Been meaning to post this for years, but never got around to it.
Please can you get rid of the 'functionality' that automatically locks a thread after a certain period of time.
I don't understand what the purpose of it is. If threads are being updated and used then they are of value. If they're not being used and updated then they fall off the front pages, don't get in anyone's way and sit there bothering nobody forever more.
Putting a random time based lock is completely pointless as it just makes useful informative threads inaccessible and results in a proliferation of duplicates.
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that by far the greatest thing about STW is the mine of fantastic route information by the users. Lots of this information stands the test of time and is just as relevant now as it was 4,5 10 years ago. If people could add to the thread then it keeps all the info together. Instead we have this pain in the arse where you find 4 or 5 threads on a Google search, have no idea which is the authoritative one and have to trawl through a interlinked Web of information from all the threads which often cross reference each other.
Take Hollinsclough for example. Did some of the classic descents today and thought they were fabulous. There are a few threads on STW, where a few people are asking and opinions vary from lukewarm to downright dislike. Mud seems to be the main issue. I'd like to post on the thread just to give an opinion that they are currently dry as a bone and brilliant. Get people out there to experience something different to the usual Peak. But it's not worth a thread of its own, and we certainly don't want yet another thread on it.
Then of course there's the BOAT closures. They appear to have been closed for over 4 years. What's that all about? There are two threads already about this on STW, and of course one contains links to the other. I want to post to find out more, but the threads are locked.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hollinsclough-descents-closed/
Why are they locked?
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hollinsclough-descents/
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hollinsclough-loop-with-all-good-descents/
Ooh, there's an unlocked one too:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hollinsclough-rakes/
I believe anything older than a year automatically locks. It might stop duplicate threads but maybe route information might have changed if it's longer than a year.
Mods don’t have control over this. It was introduced as it helped reduce spam and Astro turfers.
It’s set at a year. Seems little point of a thread being left open if no one has replied in that time.
Yup, threads getting dragged back to the top by spammers, bots or someone who just didn’t realise it’s a zombie thread was more irritating than the current setup
Mods don’t have control over this. It was introduced as it helped reduce spam and Astro turfers.
Yep, not sure why I addressed it to mods. Perhaps hoping someone could ask the powers that be.
What's an astro turfer?
How does it prevent spam? Locking a spam thread after a year has no benefit at all surely... if it was causing a problem then a year is a helluva long time to wait to get it removed. And if its not causing a problem, ie it's on page 4,636 on the front page, then what possible benefit is there to closing it?
Ooh, got an email saying one of the old threads has been unlocked.
Didn't know that was possible. ( Though I guessed it might have been otherwise I wouldn't have clicked on the report thread button.)
You have numerous threads there one of which is open, use that one.
Open threads attract spammers, Astro turf is people pretending their responding to a subject about a product. They’re not they are promoting their product. They’re on page 4,636 because they are closed, spammers automatically search for certain subjects. If the subject is closed then they can’t respond.
I can’t see the benefit of a 10 year old thread being left open.
It has, occasionally, been an annoyance but not so much as the necro spammers.
Can’t you just ‘report’ the thread you want opening and ask the mods to do so?
Or just link to it when you start a new thread...
Can’t you just ‘report’ the thread you want opening and ask the mods to do so?
As above, I did indeed try that and got an email to say it was done, so that's the plan in future
Or just link to it when you start a new thread…
NOooooooooo!
Putting a random time based lock is completely pointless
It's not random, it's arbitrary. Having it random would be fun, especially if there was a countdown timer on how long was left before it closed.
What’s wrong with linking to a closed thread - if you feel the need to do so?
I’m on the ‘close it’ side as I don’t want to see ancient threads on the first few pages just because a bot has posted some random rubbish in it.
If it’s in a new linked post, at least the new poster can give some incite and pointers into it first so you know you’ll be looking at an old thread