Thread: Request: Auto-lock!

  1. #1
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    Request: Auto-lock!

    Can we get a new feature here, auto-lock for threads more than a year old? Otherwise you get great things like this: NINE YEAR BUMP!

    Why don't you just take the Reply or Quote buttons off of posts over a year old?


    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by quzah View Post
    Can we get a new feature here, auto-lock for threads more than a year old? Otherwise you get great things like this: NINE YEAR BUMP!

    Why don't you just take the Reply or Quote buttons off of posts over a year old?


    Quzah.
    If by "more than a year old" you actually mean "threads with no activity for 3 months" I'm all for it...

  3. #3
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CommonTater View Post
    If by "more than a year old" you actually mean "threads with no activity for 3 months" I'm all for it...
    That's fine by me. I don't care really how long the cut off is, just as long as there is some kind of cut off.


    Quzah.
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  4. #4
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    Where's your sense of nostalgia?

    Seriously, though, I oft wonder why something like this hasn't been implemented. I personally don't mind, it amuses me to see people get worked up over it. I just thought it was a strange oversight for a programming forum.

    However, this idea does tread the careful line of legislating good manners. Another sacrifice of freedom for personal comfort. Oh well.

  5. #5
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    I know I have used the reply button just to resurrect code pieces and stuff. It is easier to extract things when you can see the tags. Still I am rather amazed at the growing trend of bumped threads.
    Quote Originally Posted by anduril462 View Post
    Now, please, for the love of all things good and holy, think about what you're doing! Don't just run around willy-nilly, coding like a drunk two-year-old....
    Quote Originally Posted by quzah View Post
    ..... Just don't be surprised when I say you aren't using standard C anymore, and as such,are off in your own little universe that I will completely disregard.
    Warning: Some or all of my posted code may be non-standard and as such should not be used and in no case looked at.

  6. #6
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    They need to remove the reply button, and make a "link to" button, that gives each post or thread a unique number, so you can just link to it, or even embed that post as a quote in a new thread. Maybe change the quote button to "quote to new thread".


    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  7. #7
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    I agree with the auto-lock idea. The forum says two weeks is the cutoff, which seems a little short, but anything a year or older is definitely too far back. Removing the reply link is an okay workaround, but it seems the auto-lock feature should exist (maybe it does and webmaster has it turned off).

    As for retaining the ability to quote old threads, I think the forum has such a feature (threads/posts already have unique URLs for linking to). If you multi-quote something from one thread, then navigate to another thread and "Go Advanced", there's a message at the bottom that says "You have selected 1 post that is not part of this thread. Quote this post as well, or deselect this post." Unfortunately, the "Quote this post as well" and "deselect this post" links don't work. Perhaps they're disabled or buggy.

  8. #8
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    They need to have an "embed as quote", where you simply provide the post number. Make the post number visible next to the time. Then you hit the embed as quote button, and type in "1039340", and it quotes that post. Or even each thread has a thread number at the top, and then you do: "thread#post", so "1234#3" would be the 3rd post in thread 1234.


    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  9. #9
    Unregistered User Yarin's Avatar
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    Agreed.
    Moderators make such a deal about it (as per, the administrator's instructions, i guess) - so why even allow it in the first place? I imagine an auto-lock would be relatively easy thing to make.

  10. #10
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    Code:
    do_reply()
        if date > post_date + 3 months
            message "this thread is too old, start your own"
        else
            ...reply code...


    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  11. #11
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Discussions that die off after some time usually should be left for dead. However, on occasion, information central to the topic may be wrong, and the thread ends without a correction. In such a case, a post that corrects this misinformation is justified since it would inform a future reader who chances upon the thread. As such, I do not support auto-lock. What I do support is a warning message that the thread is inactive, though knowing some of these users, they would ignore such a warning anyway.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
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  12. #12
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by laserlight View Post
    Discussions that die off after some time usually should be left for dead. However, on occasion, information central to the topic may be wrong, and the thread ends without a correction. In such a case, a post that corrects this misinformation is justified since it would inform a future reader who chances upon the thread. As such, I do not support auto-lock. What I do support is a warning message that the thread is inactive, though knowing some of these users, they would ignore such a warning anyway.
    With the exception of some rare circumstances, anything that was discussed a year ago has almost certainly been discussed since. I see no justification for bumping a year old thread, wrong information of not. Only a handful of readers actually look back at posts that far for anything other than simple nostalgia or quoting an old reference... in which case the correction would be made on the quote. So really, who are we benefiting by allowing people to "correct" old threads instead of simply waiting for someone to ask it again? Are we gonna ruin some guy's career cause he got an incorrect answer from a three year old thread about some kid's CS221 homework?
    Last edited by SlyMaelstrom; 07-14-2011 at 08:22 PM.
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  13. #13
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    I was going to post the same thing, but I see Sly got there first. I can't imagine a scenario where I would go back and correct something a year old. If it happened, we would all just yell at them for bumping an ancient thread anyway, so they may as well have just made a new thread on the topic, linking it.


    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  14. #14
    Registered User Codeplug's Avatar
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    I can't wait to bump this in a year or so. It'll be funny by then.

    gg

  15. #15
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    The whole "post reply creates a link in a new thread" is a great idea.
    It would be further enhanced if this link were inserted into the post as it is submitted, just in case they feel like editing the link (or deleting it).

    In the rare cases where a bump would have been justified, then the mods can simply merge the new thread onto the end of the old thread.

    Otherwise, it just becomes another new thread like any other, save for a link back to the old thread.

    > In such a case, a post that corrects this misinformation is justified since it would inform a future reader who chances upon the thread
    This is the Internet. It's like the Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy, "it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate".
    We're not responsible for making sure every thread ends with a complete answer. YMMV and other disclaimers apply.
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