How to stop creation of duplicate topic threads?

[White Onyx]

Count me in as well! 

[Phoenix]

The biggest thing is that some people can blow through lower limits like 50 posts if they frequent game threads or roleplaying threads. I know that at FanForum, when there used to be thread parties, it was possible to get five hundred decent posts in a weekend.

What I think we really need is some kind of group to just brainstorm possible rules and stuff and talk things over. I'm thinking maybe we could have a chat with the mods, some of the older posters, and a few others? If you're interested, let me know and I'll try to set something up.

I didn't think of the game threads or roleplaying threads.  I don't go to them so I forget they exist.   A group to brainstorm new rules and changes would probably be a good idea.

[ILoveLorelai]

First, I think that limiting posts by newbies limits new ideas that they may have that are actually fun and informative.  I think of the Game-Luke's To Do List that is so funny and started by a newbie.

Second, I think it would help if there were a way to organize the general discussion threads better.  I almost wish there were a way to organize some of those by loose topic categories.   Even with the search feature it's hard to flip through all those posts to find the ones that you are looking for so you know where to post.

Much clapping and cheering for the mods who work hard to try and keep everything in order.

S.

[Dani257]

Isn't there a thread here where people post suggestions for new threads?  If a newbie doesn't have enough posts to officially start a thread, they can just post the idea in the suggestion thread, and someone with more privileges could start the thread for them if it's original.  I mean, giving credit to the newbie for the idea, if that's important.  I don't know how practical that is.  It might make extra work for established members.  But, it could also help newbies learn about not posting duplicate threads before they ever start.  A newbie could say, "Hey, would someone start a thread saying which guy is better, Dean or Jess?" then someone could reply that there are already threads that deal with that question. Possibly by the time the newbie has enough posts to start threads on their own, they will have fully learned not to start a thread that already exists.

[ILoveLorelai]

Dani257 makes a good point.  I think that might be a good alternative to the free-for-all that currently exists.

[Magster]

I post at a lot of huge message boards, and probably the most helpful thing that they have is an index for every section. Not every little thread is added, but anything that lasts - long threads, not 'I have a question about thus-and-so' threads. One of those, stickied at the top of every section would probably really slow the duplicate threads. No one would create an "I Love Milo" thread if there was one listed in the Index.

[Summer]

We've tried that, actually, and that's... never really worked. I'm pretty sure the big problem right now is getting people to actually read those threads.

[Alliansa]

Ban repeat offenders from creating new threads, and and only let people with I'd say 75 posts start new threads.

[dani]

As a newbie I have made some mistakes as of making posts that were already there, it was a mistake.  If the person knows that they are making these posts about other posts and they don't care then yes ban them from making posts, or you could give them a time out until they've learned their lesson.  We do sometimes make mistakes about the posts, but we got to learn from it, if we don't it would be unfair for everyone else.

[White Onyx]

Yeah if you're new you make mistakes and you should learn from them, that's perfectly okay. But the newbies can also learn it by seeing the elders make the correct thread and posting your idea's in an idea-thread or something, without cludering up the board. Cause now most of the members are getting frustrated when they have to go and look for the normal correct thread threw a sea of I LOVE DEAN....NOO JESS IS HOTTER threads. So those members come online to have a great time and get bambared with pointless threads and sometimes can't even find the thread they are looking for.

I wasn't sure about this for a while, but after having to look up my thread ON THE 4TH PAGE and it only was there due to pointless thread that I (and most of the other members) know that the mods will close when they see it....sorry but please make it so that the newbies can't make a thread cause this is frustrating. I still think you shouldn't snark or ban someone if they don't know what they are doing wrong, but nowadays some do know that they are going against forum rules but do it anyways.

I don't think 95% of the forum should suffer for those 5% that don't know or don't wanna know the forum rules. Instead of letting them learn by making mistakes let them learn by example.     

[Kukalaka]

sorry but please make it so that the newbies can't make a thread cause this is frustrating. 

I totally agree. Why can't newbies just look around a bit before opening a new thread. Then they would see that there are threads for everything. Those threads about Rory's (ex) boyfriends are really getting on my nerves.

[Jaredloverforever]

Totally agree with both of you. WO-I feel your pain. It's driving me nuts with the I love so and so threads. The other thing that bugs me alot, is when I point out nicely, I might add, that there is already a thread on that topic and posting should be done there, and I just get ignored and the posting continues on the wrong thread. That's why I tend to snark people, after it's been pointed out by me or someone else, and it just gets ignored. It only leads to futher cluttering of the board. As controlling as it may be, I think the best thing is to make it so that newbies see the rules as the first page after registering and then have to have at least 50 posts before they can start a new thread. I think that's one of our only options, unfortunately. Why can't people just do a search or look around before they post?

Question-are we suppossed to report the threads that don't belong to the mods? Like with the notify mods button? I was never sure what that was for, so I didn't use it, but does that make it easier for them to see which threads are out of place and should be closed?

[White Onyx]

I don't know. I have notived a mod on a couple of occasions, but never heard anything about it so I don't know. I tend to PM a mod when it's something as serious as a spoiler outside of the spoiler threads or something. Cause other stuff the mods will find when they do...no harm.

[ILoveLorelai]

As a newbie...or relative newbie...I did some looking around before I posted.  I tried searching (which was helpful in some cases...not in others).  I also read every single page in the general topics area.  That was several pages of posts.  It's hard to get through all those posts to be sure that you are not re-posting what someone else has posted.  If there were a way to subdivide those posts, especially in that topic area (I don't even know if this is possible) I think that it would reduce duplicate threads.  However, that's just my opinion.  I bet a lot of you having been doing this a lot longer than I have and know the best way to approach this!

[dani]

That is so true, there are too many threads about the same topic, it's crazy to hink that people would post so much about Rory's boyfriends.  I hope that this thread will make some of them realize that it is kind of pointless to keep on making the same thread over and over again, it's annoying.  I hate going through all of the pages to find something that I want to talk about.  I love this forum, and I don't want to make anyone upset with me about this, but it is hectic.
  That's why I say give them a time out if they are repeat offenders, and today I read one that a person wrote, that basically said he knew it was in the wrong area to post it, but he just wanted to be seen.  That made no sense to me and I thought it wasn't right to do to other people who want people to see their threads that means alot to them.