# Does it annoy you when people post in old threads?



## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

I've been active in the ENFP forums for a long time now, and now I want to explore some of the other boards to get some new conversations going. Sometimes I like to go back and see what people were posting a few years ago, through to what has been posted now. 

Some people seem to have a real issue with this, but others are newer to the forums and haven't seen those threads either, OR are long term members and haven't seen those threads for a while anyway, and are happy to see new responses to old topics.

What is your preference?

Do you think older threads (say made over three months ago) should be automatically closed so people can't add to them?


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## MonieJ (Nov 22, 2010)

Some are interestin, others need to be buried.


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## Jamie.Ether (Jul 1, 2011)

I'm pretty new and there's some old threads that I'd like to start back up, but I usually don't because I don't want to annoy anyone. There are some really old ones I responded to though, not realizing the date until later. My bad.


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

Jamie.Ether said:


> I'm pretty new and there's some old threads that I'd like to start back up, but I usually don't because I don't want to annoy anyone. There are some really old ones I responded to though, not realizing the date until later. My bad.


 Same. If someone posted in an old thread, it wouldn't bother me. If I was the original poster, I would be stoked!


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## TheWaffle (Aug 4, 2010)

It depends, really. Some threads don't really need to be dredged up. Like, advice threads from several months ago. The OP has since solved the problem and might not even be on the forum anymore; your input isn't helpful or appreciated. 

But if the person necroposting has something actually interesting to add, I don't mind.


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

TheWaffle said:


> Like, advice threads from several months ago.


 But what if the problem isn't specific to one person? Like the advice could help heaps of people?


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## TheWaffle (Aug 4, 2010)

chickydoda said:


> But what if the problem isn't specific to one person? Like the advice could help heaps of people?


 Hmm. I didn't think of that. I was mostly thinking of the annoying relationship threads littering the INTJ subforum, so I didn't take that into account.

I suppose it could/would be helpful to other people depending on the topic (the general, the better), but I still find it a waste of time to address a specific situation that is no longer relevant.


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

@TheWaffle Oh ok lol. My problems never seem to go away or change. Oh well. If I really wanted advice on something two years later, I would probably just submit a new thread.


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## Simplify (Oct 25, 2010)

Absolutely not! I say keep the threads open forever! 

If people reply to old threads, they will bump and more people will see the answer to the question they're looking to solve! This will discourage people from making new threads about the same exact thing 100 times or more. You CANNOT deny that upside.


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## Zster (Mar 7, 2011)

nah - so long as it does not tick people off too badly if I forget that I already replied to that thread earlier AFTER replying to it again. (;


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## AussieChick (Dec 27, 2010)

Some old threads are helpful,and I also tend to reply and not notice the date before I do so.


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## Firefly12 (Jul 10, 2011)

I find it annoying when people whine about others posting on old threads and also when they bitch about someone starting a new thread on a topic that has OMG!! been _done before_ at some point on the forum.


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## QuirkyThoughts (Aug 23, 2011)

No, please don't ever close old threads! I love reading new opinions. Also, new members may want to post in them as well or existing members may want to modify their posts.


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## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

Seven of Cups said:


> Absolutely not! I say keep the threads open forever! If people reply to old threads, they will bump and more people will see the answer to the question they're looking to solve! This will discourage people from making new threads about the same exact thing 100 times or more. You CANNOT deny that upside.


Yes, that's the big plus... It's a shame also that much great information shared by past posters is often lost to the electronic ether, when it should really continue to benefit current members.

I think the part I don't like is simply when someone is giving advice on a situation that is long since past ("Help, my sister is pregnant w/o a husband, should she give away the baby??" or "My spouse is cheating on me and I need to know whether to dump him by next week" or "I need a summer job in a month!")... or they start quoting and querying members who aren't even active on the site anymore.

I think if you're gonna respond to a post that is two years old or more, it's just a matter of common sense to see if the poster has even been active... or make your comments directed to the thread/community and not the poster in question.


