Request for customer feedback: pruning old data from Exchange forums

Should old Exchange thread pictures be deleted?

  • Yes, if not seen for at least 6 months

    Votes: 26 49.1%

  • Yes if not seen for at least 1 year

    Votes: 16 30.2%

  • Yes if not seen for 2 years

    Votes: 5 9.4%

  • Never

    Votes: 6 11.3%
  • Total voters
    53
Spark

Spark

HPIC - Hatas gonna Hate
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Ok guys so I have a question for y'all

I'm wanting to clear up space on the servers and one of the options was to prune back threads & attachments from old threads in the Exchange. Since the forums have been open for 25 years now, there's a huge amount of photos in there taking up space, with many that are never seen again after the first month they are active.

Text storage is nothing. Photos take up way more server space than the threads themselves. Can you guys give your feedback / thoughts on me ditching pictures that haven't been seen for 2+ years?
 
I don't know how it works in Xenforo; but I was involved with that on an old vBulletin forum and it was a tedious process. We took out images from ads that hadn't been touched in over a year.
Personally, I'd be okay with anything past 6 months; but I responded a year in the poll.
 
I think the main value in old exchange ads are for trying to figure out market value of a knife. I'm not sure when that stays relevant, 6-12 months would be the extent of it, IMO. Many people are removing prices from ads as it is so it may not even be that useful anymore.

And, if only the images are removed, then it's not a problem anyway. I was just thinking it may be easier from a programming point of view to delete threads that are 6-12 months old since the last post, creation, or whichever starting date you would choose.
 
I think 6 months after the last viewing should be sufficient. Anything to do with the sale should be settled by then and since almost no one leaves prices behind, I can see no other compelling reason to keep them there.
 
Six months is long enough in my view, Kevin. Do what's necessary to keep the site healthy.
 
Prune everything sold after 6 months. There are no prices to reference so all you get is people 2 years later asking questions.

People can use feedback scores to cross check buyers and sellers.
 
I vote 1 year because not to long ago I found a 6ish month old post and bought a knife that has become one of my favorites. Over a year I wouldn't have bothered asking.

Edit to add: thanks for even asking our opinions. One of many reasons I love it here.
 
Is it possible to act differently in the "Makers Markets"?

Somebody selling an old, used, beat up cold steel is different than someone who is a Maker here selling their wares.... That they pay more membership to do so. :)

It is an archival of their works..... I'm voting Never, for Makers area.

Thanks.
 
IMO, 6 months is plenty of time to check if anyone is suspicious in their dealings.
 
Without knowing - I'm GUESSING that the difference between 6 months and 1 year - to your server needs - is NEGLIGIBLE.

I vote 1 year for the reason expressed by BlindMouse2of3 BlindMouse2of3 .

QUALIFIER - if you can simply delete SOLD items than do so after 3 to 6 months. Likely that kind of management would be tedious at best.

BUT - unsold items get my 1 year vote.

MEANWHILE - post a notice asking people to delete their SOLD items as soon as feedback/sale satisfaction has been established. As a policy and user practice this could help immensely.
 
I would keep them up for at least the year of, to aid in taxes, although I am printing the ad at time of purchase or sale now
But when the new IRS rules were 1st suggested, I did have to go far back to find my purchase threads
I could then match that ad with the PP transaction
So my vote was for never, but you have to do what you have to do
 
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It was pointed out to me that deleting the threads themselves might negatively effect feedback scores and we can't have that. Will consult more.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
I would keep them up for at least the year of, to aid in taxes, although I am printing the ad at time of purchase or sale now
But when the new IRS rules were 1st suggested, I did have to go far back to find my purchase threads
I could then match that ad with the PP transaction
So my vote was for never, but you have to do what you have to do
Click to expand...
Deleting attached images shouldn't have an impact on doing one's taxes. The text content should be enough to sufficiently identify the knives/items.
RayseM said:
MEANWHILE - post a notice asking people to delete their SOLD items as soon as feedback/sale satisfaction has been established. As a policy and user practice this could help immensely.
Click to expand...
The most active sellers seem to not venture far from the Exchange; and I suspect that relatively few of them would heed such a notice.
 
hhmoore said:
Deleting attached images shouldn't have an impact on doing one's taxes. The text content should be enough to sufficiently identify the knives/items.
Click to expand...
correct
But the OP refered to deleting the threads, not just the photo attachment
If they can seperate the text from the photos to free space, i don't see it as a problem for taxes,
 
Last edited:
Peter Hartwig said:
correct
But the OP refered to deleting the threads, not just the photo attachment
Click to expand...
From the OP:
"Text storage is nothing. Photos take up way more server space than the threads themselves. Can you guys give your feedback / thoughts on me ditching pictures that haven't been seen for 2+ years?"
 
hhmoore said:
From the OP:
"Text storage is nothing. Photos take up way more server space than the threads themselves. Can you guys give your feedback / thoughts on me ditching pictures that haven't been seen for 2+ years?"
Click to expand...
Not the way I read the whole post, but as I said no problem if they can seperate, and none really if they can't and have to free space. Just pointing out that the old threads are not useless.
 
My vote would be to delete photos only older than one year. If it’s the pics taking up the most space, prune away. I wouldn’t think it would be that hard with a little scripting.
 
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