Lock old threads

[JÞB]

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@RTSLVU wrote:

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@JÞB wrote:

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A special case for updating community nuggets would be a better idea than leaving all threads open just in case you need to change or add something years later.

In fact Community Nuggets deserve their own board (or sub-board) that could have all the Nuggets left open

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We tried that . Called it FAQs newbs didn't know about it.   There is a nugget tracker on breakpoints.  Nothing else but the subject identifies nuggets.  So  it's not an automatable feature to handle the exception. 

[RTSLVU]

12 year old thread brought back from the dead

[JÞB]

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@RTSLVU wrote:

12 year old thread brought back from the dead

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And, it looks like the bump poster got some great instruction.   I see no problem with that.   A warning to the bumper that the thread was old would have been nice but, the Champions politely handled the situation. 

Not a super example of a need to lock. 

Yes, I don't like locked threads.

[Kevin_Price]

Just stumbled across this thread and felt like weighing in, FWIW.

I don't like the idea of permanently locking threads.  I do like the idea of popping up a warning when replying to long-time-inactive threads and the idea of an automatic link from the new thread back to the old one.   And I agree that many zombie thread revivals haven't been useful.  Yet something about locking threads just feels wrong.

I think it strikes me like we'd be putting an expiration date on the relevance of information.   That doesn't feel like science & tech to me.

I partly arrived here b/c I recently pointed someone back to an old thread I was in where I posted an example.  I've referred people to the same post a half dozen or more times over the years.  But this time I noticed that the link for that example is now dead.  I'm gonna see if I've still got a copy of that example kicking around on an old 512MB thumb drive.  And if I find it, I plan to go back to that old thread, dormant for years, and post a new copy.   

    I see no value in starting a new thread just to post an example that no one's currently looking for.  Better to put it in the old thread where several of my other posts are already pointing.

-Kevin P

[RTSLVU]

I don't think NI is removing any threads, the link change could be due to changes in the board software and locations on the server.

You should just go to your profile page and from there you can find all of your old posts and create a new link to it.

Oh and don't worry so far NI has said that locking threads is just not possible with the forum software they are using.

[Kevin_Price]

So I did go and update that old thread I mentioned.   It was a pretty respectable zombie at 14+ years since the last activity!   Now it's updated with minor fixes and clarifications, right there in the same thread I've previously linked to multiple times.

I'm glad the thread wasn't locked -- there wouldn't have been a tidy way to direct anyone to the *better* solution.  I'm still all for warnings and things that try to steer posters *away* from reviving inactive threads.  I just also want an option for them to go ahead and do it anyway.

-Kevin P

[RTSLVU]

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@Kevin_Price wrote:

I'm glad the thread wasn't locked -- there wouldn't have been a tidy way to direct anyone to the *better* solution.  I'm still all for warnings and things that try to steer posters *away* from reviving inactive threads.  I just also want an option for them to go ahead and do it anyway.

-Kevin P

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Sure, but if someone has a similar problem it is very easy to start a new thread and link to your 14 year old soultion stating "I tried the soultion in this thread and it did not work because..."

One thing I really do not like is a thread that gets almost 50 pages long and contains multiple subthreads, questions, and answers, like this NI LabVIEW Modbus API Discussion.

That is like taking all of the important information and just throwing it into a pile and telling everyone to just keep digging, the answer is in there somewhere.

[Kevin_Price]

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@RTSLVU

I'm glad the thread wasn't locked -- there wouldn't have been a tidy way to direct anyone to the *better* solution...

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Sure, but if someone has a similar problem it is very easy to start a new thread and link to your 14 year old soultion stating "I tried the soultion in this thread and it did not work because..."

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Yeah, what I wrote wasn't quite what I was thinking.  I was especially thinking about the fact that there are several *other* old threads where I've already linked to the one I just added to.   Anyone coming across *those* threads and links would still get directed to the old solution with no way to know about the new thread with a better solution.   That's what was in my head, it just didn't make it to my fingers.  

And yeah, super-long threads are tough.  The rare times I venture into a 10+ page thread, I generally skim first for solutions, kudos, and familiar contributors.  That seems to help me avoid most of the pain.

-Kevin P

[JÞB]

Kevin  how do you find those old posts with "No Tags Yet?"

And how am I supposed to find specific things in them without using your tag cloud?

[Kevin_Price]

I just saw another potentially helpful and productive zombie thread revival (>12 years) and kudo'ed it.  Those old threads come up when people search and I think it sometimes makes a lot more more sense to attach the new comment/solution to its original context.

Yeah, I know, there's a downside to keeping threads unlocked too, but I find the upside to be worth it.

-Kevin P