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

QuirkyThoughts said:


> No, please don't ever close old threads! I love reading new opinions. Also, new members may want to post in them as well or existing members may want to modify their posts.


 LOL! I don't have any actual power...


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## QuirkyThoughts (Aug 23, 2011)

chickydoda said:


> LOL! I don't have any actual power...


LOL. I see...I now feel like an idiot. Hahaha. :crazy:


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

QuirkyThoughts said:


> LOL. I see...I now feel like an idiot. Hahaha. :crazy:


 Haha it was just to see peoples preferences... to see how dead set their opinions were on the matter. The reason I started this thread is because I want to investigate some of the boards other than the ENFP board, and once I've been on the front page of threads, I might want to venture further back, but people frequently complain about old threads being revived... according to the poll here, its not as big a problem as everyone as been making it out to be.


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## StrixAluco (Apr 8, 2011)

Firefly12 said:


> I find it annoying when people whine about others posting on old threads and also when they bitch about someone starting a new thread on a topic that has OMG!! been _done before_ at some point on the forum.


I was about to say that.

It is better to post in an old thread than have 10222840249 threads about the same thing.


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## Modifier (Aug 17, 2011)

If the thread is good why not post ?


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

Just revived about 40 threads in the INFP board, hope no-one is upset with me :-D


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

QuirkyThoughts said:


> or existing members may want to modify their posts.


I don't think you can edit/modify a post after a day... its good because you can see what people are originally replying to, but bad if you regret saying something and the mods refuse to remove the post for you. I think you should be able to modify the post, but ifs its older, you should be able to see older versions of the posts to avoid confusion.


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## MiriUchiha (Jun 9, 2011)

Of course not. Why should it annoy me? I was once one of those people because I was NEW to the forums. It isn't bad that a new person would want to answer something that was dead for a while just to spark up some new answers and conversations. If someone has a problem with it, then it's their problem and not everyone else's.


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## Stephen (Jan 17, 2011)

I'd rather someone post in an old thread than make a new one on the same subject.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

No. I don't wish to control other people's actions over something so minor.


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## IDontReallyKnow (Jun 17, 2011)

My take on this is I don't mind.

I mean, we are on a forum and people can post in threads, impersonally speaking, no matter how old those threads are. This shouldn't be an issue as you can always ignore those threads you don't like. It's called freedom in forums.


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## Dashing (Sep 19, 2011)

I don't mind either, I think it's a good thing. For example when new information comes to light or someone has an entirely different take on something that might spark up the discussion. 

Maybe they should make it possible to post on older threads but require an approval by moderator. Or something.


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## electricky (Feb 18, 2011)

IDontReallyKnow said:


> My take on this is I don't mind.
> 
> I mean, we are on a forum and people can post in threads, impersonally speaking, no matter how old those threads are. This shouldn't be an issue as you can always ignore those threads you don't like. It's called freedom in forums.


Way to exercise that freedom 

I don't mind waking up old threads because then more people get the information and maybe add something else to it. It's funny when people respond and ask questions directly to people who are permabanned or long-since retired though...


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Since these forums don't have a rule against bringing back old threads, it doesn't really bother me. Although, like @ElectricSparkle said, it is kind of amusing (and annoying) when the responses or questions are directed at banned and/or retired people.


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

Someone revived one of my old threads yesterday, and it had about three new pages of responses when I found it, and I couldn't be happier. When I originally posted, I was disappointed by the lack of people joining the conversation. Its been interesting. I will probably revive lots of old discussions, because I need to learn about the other types by talking to them. I don't know much about the other types outside of INFP, ENFP and ISTJ.


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## braverip (Sep 10, 2011)

I think it depends. If it's a subject that people really could get something out of, that's worth talking about, I don't see a problem with it.


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## NaughyChimp (Jun 20, 2011)

If anything, I'm more annoyed by people complaining about "necroed" threads than the revival of old threads, themselves.


