Legalize necrobumping

[JustABadger]

This is a forum, not an image board. If I see an old thread from years ago and I feel like contributing in a constructive way (so no necrobumping with random stuff just for the sake of necrobumping), I should be able to reply, rather than making my own thread.

Necrobumping is an old internet forum rule to prevent generic threads with hundreds of pages without any way to differentiate them. That, and for old threads to obscure new ones. But what’s the point if the forum activities outside the main hacking ones have been sporadic?

Lastly, seeing this forum’s age, it’s interesting to just input a random page and see what people were writing decades ago, like a Time Machine.

Currently the moderation rule is to delete the new message and lock the thread. I think that rule should only be applied to messages that add nothing to the thread. Rather than “do not necrobump”, it could be “do not reminiscebump”, meaning to not bump old threads just to point out that they’re old or to reminisce about the past while adding nothing to the context. Having a bunch of people replying to decade old threads with interesting posts of the present isn’t going to shift the main focus from new posts, especially when there aren’t that many to begin with.

Random examples of interesting threads that would now be considered too old to post in, but would definitely be cool to participate in today:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/do-video-games-dull-peoples-senses.332574/
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-often-do-you-pirate.129370/
https://gbatemp.net/threads/whats-with-wearing-tails.261672/
https://gbatemp.net/threads/im-stil...-for-all-of-the-fanmade-pokemon-games.437889/
https://gbatemp.net/threads/has-vr-and-3d-failed-again.525405/ (I feel like I could reply to all the threads of this guy as I find them the most consistent with interest)

 

[smileyhead]

As far as I'm aware, constructive necrobumping is allowed. It's the posts that don't contribute anything that are the problem.

 

[linuxares]

We never really forbidden necro. But most of the time they're useless bumps for no reason. We allowing necro a lot of times

 

[JustABadger]

We never really forbidden necro. But most of the time they're useless bumps for no reason. We allowing necro a lot of times

I got my bump removed twice

 

[linuxares]

I got my bump removed twice

Then someone saw it and didn't feel it was good enough to bump an old thread

 

[JustABadger]

Then someone saw it and didn't feel it was good enough to bump an old thread

And my suggestion lies in changing the rules so it’s no longer up to the single moderation but to allow it forum-wide.

 

[Localhorst86]

The posts you linked are prime examples of threads that simply should be necrobumped. The discussions have been 7-15 years old, largely focussing on the current state at the time, and it's simply not helpful having a brand new post right next to a 7 year old post with vastly different surrounding circumstances.

If you feel like the topic would be relavant again, this is exactly the right time to make a new thread and only referencing or linking the old one (maybe even summarize it).

Usually, when I see a thread being closed for necrobumping, it's because the new post was a simple "I have this problem too, help?" type response or "ABC is wrong because XYZ", despite the information being already corrected/called out 10 years ago in the same thread.

On the other hand, I have also seen quite a few posts where someone would post a solution to a years old unanswered problem, providing an actual solution that others searching for the same issue might come accross. This is very useful, IMHO, and I like that old threads don't get aumatically locked to allow for these posts.

 

[Marc_LFD]

I don't want to make things odd, but "legalize necro-" just ain't right.

Should have worded it as "legalize reviving old threads."

 

[Sicklyboy]

I think that rule should only be applied to messages that add nothing to the thread.

And my suggestion lies in changing the rules so it’s no longer up to the single moderation but to allow it forum-wide.

Generally speaking, as far as the former is concerned, that is already how it works. Necro posts are fine if they actually contribute something to the discussion. But bringing up a 15 year old thread that hasn't seen a single comment in 13 years just to ask "any updates?" or "I liked this too" isn't particularly useful. Those comments usually get removed. Sometimes the threads get locked if that's spiraled it into an off topic swarm of nonsense.

Also I don't think the rules explicitly forbid necroposting, as far as I can tell all I see is just a soft "avoid bumping/reviving old threads"

Edit - if we wanted to forbid discussion on old threads we'd just have the threads auto lock after some specified time of inactivity. And let me say - Holy shit I hate forums that do that.

 

[JustABadger]

We never really forbidden necro. But most of the time they're useless bumps for no reason. We allowing necro a lot of times

Make up your mind.

PS after posting here I was banned for a day by @linuxares

 

[Kioku]

How constructive were the posts? Also, you have a lot to complain about… I thought I was bad, yeesh.

 

[linuxares]

Make up your mind.

You just did for me. If you just bump threads for no reason with no useful info just because you think you're so funny, you're wrong.