Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

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P_I
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Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by P_I »

I've actually noticed this, both here and on many other boards. Rules, either explicit or implicit, suggest that necroposting is discouraged or forbidden. But let's not kid ourselves, a majority of members have probably never read the board rules.

However phpBB doesn't provide core functionality for admins to close older topics. It can be done via an extension such as Auto-lock Topics.

It would be useful to many boards to have this functionality in phpBB's core.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by GTI »

The problem is here on this very board, everyone is told to... search first,

So we direct them to old topics and then if they post a reply on that topic they get told off.

On my own board I allow the members to reply to old topics, if they have something to say related to that topic then it doesn't matter if it was x years ago, why start another thread about the same subject when it can all be under one roof as it were called.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by P_I »

The idea here is to provide the ability, not the requirement, for admins to auto-lock topics based on some criteria that applies for their specific board and membership.

The functionality is similar to using the Prune forums (or auto-pruning) functionality in ACP which "This will delete any topic which has not been posted to or viewed within the number of days you select." Some boards may use it for specific forums, or widely, or not at all. phpBB's core provides this functionality.

Having the same functionality to auto-lock in the core is an idea worth considering IMHO. Hence the topic.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by GanstaZ »

I don't mind that so-called necroposting. I'm not against that functionality being in the core, but if extension for it already exist & is maintained, then it doesn't fit into the core, at least not at current moment, because there are more prior things to do.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by Kailey »

GTI wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:55 pm The problem is here on this very board, everyone is told to... search first,

So we direct them to old topics and then if they post a reply on that topic they get told off.
I wouldn't necessarily call it "telling off", but more of a helpful nudge for them to open their own topic (especially when users reply to topics that are 2+ years old from the last reply). The reason we ask users to search is so they can try any suggestions or resolutions that may have helped other users in the past.

I welcome any suggestions you may have that might improve the perception of us "telling off" users. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. :)
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by AmigoJack »

P_I wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 4:09 pmRules, either explicit or implicit, suggest that necroposting is discouraged or forbidden. But let's not kid ourselves, a majority of members have probably never read the board rules.
You mean the community rules which not even remotely mention a topic age? Also a more verbose version of the rules from the past does nowhere mention such a thing. Unless I miss a different place with rules the unwanted necroposting is a personal rule, not an official one.

One major downside of making necroposting a problem is: discussed issues are then bound to time - if it's something which endures years then everyone replying to a rather old topic will make those moderators who are convinced such a rule exists lock the topic.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by Mick »

Kailey wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 8:10 pmThe reason we ask users to search is so they can try any suggestions or resolutions that may have helped other users in the past
And, many users that come here are very inexperienced with all things computer. Suggesting they search first is a learning curve for many that, hopefully, after a successful search gives them confidence to use search again, not just here but everywhere search is available. I would go with the auto lock suggestion though, in two or three years so many things change certain subjects are an irrelevance and distraction.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by warmweer »

Mick wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:24 am ..., in two or three years so many things change certain subjects are an irrelevance and distraction.
Agreed
Mick wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:24 amI would go with the auto lock suggestion though
On this I have to disagree:

Autolocking implies an automatic trigger and I just can't think of any criterium that could be considered programmatically foolproof (not even time-based) for support topics.

Basically I'm in favour of manual locking based on (knowledgeable) humans evaluating whether all has been said and nothing new could be added.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by david63 »

warmweer wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:23 am Autolocking implies an automatic trigger and I just can't think of any criterium that could be considered programmatically foolproof (not even time-based) for support topics.
You are right there is no "foolproof" way of doing this but if, for example, a support topic is a year old then it is reasonable to assume that either it has been fixed or it is irrelevant because a later version has been released. In any event I would say that starting a new topic, with perhaps a reference back to the "old" topic would be acceptable

Perhaps this is a starting point - viewtopic.php?f=456&t=2322306 or in some circumstances viewtopic.php?f=456&t=2585526
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by danieltj »

I agree, I think it would be a useful core feature.
GTI wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:55 pm The problem is here on this very board, everyone is told to... search first,

So we direct them to old topics and then if they post a reply on that topic they get told off.

...
This. I think this contributes to the issue of 'necro-posting' definitely.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by Lady_G »

In my board, it is very helpful and relevant for the members to post updates of a specific situation. It is important that members see the entire discussion from start.

Linking to an older discussion is not helpful because members may not follow those links. Important points from those earlier discussions will be lost.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by Random American »

I'm not going to vote either way, but I don't think necroposting is inherently bad, unless it is a topic that just didn't age well.

For example, it would be pointless to resurrect a topic pertaining to who would win the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election for example (there's nothing left to really discuss in such topics), but something more general, like a general topic discussing how social media is impacting society, would be something that is more timeless.

I think this is something that is best left to human judgement.
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Re: Ability to auto-lock topics to prevent necroposting

Post by [Dimetrodon] »

I changed my mind. I can now see autolocking as just as useful as autopruning.
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