Necroposting

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

At what point does a post become a necropost?  I've seen a lot of it lately and having a consensus on the matter when a post becomes a necropost may prove very helpful moving forward.

Thoughts?

[AmanoJyaku 184]

2 hours ago, Sith Holocron said:

At one point does a post become a necropost?  I've seen a lot of it lately and having a consensus on the matter when a post becomes a necropost may prove very helpful moving forward.

Thoughts?

I'm not sure if there is an answer that can fit all situations. I think it depends on the type of post. Many sites have a rule that a thread is somehow locked after the last post was entered. Let's say, 6 months. But, the OP or an admin could unlock the thread for whatever reason. Sometimes, a thread is locked by request.

Other times, a thread is locked because things got out of control. 🍻🍺🍹🥂

If this problem is recent and not something that happens often, direct action in the form of a private reminder might be most effective. If the problem appears for a few days, a gentle reminder in the most active posts along with private reminders and/or day-or-two bans might settle things down.

[Mutilator57 140]

1 hour ago, AmanoJyaku said:

I'm not sure if there is an answer that can fit all situations. I think it depends on the type of post. Many sites have a rule that a thread is somehow locked after the last post was entered. Let's say, 6 months. But, the OP or an admin could unlock the thread for whatever reason. Sometimes, a thread is locked by request.

Other times, a thread is locked because things got out of control. 🍻🍺🍹🥂

If this problem is recent and not something that happens often, direct action in the form of a private reminder might be most effective. If the problem appears for a few days, a gentle reminder in the most active posts along with private reminders and/or day-or-two bans might settle things down.

I agree, private admonishment is the way to go. Often (though not always) it seems to be the same offenders.

[DarthParametric 3,794]

4 hours ago, Sith Holocron said:

At what point does a post become a necropost?

What matters is not the necroing of a thread as much as the reason/purpose behind it. If there's a thread about an unsolved bug or issue, and suddenly 3 years after the last post someone posts a solution, that's good content. However, if some numbnuts just starts randomly posting inane conversational posts in ancient threads that add nothing then that should be an infraction, akin to people bumping threads with multiple posts.

Since this is often a habit of new members, I have long been in favour of manual moderation for any new member's first five or so posts, as is common policy on some other forums.

54 minutes ago, Mutilator57 said:

private admonishment is the way to go

No, I think public floggings are appropriate. There needs to be a demonstrable result of people's actions that others can observe. And hopefully learn from (but I wouldn't hold my breath).

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

Let's narrow the scope by giving an example.

Let's say in the hypothetical example, it's a request thread where someone is either looking for a particular mod or is making a request for one to be made.  How long after the last post in that thread should it be pretty obvious that the original poster of that last message isn't looking for a response anymore?

Update: Let's not use anyone's names attached in your responses nor link to threads calling them out.  We're talking generally here.

[DarthParametric 3,794]

Well in a request thread, if the OP isn't looking for a response, then either someone fulfilled the request, or nobody ever did. If someone fulfilled the request, but the link is dead (highly likely in old DS threads, since it nukes old attachments), then I think it is appropriate for someone to necro the thread and ask if anyone still has a copy rather than make a new thread. If nobody ever fulfilled the request, then it depends on the nature of the new posts. A bunch of "me too!" posts adds nothing and should be considered bumping. Anyone actively trying to fulfil the request by creating a new mod should be encouraged to do so, since fostering the creation of new content should be the primary goal of DS, but perhaps they could be gently mod/admin-assisted in migrating to a WIP thread instead.

I guess the point is that there need to be some rules around "low effort" necroing, but I don't think that it should be banned outright. Blanket rules are tools of the lazy and can needlessly stifle discussion/creativity. It's really a kind of case-by-case situation.

[AmanoJyaku 184]

12 hours ago, DarthParametric said:

Well in a request thread, if the OP isn't looking for a response, then either someone fulfilled the request, or nobody ever did. If someone fulfilled the request, but the link is dead (highly likely in old DS threads, since it nukes old attachments), then I think it is appropriate for someone to necro the thread and ask if anyone still has a copy rather than make a new thread.

In this case, wouldn't it make sense to save attachments as downloads, link from the thread to the download, then lock the thread?

