Resurrected Old Threads

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Just out of curiosity, how have you folks who are resurrecting old threads been finding them. Are you doing a search and find an interesting thread,then replying to it not realizing that it is months to years old? Or, are you going back page after page of cashed threads looking to see what has been discussed and deliberately bringing it up. Seems to be happening a lot lately.
I really am just curious about how this usually happens. It appears that many of the replies are written as if the original thread was posted last night, not years ago. I have replied to a recent post, only to scroll back several posts and see that it was actually an old thread. Humorously, in some cases the original poster is no longer making knives.

Like I said, not really complaining, just curious.
Stacy
 
I know I have done it, sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally and for different reasons.

I mostly read page 1 and get used to just going to the message box after reading a thread then sometimes I need to search for something and forget that it may be an old thread and respond to it as usual.

Other times while searching through old threads, which anybody can now do via google, if I feel I have valid info or dispute for a point made in a thread I think it's worth posting as a newbie could still get wrong info if they are doing like they should and actually searching old threads instead of posting a thread/question that has been answered miriad times already.
 
Don't think I've resurrected any but a few times I've been caught responding to resurrected threads without noticing the OP date. Mostly, I'd be responding to a newer individual response than the whole thread - which I may not even have read.

Rob!
 
bladsmth said:
Just out of curiosity, how have you folks who are resurrecting old threads been finding them. Are you doing a search and find an interesting thread,then replying to it not realizing that it is months to years old? Or, are you going back page after page of cashed threads looking to see what has been discussed and deliberately bringing it up. Seems to be happening a lot lately.
I really am just curious about how this usually happens. It appears that many of the replies are written as if the original thread was posted last night, not years ago. I have replied to a recent post, only to scroll back several posts and see that it was actually an old thread. Humorously, in some cases the original poster is no longer making knives.

Like I said, not really complaining, just curious.
Stacy
Click to expand...

Sorry if it does not contribute much to the discussion but I recently encountered a term for this that I found so darned funny I had to share it. In the lingo of the internet apprently this is called - necroposting!:D I almost died laughing the first time I heard the term.
 
I don't post to the old threads, but I read a lot of old ones. As with a lot of forum/group type sites, the archived messages are its most valuable commodity.

With that in mind, this site kicks butt. I think a failing of a lot of participants on any forum or group is to realized just how much information has been posted over a period of years. The search functions of this site are fantastic and produce very accurate results. That was what actually persuaded me to get a basic membership, just to show my appreciation.

Robert
 
Usually get sucked into someone elses ressurrection. Then get mad because I go back to read the whole thread and then see it's moldy.
 
I think its all accidentally responded to ,if a person was looking for a specific topic and saw the thread was 2 years old I cant believe some one would knowingly post to the thread COME ON . Like Rob said he may and so may have I who looks back at every single thread starting date to see if its fresh. I know most up to date site delete anyposts over 6 months olds, that helps keeping things tidy in a web site. But what would I know Jmho
 
Gawd, I hope they never start giving threads a 6 month life span here. It would kill the site (at least in respect to many makers looking for how to info). I rather have the occasional necromanced thread than that! I've got caught too, but it usually makes for an interesting read anyway. The ones that make you feel really foolish are answering 7 year old questions as to where such and such can be sourced. Even then though, I guess there may be value in the info for some other shmoe wonder where to get the stuff. So, it seems, there's no harm done in any case.
 
I can't think of any forum that I'm a member of that deletes posts older than six months. Some do archive, but never delete.
 
I know a few forums that LOCK posts after 6 months or 9 months or some other period of time, to prevent thread necromancy, but i dont know any place that deletes posts.
 
I know of one that purges old threads on a regular basis, but it is massive.

Anyway, I don't see a problem with resurrecting old threads if the subject really hasn't changed. How many threads on heat treating 1095, or how thin to grind before HT, do there need to be?
 
The first thing people tell a newbie is to search , if they search and find something that they would like clarified or have further questions about , I find it a great service to resurrect old threads. Many of those older threads have valuable information , for someone to get wound up ( not referring to you Stacy ) about old posts revived , well they should be careful about telling people to search in the first place :)
 
I agree with the information value of old threads.
What baffles me is a thread from 2004 saying, " I am trying to wire my VFD,does the 220VAC go to L-1 and L-2?" ( or such), and the resurrection post in 2009 is, "Yes, hook the black wire to....". There is no sense to such a reply???
Stacy
 
Well i guess i have been gulity of necroposting, that word makes me laugh. but most of the time its because i'm was searching for a answer to a question and then found a post that relates and instead of starting a new one i necropost :rolleyes::D:D. Or some one says thy are on to something new and will post the results but never did. There is just so much good information on this site to be found but searching.
 
I could answer your question now, but I will probably wait about 7 months and them post my response.:D
 
Thats funny Stacy because I almost wrote you concerning the Trend fresh air face shield you bought new for $200.00 because I can only find them for $400.00 . Then I noticed the tread was from the year 2007 .
 
I always search for info I'm interested in and have resurrected one or two old threads if I believe that the entire thread is relevant.

Some old threads are still germane but those topics are more about personal preferences. I know that I get subscribe responses to some threads that I posted to almost ten years ago (another forum on target competition).

BTW - I noticed that this is my first post after lurking as a registered user for more than 3 years so you can't blame me for doing it!!
 
Between this and another recent thread, there is a common issue. Many of the long time and most valuable participants on this particular forum are fed up and burnt out by bad ettiquette. I've been guilty of it and since I've been reading and searching a lot lately, I've realized that I was guilty of more bad etiquette that I was unaware of. (I'm not including my spelling and proofreading issues here)

I'd hate to see very knowledgeable people stop or reduce their postings because of sheer irritation. I know it's happened and it makes the forum gene pool shallower. I have devised a cunning plan.....

Maybe we can agree on some basic rules of thread creation and posting ettiquette and a moderator can attach them as another sticky. It could be labled: Forum Posting Ettiquette-Read Before Posting For The First Time!

Here are some reasons:

A person finding this site, or visiting this particular forum for the first time, doesn't know that some seemingly complicated/technical questions are routinely asked here on a weekly basis and this drives people crazy. A quick search will answer these for them.

Many people without a membership still don't know you can do a google search and avoid posting a new thread. (I've been guilty of being too cheap to buy a membership until the search function was suspended for non-payers. If you've been here a year or more, do the right thing and pay the lousy $10)

Many kids come here from the other forums on this site, excited about making a knife and start asking the most basic questions without searching. They are just being kids and get their feelings hurt and this can be avoided.

People-like me-do a search and at least initially don't realize that a thread that comes up can be 4 years old. Now I know to look but thought it was more appreciated to continue a months old thread rather than start a new one with the exact same subject. I'm curious what the balance point is.

People-like me-have put too many questions at one time in a new thread, without thinking about it. I'm going to refrain from it in the future.

Labeling a new thread something like "stupid newbie question" makes me retch. Does anyone else feel that way?

If someone answers your post with something that sounds sarcastic but has a smiley next to it, it is a joke made with good intentions. Don't get your shorts in a bunch.

Finally, Dan Gray's sticky with info for newbies does urge searching first. With the current crabbiness level at Defcon 5, maybe we need some more repetiion.

If I receive no replies, I will take the hint about long posts and going off on tangents. Thanks.

Gerry
 
There have been a few times where I wanted to know something that I thought could be a dumb question; it wasn't that pressing of an issue so I just wait a few days and sure enough, somebody else will ask the exact question within a weeks time.
 
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