives).
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