12 hours ago, DarthParametric said:

A bunch of "me too!" posts adds nothing and should be considered bumping. Anyone actively trying to fulfil the request by creating a new mod should be encouraged to do so, since fostering the creation of new content should be the primary goal of DS, but perhaps they could be gently mod/admin-assisted in migrating to a WIP thread instead.

As a general rule, I think anyone attempting to fulfill an old request should create a WIP thread. This way, it's easier to see who is still active and likely to finish said WIP. Some of these necroposts are to threads where the posters are long gone, so it's silly to expect a response. And, let's be honest - if a WIP hasn't been updated in years it's unlikely to be worked on even if the poster is still active. It doesn't take much effort to write "yup, still working on it". That's why I've been doing monthly status updates to my WIP.

12 hours ago, DarthParametric said:

I guess the point is that there need to be some rules around "low effort" necroing, but I don't think that it should be banned outright. Blanket rules are tools of the lazy and can needlessly stifle discussion/creativity. It's really a kind of case-by-case situation.

The problem is that there needs to be a balance between being fair to posters and being fair to moderators. There is only so much time you can devote to policing bad behavior. (Unless, you're getting paid for this? In which case, are you hiring? 😁) Blanket rules, often automated, are sometimes a necessity to keep up with site traffic. But, kudos for understanding and supporting the need for nuanced moderation!

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

Another hypothetical: A member has been warned for not spamming and has been placed under a 7 day post moderation requirement (i.e. having to check each post they attempt to.make.) This person then posts a one word response to a thread two years old while they are that 7 day moderation. That's someone that's not willing to learn, it seems. What would you do in that scenario?

[AmanoJyaku 184]

Perma-ban.

Assuming you pointed that person to the rules page, and explained why their previous behavior violates said rules.

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

2 hours ago, AmanoJyaku said:

Perma-ban.

Assuming you pointed that person to the rules page, and explained why their previous behavior violates said rules.

Oh, I explained it. The message didn't take. Don't expect to see <Some user> around again.

But I am still curious about people's thoughts on necroposting.

[AmanoJyaku 184]

26 minutes ago, Sith Holocron said:

Oh, I explained it. The message didn't take. Dont expect to see <Some user> around again.

 

18 hours ago, Sith Holocron said:

Update: Let's not use anyone's names attached in your responses nor link to threads calling them out.  We're talking generally here.

Tsk tsk.

"Who mods the mod-men?" 🤣

 

Yeah, we knew who you were talking about. And, that was just some of the problematic behavior, rules or no.

I don't think the occasional stubborn case warrants a change in the rules. With regards to necroposting, they're pretty explicit:

General Posting Habits

• Before posting a new topic, do a search to see if there is already a recent thread on the subject. If there is already a thread similar to what you’d like to post, feel free to read it and post a reply in the existing thread. If you can find no suitable thread that has received new posts recently you may post your own. Do not revive threads that have not had any activity for months or years this way unless you have something of substance to add to the topic.
• Try to stay on-topic. Discussion is a good thing and is encouraged, but if what you have to say deviates a lot from the topic, do not post it in that thread. Consider starting your own thread instead. This is a matter of respect to the thread starter.

Spamming

• Do not post messages that are irrelevant to the topic or attempt to derail the conversation. Your posts should contribute to the thread in some manner.

A Simple Catch-All

• The most important rule of all: Don't be stupid. Use common sense.

 

Last week, I came close to breaking the stay on-topic rule. It was in response to the OP's question, yes. But, once I gave my input it was necessary to stop there. It wasn't contributing to the discussion anymore, and it was irrelevant to the real issue. The OP wanted to make a cosmetic redesign, even though I thought the design wasn't supported by any in-game description. The OP disagreed and said it was. Clearly, the OP wanted to do it, so I used common sense and broke off.

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

The laughter at the previous comment was at the reaction of breaking my own thread rule. Well played.

[DarthParametric 3,794]

10 hours ago, AmanoJyaku said:

if a WIP hasn't been updated in years it's unlikely to be worked on even if the poster is still active. It doesn't take much effort to write "yup, still working on it". That's why I've been doing monthly status updates to my WIP

This scenario wasn't about WIP threads, it was about request threads. It is entirely possible that someone could come along a couple of years down the track to suddenly fulfil a request out of the blue as new people looking to mod join (or if I get bored), especially with the abilities of tools increasing in recent years, opening doors that were previously closed.