Search isn't needed when Firehose shows SEVERAL posts of the same topic!

This isn't specific to any one person or post..although as I write this I see one and another just rolled off the New Topics real time display which duplicate not one, but SEVERAL other threads on precisely the same story or incident and either from the exact same source, or one covering the exact same story.

I've been a very vocal person myself about the need for a multi-layered and configurable search within the massive ATS archives of posts. It would solve much..and as yet...we're patiently waiting.

However, give me a break already ! ! We aren't seeing people just dupe threads from previous days or weeks where Search would have prevented it! It's getting much worse..and the sheer numbers here seem to be something rather recent. What I am seeing and feel the need to write about are the posts duplicating threads written within the last 30 MINUTES...or perhaps hours. Often times though, they are definitely within the last 12 hours and one click shows a 3 column display that can be read quickly and SPOT these duplicates before another one is started.

Is it laziness? Is it a total lack of thought for the fact some of us are tired of trying to participate when comments on the same thing are spread between multiple, separate threads?? Just in case it really is ignorance (it happens), here is a helper for folks.

Go to your top line menu. Click on New Topics. That should open a sub-menu below it with "New Topics Firehose". Clicking into this area will show the vast majority of posts written on this site within the last 12 hours. If its a NEW story and isn't there, it's probably safe to run a search for the sake of due dillegence and posting a new thread.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE though...for the love of all your fellow members..PLEASE check the Fire Hose *BEFORE* posting something you 'just know' is a GREAT STORY! The odds that you're the very first to think so, unless it JUST BROKE..is highly unlikely on this site. However..ya never know.

All I'm asking..and I feel I'm not alone here...is that one take the moment to LOOK at something so simple as a one page summary display of every topic currently in play.

OH...... Recent Posts is another good spot, but if getting people to glance at the Fire Hose area is a challenge, I won't even try encourage those same people to take the second moment required for the Recent Topics menu area.


Imitation isn't flattery when posting threads, folks. It's annoying, rude and generally displays a total disregard for anyone else....OR....a level of unfamiliarity with the tools here at ATS which sure needs worked on, SOONER...not later.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


For any news that is breaking I usually head over to Firehouse, hit Ctrl F (page search) and see if it's been posted. Then I use ATS's search engine. I've posted duplicate threads before and I try my best to avoid it.

Google has a great feature called autocomplete .


Why can't we have the same thing when someone makes a thread?

Every letter they type will show similiar threads already in place? Every keyword will pull up all threads with same keywords?


they will see multiple threads are already there , then instead of hitting post thread they will hit back on there browser or go into the threads that pop up ,

as they are entering there titles .?


People are lazy , could careless , thats how we got into the masses sleeping in the first place no ?

so for these masses we have to have special things like a

ATS autocomplete thread TITLE real time search ,it has to happen as they are entering the thread title.

we have to spoon feed basics of using forums and thread titles to many members.

Yea it sux, but its just how to avoid several posts on same topic . Everybody wins!

Now get coding ATS

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Firehose is the best place to check up on new things. It's a first stop for me whenever I visit ATS and I haven't even started creating threads yet (besides an introduction). Seems like at least once a day you can find two identical topics within a 4-hour time frame.

I had a "conversation" with someone earlier today about how the info in their thread was identical to two previous threads, and suggested at least linking them in their post out of respect for the original authors (these threads were fairly old...so it's a little more understandable than the scenario you are describing, but only a little). Of course, it was taken as an attack on this person's ego.

Personally, I would have much less of an issue with duplicate or renewed threads if the author of said thread at least acknowledged preexisting ones. Linking old threads and offering an explanation as to how the new thread is intended to go in a different direction can only help, imo. Ultimately it comes down to how thorough someone is in preparing their thread...and like you say, it shouldn't be asking too much to do a few keyword searches and check the firehose stream. S&F

reply to post by yourboycal2


Mmmm, autocomplete sounds great, thinks as we speak. Thinks for us, remembers yesterday for us. Maybe, autocomplete the entire post. Eventually autocomplete knows all, can predict events and when you go to post something Autocomplete suggests you talk about this or that part of the event, and how autocomplete knows why.

:p I'd love to see autocomplete, just to type in random words and see if anything comes up on a related issue.

I completely agree with you, and someone needed to say it. The sad truth is however, that if someone is unintelligent enough to create a meaningless thread on something that has been plastered all over the forum, as well as the homepage, then they aren't going to be sharp enough to realize that we are talking about them. And it IS sad, as I said.

But, I am assuming that most of us can tell the difference between a needless thread that lacks any kind of original information, and those that are actually good write-ups with a lot of information, even if they happen to be a duplicate. I say this because many of the "duplicates" themselves are lacking in a major way, therefore I cannot get mad at anyone who presents the same information in a new way, as long as the thread itself is actually "good".

That's just my 2 cents, which I pay to the forums regularly, and everyone may not agree with me, but I am sure most of us can agree on the point that it gets annoying, on the low end of the spectrum, and facepalm-ing on the higher end. Maybe we should start issuing bans, lol. You know, clean up the forums a little bit.