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## knittigan (Sep 2, 2011)

Drives me insane (because honestly, who is going to read through a 96 page thread?), but I can more or less understand why people do it and on some level, I understand the appeal to a less cluttered forum. But people who post in old advice threads and unnecessarily controversial ones are the absolute worst. Some threads just need to die from natural causes in their sleep.

Edit: The irony would be in the fact that the post previous to mine was made 4 months before I posted this, so technically I'm guilty. But my annoyance stems most from the fact that they get bumped up from out of nowhere to overwhelm the newer threads :tongue:


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## Leeoflittlefaith (Dec 8, 2010)

Yes and No. But more often Yes. Well actually I don't care when OTHER people do it, I just won't do it myself. My poll answer totally doesn't apply to what I actually want to say here, lawls.

It's different if it's a thread that's really general that comes down to personal experience, subjectivity, what's new or whatever. Something you can always talk about without caring whether it's an original thought or not. Then it's usually fine. That's why I like this forum, the discussions are very introspective.

If it's something that involves more intense discussion or debate like the news or politics or philosophy etc then I just avoid completely, cannot be arsed investing in that. I don't like being presented with an idea, then having to scroll through everyone else's past ideas just to make sure I'm not simply repeating what Joe from 2009 had to say about it. I can debate- especially with the time I have on a forum to formulate my points- I just refuse to be wasteful and risk churning through what's already been churned through a few times over. That's why I generally don't like those subjects when talking to people.


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## emerald sea (Jun 4, 2011)

no, because sometimes the threads currently available fail to fascinate me and it's nice when an intriguing old thread makes an appearance


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## Lilsnowy (Sep 9, 2009)

What emerald sea said.


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## viva (Aug 13, 2010)

I love that this thread has been repeatedly bumped from the depths... hehe.

How delightfully ironic :d


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## Eerie (Feb 9, 2011)

No, I'd rather see old threads bumped up then multiple threads about the exact same thing.


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

Actually .. it annoys me way more to see new threads constantly being created to re-hash the same topic. 

The ENFJ+INFP thing has been done to death .... I really wish someone would make a sticky out of the whole ENFJ+INFP "he loves me, he loves me not" question.


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## Agent Blackout (Mar 1, 2012)

I don't mind some mild thread-bumping if the thread is interesting.
Of course, "interesting" being a relative term...


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## HorribleAesthete (Aug 5, 2010)

I have never understood why posting in old threads annoys some.


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## NaughyChimp (Jun 20, 2011)

In fact, I'm starting to realise that I get kinda excited when I see an old thread that's been revived from the Depths of Time.


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## starri (Jan 23, 2009)

I hereby annoy 8 people by posting in this old thread.


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## armika_armika (Nov 11, 2011)

HOW can anyone possibly be annoyed byt that???? As long as someone has something to add or some input, the thread is alive, for as far as I'm concerned. And it doesnt have do be soem "super unique" comment or anything... just something


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## goodgracesbadinfluence (Feb 28, 2011)

I don't know why people get so pissed about this! Unless they're reigniting some old drama... that happened a few weeks ago over in the INTP sub-forum. 

A while ago, I was looking up something regarding how to work the MS DOS emulator and the person who posted the answer that helped me was someone who resurrected an old thread. One of the mods bitched at him for it, but the question hadn't been answered in a way that made sense until he posted, even though it was two years later.


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## Mausi (Apr 25, 2012)

As a recent ex-lurker, I love digging through the old threads and reading about specific topics I'm wondering about. But I hesitate to post in them because, like people said, it may seem kind of weird or like bothering people. But sometimes THOSE topics are the ones you really want to discuss, rather than the ones on the first page. And if you post a new topic about it, a lot of times, people are like, "WHY DIDN'T YOU USE THE SEARCH FEATURE?!?" (this is just based on reading through lots of topics). But sometimes you want a fresh take on a topic or maybe people overlooked it and are more willing to discuss it now. 

