What is a necropost?

Overmountain

Overmountain

Joined
May 2, 2013
Messages
1,711
I'm sorry if this sounds rude or offensive, and I am sure this has been addressed and will apologize if I am stepping on the mods toes... but necroposting is a frustration for some of us. I was new to forums once too, did not know the etiquette, and also necroposted more than my fair share of times.

Necroposting is finding and reviving a long dead thread with a new post. The date is in the upper left hand corner of the last post in the thread. If it has been months since the last post, and you have new information similar to that post that you feel needs to be shared, please start a new thread and briefly recap or reference the other thread so we can be on the same wave.

Digging through random pages from back to front to figure out what you are saying is time consuming, and some of us use mobile applications that already tax our data plans. Needless page loads are not necessary... It is very easy to post a new thread.

If you need closure for someone's dilemma on a dead post, make sure they are still active by clicking their name and seeing when their last post was. If need be, cite them in your thread title to get their attention or PM them if you have a memebership that allows it and so do they.

The exceptions are of course WIP threads if there has been little progress and you need to update, running "add-on" threads, etc. Necroposts also have a bad habit of getting way off topic, hence may not even be related to the title by the time the post is read.

Again, I apologize if I offend or step on toes, that is not my purpose. I just like the normally streamlined nature of this site and wish to preserve it.
 
Personally, I've never had a problem with necroposting, so long as it's done right (i.e. don't try to get the OP to respond to a new question 7 years after the first post). Necroposting is actually a natural side effect of reliance on searches to find topics of interest. I find it amusing that the moderators here chastise new members for posting topics/questions that have been asked before (advising them to use search to find the answers), and then chastise them again if they post a new entry on one of the old threads they find.

Each forum has its own rules, standards, and traditions. This one apparently views necroposting as bad. Okay and accepted. But if necroposting is bad, that leads to starting redundant threads. No sense in chastising people for doing that.

- Greg
 
I agree with Lucy. Most of the time you have already read 2-3 posts or more before you realize what the date of the original post is.

I like duplicate posts better Greg than a 5 year old thread that has been resurected many times.
 
The attempt to get a response from the OP is a common thing I have seen lately. But mainly, it is searching, finding the thread that is 7 years old and answers your question, and then feeling compelled to add "yeah, I like that too" or some other bit of useless information...
I'm sorry, but it doesn't need to be brought to the top of the board again, if we need to read it we will search for it and find the thread.
Like I said, if you have something of importance to add, why not recap briefly then add your idea, or link the thread? Most old threads go way off topic for several pages sometimes and the added comment is almost impossible to decipher.

To each his own, and this isn't my forum, and I have no influence over anything that goes on here outside of the fact I did pay $60 for a few privilidges on here like promoting my goods and services. I know others feel the same, but it is frustrating when you are trying to reach an audience, or even for the guys sometimes desperately asking for help, and you are bumped down five threads by year old thread bumps... Sorry, its like bowling etiquette for me. Everyone doesn't adhere to it, and it doesn't bother some people, but sure does make things run just a little smoother with it.

Plus "read the stickies" and "use the search function" issues... ;)

And look, it is hard to convey with written words, but I am a very mellow and laid back guy despite having a pretty intense job. I may state my opinion on this stuff, but I do so much like a guy bellied up to the bar with his buddies would. It isn't with the intent to offend or shun anyone, and as always is an open invitation for the input of others...
Cheers! Seriously!!
 
The vast majority of necroposters are new people, or new knife makers (not always one in the same), and they won't see this thread once it is off the front page. They don't know the customs of this forum, so they will make mistakes and do/say things that make long-timers cranky. Its just a fact of life on internet forums like this one where there are years of good information that people search daily.

I typically look at the "Started by" to avoid a post, but often I read necroposts because they often contain info that I had forgotten.
 
I understand all of that, and it is in the same vein as saying"read the stickies" when it is literally the first thing you see arriving here. I can really care less if it rolls off into its own dead post oblivion, like I said... guy bellied up with his buds, ventilation etc...

I am by no means a long timer here, but did lurk for quite a while before joining, and it really doesn't even make me cranky. The reason I even addressed it is there have been quite a few in the last few days which is higher than the normal number I had seen prior. That is all there is to it.

I know this is one of those things that will make me look like an old curmudgeon, but was honestly also curious if anyone else felt the same way. If nobody cares, fine. If everyone cares, fine too. Just like to know where I stand...
 
Stacy's been doing a pretty good job of just closing old threads when they get dug up from the past. Then they fade away into the depths, but you can still find them with a search.

There's also a school of thought that one would rather browse through one huge thread, than scramble around in 8 threads that cross-link and all cover the same stuff. I don't know which is more taxing on the forum's servers, starting a new thread or adding to an existing one. I suspect the former, so that's something to consider as well.
 
LCK, I too share your concerns with necro posting, especially as it eats into my data plan, but I have found that if you look at the start date under the poster's name you can avoid clicking on old threads.

-Mike
 
carbonsteel928 said:
LCK, I too share your concerns with necro posting, especially as it eats into my data plan, but I have found that if you look at the start date under the poster's name you can avoid clicking on old threads.

-Mike
Click to expand...

My tapatalk only shows the last post time and date, not the thread start date. If it showed me that I would be fine...

And true, I can see the server aspect of multiple threads clogging it up versus one large one as well as having to jump around (jump up jump up and get down!- House of Pain) instead of one post to dig through. And yes, Stacy does an excellent job of grabbing em and fixing it, but some are getting dragged up from before he was even a member here, like 2003...

Like I said, nothing to get my panties in a twist and I got exactly what I was looking for, good examples of the other side of the argument. I appreciate everyone who chimed in and stated their opinion. Thank you.
 
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