PLEASE DO NOT OPEN OLD TOPICS!!

[eitter]

Please Please Please DO NOT open topic that are over a year old. One got opened again today from 2008. For many reasons we ask that you just start a new topic. Here are just a few reasons why to not revive an old post.

-OUTDATED Information: You would be amazed how much things change in 3 short years or even 1-2 years.
-I got caught I was reading the post and even I got confused because Belle(NWGirl) was talking about her Ileosotmy and getting it reversed tomorrow and I was like what, Belle has an colostomy now, not Ileo?! Then realized the post was 3.5 years old!
-People try the links and they are no longer vaild.
-You do not pay attention to the dates and PM someone that has passed or PM someone that no longer is active on the boards and wonder why no one writes back.

I wish there was a way to lock a topic after it is a year old. Having topics around is good for some things to look back too, so it is nice to have them around, but be very careful!

[Gaelen]

LIz - there IS a way to automatically lock topics after a certain period of time.
Usually, the setting reads something like "Lock topics that have been inactive for ___ (days, weeks or months.)
Don't know where it is in a phpBB forum admin control panel, but in my vBulletin forums, I have it set for 12 months.
Anyone who can get into the admin control panel and has full admin rights can change that setting, save it, and VIOLA - topics inactive for more that 12 months, 18 months, whatever period of time you agree on will be locked to new replies but still searchable and still available to read.

[franski]

If I did that, I am so sorry. Your site is not easy to navigate.....so sorry, Fran

[nicola smith]

I know this site isn't set up teh same as Tripadvisor but there, a thread is automatically closed off after 6 months has gone by without a posting. Sounds reasonable to me.

[CheeseHead]

Hi Liz,

I understand your suggestion but if this digging up old threads is such a big problem (to me, personnally, it isn't but to each his own & I'm not a mod ), I really suggest following Gaelen's advice and try and get old posts automatically locked.
This will keep newbies who don't know our group behaviour/etiquette from doing it as well...

I found this link:
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=1908995

... but that might be a bit of a dirty hack (directly fiddling with the database storing the posts. There might very well be some kind of setting or plugin that can be used to automatically lock posts.

If you want to discuss further, I'd be glad to continue via PM..

Ciao,
Cheese

[eitter]

I am such a computer NERD and I have to say CRGuy has been a saving grace for the moderators, he cut down the spam tenfold by banning IP's which I never knew how to do that! LOL

So I have contacted Sergei, Molly's husband and out webmaster, to look into locking the topics after a year, 6 months I think is to soon, so going with a year. You all are AWESOME with all of your suggestions!

And by all means it is not just one person, right now there is about 3 or 4 posts that got revived, and once they are open every started posting to them. So I am NOT directly this to one person!

Thank You all TGIF, help is on the way and then I will take down this post!

[eitter]

Ok I am removing this topic from the top....Webmasters AKA Sergei and Molly not sure this can be done, moreover not sure they want to lock them.

JUST BE CAREFUL, I saw another get opened from 2010 a few days ago. Buyer Beware!!!

Happy Posting!