TL;DR: I LOVE OLD TOPICS


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

Nope, though the Madmins gave me a lecture about not digging up buried threads.


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## PossibleSarcasm (May 29, 2012)

I don't really look at threads by there date, but rather the interest and or content. I will usually veer away from commenting on to old of posts. Many of the forums I end up at is do to Google search or a forum tangent link, so many also end up being old. If the conversation has been halted, there's no reason not to bring it back up. Some people have valued input and have added to many posts even if they were a few years late replying.


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## Luanne (Jul 6, 2012)

...No. Because that's what I'm doing now (oh look at me, being all smart )


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## Incline (Oct 21, 2011)

Not at all.


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## heavydirtysoul (Jan 13, 2012)

Not really... :tongue:


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## TheProcrastinatingMaster (Jun 4, 2012)

I never saw how it could annoy someone, unless that thread needed to die, then it might be annoying


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## Aelthwyn (Oct 27, 2010)

I definitely like when people bring back old threads actually. For one thing it just makes more sense to me than starting a lot of similar threads - keep all the responces grouped together more neatly. I really don't understand how it could possibly be bad to bring up an old topic. And as mentioned, there are plenty of people who may not have seen a certain thread the first time around who might really enjoy or benefit from it.


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## PurpleApple (Mar 11, 2013)

I don't understand why this would annoy anybody. If it is old to you, why not just ignore it? If you are ok with it, then you read it. If it is interesting and people dig it, it will stay towards the top of the list. If it really is old stuff, it will get buried again shortly.


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## PurpleApple (Mar 11, 2013)

Risen from Ashes said:


> I don't think you can edit/modify a post after a day... its good because you can see what people are originally replying to, but bad if you regret saying something and the mods refuse to remove the post for you. I think you should be able to modify the post, but ifs its older, you should be able to see older versions of the posts to avoid confusion.


Or perhaps being able to remove your profile association with the post. The post is there, but nobody knows you said it unless they were there before.


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## NaughyChimp (Jun 20, 2011)

I also really like old threads being revived bc this forum always has great old members retiring and lovely new members joining... Lovely retired folks like MuchAParadox and Stephen shared a lot of wisdom and insights that could definitely benefit newbies who'll never have the opportunity to interact with them in real time. 

I'm guessing that ENFPs are amongst the Types least bothered by posting to old threads. For us, issues like liveliness of discussion and thought-provoking content trump matters like chronological order. If it's interesting, I want to read it!


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## Little Cloud (Jan 12, 2013)

If the thread was interesting in the past, maybe it would be interesting too in the present!


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## Schweeeeks (Feb 12, 2013)

If you feel like the old thread is relevant, post in it. It's an open forum. 
Anyone that gets upset over it is weird. Who cares if it's a supposedly annoying thread? No one else will post after you and the thread will be buried again.


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## The King Of Dreams (Aug 18, 2010)

I revive old ones all of the time. Especially when we have a wave of new members. The only thing that gets annoying is the "ENFP/INTJ do-they-really-go-well-together-OMG-where-do-I-find-you/hang-out" thread. That thread has to be stickied and people need to just stick to that.


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## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

Mausi said:


> As a recent ex-lurker, I love digging through the old threads and reading about specific topics I'm wondering about. But I hesitate to post in them because, like people said, it may seem kind of weird or like bothering people. But sometimes THOSE topics are the ones you really want to discuss, rather than the ones on the first page. And if you post a new topic about it, a lot of times, people are like, "WHY DIDN'T YOU USE THE SEARCH FEATURE?!?" (this is just based on reading through lots of topics). But sometimes you want a fresh take on a topic or maybe people overlooked it and are more willing to discuss it now.
> 
> TL;DR: I LOVE OLD TOPICS


This basically. Except that l kind of want necro threads to die in a fire.


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