Just a thought to help prevent thread repetition... Mod/ATS Approval before thread goes live?

I want to keep this thread rather short because I just have an idea that I wanted to share to get others input. I feel I've been a part of the ATS community long enough now to be able to give my thoughts and tips in hopes of making this site even better than it already is. I don't want to speak for other members on ATS, but I get frustrated when I'm constantly seeing the same topic (but maybe a very subtle difference from one thread to the next) over and over again. So, I propose, if possible, before ANYONE can post a new thread on ATS, why not have the thread/topic go through an approval process from Mods/ATS before the thread becomes active? All too often we have the "new" topic board filled with the same topic/information and it's just being regurgitated over and over again. Also, by going through an approval process, I'm sure the mods/ATS would be able to tell the OP if the thread was already posted (saving time/effort there), and they can also decide on whether a thread is too similar to ones already posted, essentially asking them to add whatever "new" information to the existing thread, so we don't have 1000000 different Ebola stories around right now.. Obviously, Ebola is the "HOT" topic now, which is leading to a new story here on ATS ever 5 minutes from every story/report/update that's out there now... I'm sure we will hear of some new city today where there is some "suspect" being quarantined or checked my medical professionals and before you know it we have another new thread here... As a user of this site I'm always looking for ways to enhance my enjoyment levels, and for me, personally, I feel this would be a solid way to clean up the site and to cut down on the amount of threads that are being posted.

So, I ask you ATS, would you be okay with thread approval before it goes live? Do you believe I'm making something of nothing and it's not a big deal? Just curious how other ATS members feel about this... Do you feel that topics are repeated too often instead of just adding to existing/current threads?

a reply to: jhn7537

The quick and short version:

1) It would be seen as censorship or control by a community who do not like such things.
2) With a limited volunteer staff it's easier to swat down the duplicate threads than it would be to review every single one in any given category.
3) Sometimes threads that seem, to some, to be alike actually can contain different pieces of the same puzzle - thus meriting their own conversation space.

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: jhn7537

The quick and short version:

1) It would be seen as censorship or control by a community who do not like such things.
2) With a limited volunteer staff it's easier to swat down the duplicate threads than it would be to review every single one in any given category.
3) Sometimes threads that seem, to some, to be alike actually can contain different pieces of the same puzzle - thus meriting their own conversation space.

Fair enough, and thanks for the response, you make very good points... Maybe I'm trying to solve a problem that doesn't need solving, and I could possibly be in the minority with my feelings. I figured I'd share it regardless, in hopes of discussion, or possible ideas of ways to improve the overall process.

a reply to: jhn7537

Downfall would be--- Mods would be swamped when people don't see a thread up with breaking news...There would be thousands of users trying to post the same thread and the mods would be going crazy with thousands of the same threads in their inbox! Good thought but the mods would be super busy with anything breaking!

Personally I think the mods do a great job and there doesn't need to be anything changed!!

I would be good with this myself. I find the same thing that multiple posts are made regarding the same topic in multiple forums. It seems also that many subjects are being typed up at the same time on breaking subjects. I know this would be a burden for the mods but might allow important info that is posted not to be missed by the being posted in one thread but not another.
Also if a thread gets too big due to the continuation of its relevance then the mods could start a part II, III and so on.

a reply to: jhn7537

I don't think thread approval is necessary or beneficial, and here's why:

When a story breaks on ATS, it is usually posted no less than three times, and each time a mod is pretty darn fast at shutting down the repeats and linking to the first post.

As far as repeating older threads, I don't see a problem with that. On a daily basis, there are a huge number of "New" or "Hot" topics. I have my hands full sifting through them. I'm not very likely to go digging through old threads just to randomly explore topics. So, if someone posts a topic that has been discussed before, it's usually the first time I have seen or heard of that topic. From there, if I'm really interested, I'll use the search feature and explore the older threads on the same subject.

I think that if a person brings up a topic that has been discussed 5 years ago, well that's okay. I think good etiquette would be to link to the older thread as well, but I don't see a problem with that type of repeat. Now, when there are 50 new threads in one day based on the same Ebola article... well, that does get a little monotonous, but like I mentioned before, those are usually pretty quickly put down, and I can deal with the momentary annoyance of seeing them for a few minutes.

Just my two cents.

originally posted by: whatnext21
I would be good with this myself. I find the same thing that multiple posts are made regarding the same topic in multiple forums. It seems also that many subjects are being typed up at the same time on breaking subjects. I know this would be a burden for the mods but might allow important info that is posted not to be missed by the being posted in one thread but not another.
Also if a thread gets too big due to the continuation of its relevance then the mods could start a part II, III and so on.

Agreed, and I'm not saying the mods are doing a bad/poor job by any stretch of the imagination, I'm just trying to help "clean" it up a little for everyone...

122 new threads in the last 24 hrs. Just not doable.

a reply to: jhn7537
Not going to happen.
The mods rely on other members to self police as it is.

originally posted by: intrepid
122 new threads in the last 24 hrs. Just not doable.

But you're superhuman, Intrepid!!!

You can handle this

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: jhn7537

The quick and short version:

1) It would be seen as censorship or control by a community who do not like such things.
2) With a limited volunteer staff it's easier to swat down the duplicate threads than it would be to review every single one in any given category.
3) Sometimes threads that seem, to some, to be alike actually can contain different pieces of the same puzzle - thus meriting their own conversation space.

This.

90% of all staff actions, including moves and closures are the result of a member complaint anyway.

~Tenth

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: jhn7537
Not going to happen.
The mods rely on other members to self police as it is.

Youre under arrest!
Drop that CAT!
and raise your fingers from the keys real slow like.......

Or they could make a more user-friendly & efficient search... until then I'd just post without searching too hard and let them waste their own time, not mine.

originally posted by: 0bservant
Or they could make a more user-friendly & efficient search... until then I'd just post without searching too hard and let them waste their own time, not mine.

Sometimes I think I'm the only person on ATS who doesn't have a problem with the search feature.

originally posted by: 0bservant
Or they could make a more user-friendly & efficient search... until then I'd just post without searching too hard and let them waste their own time, not mine.

Yea, the search feature would do wonders for this site if it was only a little bit better...

originally posted by: intrepid
122 new threads in the last 24 hrs. Just not doable.

Amen!

We rely on the users here on ATS to alert us to duplicate topics quite a bit -- we can't be everywhere or catch everything ourselves!

a reply to: intrepid

122 new threads in the last 24 hrs. Just not doable.

And how many of them are concerning Ebola?

Intrepid and some of the longer tenured mos can tell you that I have quite a few threads that were tanned for being duplicates, usually because I alerted them myself and asked for their removal.

They might have even made me a mod so I could trash my own darn threads, now that I think about it...

a reply to: 0bservant

Or they could make a more user-friendly & efficient search... until then I'd just post without searching too hard and let them waste their own time, not mine.

Much of the time, it isn't a matter of using the search function. It's a matter of clicking on "NEW", and scrolling.

My frustration lies in the fact that most who post duplicate don't seem to bother to read through the NEW TOPICS page. Sometimes an honest mistake gets through, but just blaming it on the search engine all the time doesn't jive.