Thread Necromancy

Every once in a while a thread that has been inactive for years will suddenly leap back from beyond. Here is a recent example:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

This thread was started almost exactly four years ago and ended after a scant page and a half of discussion. Suddenly, it has become active again with the more recent participants unaware that some of the earlier contributors have not been heard from in years. The topic is an interesting one: where can one obtain or borrow equipment to detect covert surveillance devices? There is no reason why a newer, better researched thread cannot be started, and yet this older thread has been resurrected. Certainly, there have been some threads that have been active for years ("All roads lead to Rome," for example) because of non-stop participation. Others die off after a few days and then spring back to life for no apparent reason.

Might it be possible to arrange for threads that have been inactive for, say, a year to be "locked?" They would still be available as archival material, but new threads on the subject would need to be started if the discussion is to be resumed. This would avoid the embarrassing situation of newcomers expecting a response from former members, and hopefully will encourage new OPs with better researched or more interesting opinions, keeping discussion fresh.

a reply to: DJW001

That's what most forums do. I actually really appreciate that ATS is the exception on how they treat old threads. A thread should never be locked, in my opinion.

If it justifies it better for you, think of it more like a book club, picking up classic books and making them relevant again. The author is long gone but it's still viable and much easier than writing a new book.

Locking them just closes down and finalizes a thread which runs counter to the philosophy ATS normally exudes.

I love old resurrected threads!

They're like little time capsules, where we get the opportunity to stuff them with even more wonderful stuff.

Why would it ever make sense to shut them down?

No offense, but...worst...idea...ever.

I prefer thread necromancy to the far more common and offensive alternative that is the duplicate/repost thread. Nothing demonstrates a complete lack of forum etiquette and personal laziness like not using the search function and starting a thread that already exists... Especially for events and topics that have occurred sometime in the past...

A great example...

Certain forums it actually does make sense to lock down very old threads. Here are some examples:

A forum in which is involved in software of game engine development. I've been involved with these as a mod, and we lock the very old threads down because the information in them many times is no longer valid (IE a newer version of the software is out, and the thread discusses a much older way of doing something that is no longer done with the newer software.).

Hardware discussion forums for computers: Let's face it, if a really old thread on how to upgrade your existing x286 computer to a "newer" x386 computer, with a HUGE 20 Megabyte hard drive, and a WHOPPING 8 Megabytes of RAM, AND, a really new device called a CD-ROM......it's just a bit out of date.

Threads like that are rarely deleted, but normally end up locked as the information is not really relative anymore, nor is helping continue to develop things that are newer at places like that.

Here at ATS? Well, I can agree with DWJ001 that if a thread is REALLY old, maybe it would be better to have a newer thread, with newer information, especially if the OP of the original thread is no longer here (has not logged on in years, or was banned). I've done this myself, especially if there is newer information, or a new type of angle to look at something.

Should they be locked? Well, some forums do, some don't. Their house means their rules.

I've been thinking about resurecting a few old threads from the limbo they exist in. Some of the newish folks should have a taste of the great threads put together by members like SkyFloating, Slayer69, zorgon, JohnLear, RockPuck, and many others. I'm always hesitant to do so because some of the best threads can be upwards of 5-600 pages, some even upwards of 1000. Might be a little bit tl;dr for most people. There's also phenominal information and reading material found within the official Debate threads... Does ATS still do debate threads? (been a while since i've seen one during my lurking)

For any one with access to RATS, theres a bunch of great sleeper threads in there. Some of the best contributions I've ever read were in RATS and got very little attention from people who didn't know how to gain access to that board.

It's worth a dig around the archives. I may go practice some thread necromancy and see how it turns out.

a reply to: DJW001

Discouraging the active old threads is not a good idea imo.

In this ever so disposable society it's nice to have some point of reference for evolving things established on an idea.

No wonder this place has gone from THE Conspiracy Theory site to more of a Social Networking advertising portal.

Keep em all!

Noooooooooooooo please i like when old thread's pop up and have read some from start to finish

Keep i vote

Just because information is "newer" does not mean it is superior.

An old member may have had access to information or sources on a subject that no current members have.

I think of works or art, books, musical compositions from centuries ago that currently have no equal today.

Modern/current often means better, but definitely not always.

However, as wise Erik points out, in certain cases, as in software this may be necessary and prudent, but not with all forums.

a reply to: DJW001

There are many very good old threads that pop up and revive every once and a while.
Locking these old threads is almost like a slap in the face to the OP and anyone who participated in such a thread.

Just because something is old,
doesn't mean it has no importance or relevant information the be expanded on at a future date in the same thread.

But that is just my opinion on it.

I'm new here and I often read "old" threads when there's nothing new going on. They're fun and I always learn something! I like the fact that they're not locked, cause sometimes I do feel like I'd like to post something on them... I rarely do, but I like having that option, I mean, what if one day I do decide to do that, right?

I think it would be neat to re-start a really old thread just to see if anyone notices.

Thanks for posting that link too OP. I can't, in recent memory, remember seeing a thread about that topic. You would think that on ATS there would be more talk about that.

one of my biggest peeves in this " area " is the fact that few of the thread resurrection replies in such threads seem to notice - or care that the thread has been dead for 5 years .

threads in my subscribed list keep poping back to life upto 7 years after they died a natural death

this is fine - but when the new poster seems to expect an answer from a member who is banned or hasn't been seen for 5 years - I have to wonder how rigorously they read the threads they resurrect

originally posted by: Mirthful Me
I prefer thread necromancy to the far more common and offensive alternative that is the duplicate/repost thread. Nothing demonstrates a complete lack of forum etiquette and personal laziness like not using the search function and starting a thread that already exists... Especially for events and topics that have occurred sometime in the past...

A great example...

I agree with you MM. 100 %. Has always been my biggest pet peeve.
OP I understand your frustration, and sometimes this can be annoying. I wonder if there is a way to highlight the dates of threads that are over a year old, so as to draw attention to the posting date that many overlook?

A lot of people find ATS by doing Google searches and finding old threads here.

That's probably why they pop back up so often.

I love old threads where everyone on the first page is banned.

originally posted by: howmuch4another
I love old threads where everyone on the first page is banned.

Yeah the staff got smart about that and just started quietly changing peoples passwords instead.