A little suggestion for the rulebook

[Smaug]

Some of you may realise that there's a lot of necroposting going around lately. As far as most of us know, necroposting is when someone revives a topic that's been dead and buried for a few months or so. Well, it's becoming a problem as of late. I suggest that we have some strict rules in place in case it carries on. Say, for instance, a warning system for necroposters, in the '3 strikes and you're out' format:

1st offence: User is given a verbal warning by the mods.
2nd offence: User is given a Warning label.
3rd offence: User is banned for a period of time.

And, like the official warning system, the levels should drop one level after a month. Say, you're on level 2, you go back to level 1 by next month.

I'm not saying that this should be the official way of dealing with necroposters, it's merely an idea for the mods and admins. Any more are welcome, as long as they're realistic.

[Sum Mors]

I don't believe that they should be delt with so harshly. Yes, necroposting IS annoying, but would you rather they start a whole new topic? If they do that, they'll just get people on their ass for starting a topic that has already been done.

Now if these 6 month old threads were closed and thrown into the recycling bin in the first place...

Edit: Yeah... What Quiet said below me. What is really so bad about this?

[quiet, and drink this]

Well, I have been caught off guard by some old, old threads before. Like, I don't realize that the thread is old and someone will post in it and I will post in it, thinking I just overlooked it. I don't know... what's so bad about this again?

[Cheetah]

Generally, we will tell the necroposter that it's against the rules and kindly ask them to stop necroposting or even fine the person some gil - at least, that's what I do. I can't speak for the other moderators and admins, though. Usually, they don't do it anymore. But in the case of several cases of necroposting by the same person, then we send the verbal warnings and official warnings. I don't think that the first time someone necroposts should be given a verbal, though.

[Minion]

1-2 necropost, hey no problem..

but after the 4th and 5th necropost, it starts to get pretty damn annoying....

[quiet, and drink this]

You complain too much. About irrelevant things, too. That gets annoying. Maybe someone should warn you?

Anyways, I still think a reason for why it is bad should be placed in this thread to enlighten me on the views of posting in the Unofficial Family Forums... I mean, Fantasy Forums.


PS If they did a search for the topic using the search function this board supplies, then maybe they didn't want to start a new thread, but, however, post in an already existing one to save space and not be annoying in that aspect. We CAN have too many favorite album or favorite band threads.

[Il Palazzo]

I don't know. Some old interesting topics that get revived are fine, but, as has been happening a lot recently, when a topic has been gone over comprehensively, and then someone necro's it, it leads to a deluge of posts by our less- articulate- members, and nothing from the actual solid members. I don't find it a bad enough offence to warn for, but it should be discouraged.

[Kaii]

I think that there should be some warning after a certain amount of necroposting, but not immediately. The reason that necroposting is so irritating is because dead, useless threads get a completely pointless post in it. Often it's something like 'cool' or 'yeah, I agree with that person' or spam that's something completely impossible to understand (which is bad in itself). And there are a good deal of threads that just don't make sense to post in after a while, such as birthday threads, or help threads that have been answered.

Threads that are to stay open are stickied or are constantly posted in, and the rest serve their purpose and then we move on. Also, it discourages people from ever starting up new threads, and allows them to constantly dig through things from years ago and get gil for it.

[quiet, and drink this]

The whole gist I get from most of you is, well, I already posted in the thread. It serves no purpose to me. That is the wrong attitude to have when posting on a message board, to tell you the truth. If other people haven't posted in a thread and think it was important for bumping it up to the front page, so be it. Just because you think that new people, or "newbies" are not articulate enough to post thoughts that seem interesting, doesn't mean everyone else should feel this way. Just because new people have a tendency to post irrelevant information, give them the benefit of the doubt. I am interested in many people's posts and reading different prespectives on different topics, so I really don't see the problem with this so called "necro-posting"

However, that one birthday thread was ridiculous and could have been PMed to the people, or sent on AIM. I agree, for the event passed and the thread should have been tossed to the recycling bin.

[Sum Mors]

Yup. If you have a problem with necroposting, tell somebody to move the old threads out so they can't be revived.

[AP]

Allow me to make this clear, for all the members and indeed the staff: The staff have the right to add warnings to people AS THEY SEE FIT. If they notice a regular necroposter, they have the right to warn them rather than making a rather harsh update to the rules. In other words, see a regular necroposter, complain to me, Jon, KG, or any of the other mos, and said user can and will be formally warned and their warning posted in the staff forum.

[MuadDib]

My problem is necroposting being against rules is this:

Posts that are "necroposted" are closed.

Posts that are the same as many month/year old posts are also closed.

So lets say you're really interested in a topic that was going on five months ago? more or less two rules just contradicted eachother.

[Dr. Flux]

Contrary wise :P

I'm sure if people have a reason for necroposting. And post a legitimate post. Then their necropost will be overlooked. But when it's pointless eg. An inuyasha thread that's 2 months old; 'What do you think about Inuyasha?'

The necroposter says: OMG it sooo r0x0rs1111!!!

Maybe not that extreme, yet I'm sure you can grasp the point. That is the only reason revived threads get closed.

[Kaii]

The whole gist I get from most of you is, well, I already posted in the thread. It serves no purpose to me. That is the wrong attitude to have when posting on a message board, to tell you the truth. If other people haven't posted in a thread and think it was important for bumping it up to the front page, so be it. Just because you think that new people, or "newbies" are not articulate enough to post thoughts that seem interesting, doesn't mean everyone else should feel this way. Just because new people have a tendency to post irrelevant information, give them the benefit of the doubt. I am interested in many people's posts and reading different prespectives on different topics, so I really don't see the problem with this so called "necro-posting"
I'm not saying all necroposters are newbies. Some people who have been around long enough to know what they're doing or just forget sometimes also necropost. It's not always bad, but usually people aren't necroposting with something interesting or intelligent. Usually, it's something completely random or even off topic. If someone were to revive an open topic that has potential with a really amazing point, I'm all for it. But unfortunately, they usually seem to be like the example Minimog came up with.

[quiet, and drink this]

Well, with that being said, is my post here interesting and amazing? Who's to say? I know what you are trying to get at here, but this is a message board for people to post. Let them post.

[Il Palazzo]

Quite simply put, the admin and mods are to say Quiet. Tis how all forums work (well, most of them). We allow people to post, unless we think by posting theyre just basically spamming, and encouraging spam.

[quiet, and drink this]

Yeah, I know it's up to the admins and mods, but this is the only board(edit: that I post at) that frowns upon this act. I guess it doesn't matter though. Who cares. It's just a rule that is there and has no real reason for being there. It happens.

[Sylverline]

No, this isn't the only board that frowns on it actually >_>'

I won't insult your intelligence by repeating what everyone else has said, but I will say that there is a real reason for it being there - we just can't put it into words yet.

In some cases, we can let it slip - other cases we won't. All down to personal judgement in the end though

[Vivi_Stalker]

I think it really takes care of itself pretty well. Even though I have gotten a few reported posts this week and the last about necroposts, I let it slide.

Generally, even if it pisses me off, I just send a friendly PM as a word to the wise, if several users haven't already flocked to the thread to complain about it. @_@

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just so long as it relates to the topic, it's fine. Dead threads and whatnot should be moved, anyway. :)