Forum threads should autoclose 6 months after the last reply!

theyancey · November 2021

Nah, seems like a solution in search of a problem. The occasional zombie thread doesn't bother me and I find that having the historical background of older threads to be quite helpful and entertaining

StevieKingslayer · November 2021

I see no issue with necro threads. Learn to read the entire post before replying (that includes when the post was made.)

A necro thread isnt the end of the world. I personally enjoy them. And like someone mentioned, why have fifty threads reporting the same bug? Just necro a thread to re report it.

Larcomar · December 2021

Given the recent outbreak of necromany on this forums, I thought it might be worth necroing this thread.

Maybe a compromise wd just be, when you go to respond, have a pop up pointing out its more than 6 mnths old?

I suspect alot of peopel are googling something and don't realise / forget it's old...

LalMirchi · December 2021

Larcomar wrote: »

Given the recent outbreak of necromany on this forums, I thought it might be worth necroing this thread.

Maybe a compromise wd just be, when you go to respond, have a pop up pointing out its more than 6 mnths old?

I suspect alot of peopel are googling something and don't realise / forget it's old...

I like the suggestion of a pop-up warning when trying to reply to old threads.

Juomuuri · December 2021

I noticed that within a few days, people have been necroing threads from 2014... A feature to close them automatically would be very useful indeed. Wouldn't hurt to make a new thread about an old subject.

Elsonso · December 2021

I still think that threads from 2014, 2015, and most of 2016 are irrelevant, if they have not be used since then. They can be closed. They are from before One Tamriel, and this is now a very different game.

I do like the idea of the popup that would at least alert someone that they are responding to an old thread. Old, of course, being defined by TPTB.

Still, nothing says "please don't needlessly necro threads" like a locked thread.

Sylvermynx · December 2021

Heh - still in favor personally, especially after today's "outbreak"....

kojou · December 2021

I support locking obsolete threads.

If no one has updated a thread in 6 months I think it is safe to lock. Either the issue is resolved or the community has moved on. Either is a good reason to just close it.

Danikat · December 2021

Larcomar wrote: »

Given the recent outbreak of necromany on this forums, I thought it might be worth necroing this thread.

Maybe a compromise wd just be, when you go to respond, have a pop up pointing out its more than 6 mnths old?

I suspect alot of peopel are googling something and don't realise / forget it's old...

I like that idea.

I think it's only really a problem when the things being discussed have changed so the older posts are irrelevant now. For example someone a while ago bumped up a topic about character customisation from 2016 by quoting a post I'd made where I complained about being restricted to the highest level versions of the racial motifs and stuck with red weapons and explained in great detail how to use the outfit system to overcome both limitations.

It would have saved them a lot of time writing a completely pointless reply if they'd gotten a pop-up when they started warning them that the topic was 5 years old.

(There's been worse examples too, someone once did the same thing but called me an idiot and a bunch of other things which got removed by a moderator for not knowing about a system which hadn't existed at the time I'd made the post, and presumably got a nice warning for their trouble.)

I don't think an automatic lock necessarily makes sense because a lot of topics can keep going indefinitely, even with long breaks between posts.

Nanfoodle · December 2021

I like them left open, I find problems or bug come and go in this game. I have replied to threads from bugs that have come and gone since 2014. Being able to report its back in the same thread helps. If you auto close threads, it should not be for the support channel.

nightstrike · December 2021

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

Closing a thread simply because of age is shortsighted and failure prone. Close a thread that is no longer relevant, fine. But mods are far too quick to close a thread detailing an open and relevant issue simply because of age. For reference, look at just about any thread relating to bugs on the Mac platform. They are almost all unfixed, the threads are still relevant, and if you post there, it gets closed with an unhelpful message stating to open a new thread. What is the point? What does that accomplish? It simply hides all the relevant info in the closed thread and reduces the already vanishingly small likelihood of a fix.

The real problem here is that mods don't read before closing.

nightstrike · December 2021

kargen27 wrote: »

amapola76 wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

Are you also considering the feedback of the majority of people in this thread who think it's a terrible idea? Many of us see the value of old threads.

The old threads would still be there. If you had something to add you could create a new thread and provide a link back to the old one for people interested in seeing the history of the topic. Those just wanting more recent discussion would read your opening comment and all that followed.

And how do you provide a link forward from the old thread when that's what gets hit on a search?

I find it hard to believe that having multiple threads on the same topic is more organized than one thread. How many times do threads get closed for that very reason in fact?

nightstrike · December 2021

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Heh - still in favor personally, especially after today's "outbreak"....

If people are abusing a feature, ban the abuser, don't kill the feature that is otherwise used correctly.

16BitForestCat · December 2021

Most other forums I've been on will warn you that a thread may be outdated when you click reply, if the thread is more than 30 days old, but you can still respond. Then they auto-lock the thread when it's gone more than six months without new posts. The OP can request a closed thread be re-opened, which could extend well past another six months if it takes a long time for the thread to die off again, or keep it open by replying when they have something relevant to say. Just "bump" posts are usually against the rules, but it's generally okay for a relevant reply that says something like, "OP here, I updated the top post with new info."

I really don't know why a forum like this, that was expected to be very active from the start, didn't already have some kind of relevant system in place!

I think that's a really good system, and I'd support something like that being used on the ESO forums. Necros long after the fact are almost never useful here, given how quickly the game changes. With the X days/XX months system, threads that are done are allowed to die permanently, while useful threads can be re-opened or never closed to begin with if they stay active. Then the mods wouldn't have to waste time every day manually closing old threads.

NeeScrolls · December 2021

Vevvev wrote: »

nightstrike wrote: »

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Heh - still in favor personally, especially after today's "outbreak"....

.

[Snip]

[Snip]

p.s. Why not just auto *lock* ALL forum threads (other than stickys) without any replies after 1 year? This way, being *locked* rather than 'closed' , the older threads could still be referenced and linked, etc.

Regardless, the community bears responsibility (individually) to police itself. Then ZOS mods just clean up any mess.

[Edited for removed content]

spartaxoxo · December 2021

Vevvev wrote: »

nightstrike wrote: »

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Heh - still in favor personally, especially after today's "outbreak"....

If people are abusing a feature, ban the abuser, don't kill the feature that is otherwise used correctly.

[Snip]

Yeah that was a user abusing the feature. It happens occasionally, but I don't think it's worth reducing functionality because a single user decided to behave like that. Such a thing is easily resolved by simply banning the user involved.

Auto-closing it breaks functionality that I don't think needs to be lost over such things. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[Edit to remove quote]

VaranisArano · December 2021

Locking all old threads because a few users recently necro'd a bunch of threads seems like a prime case of "This is why we can't have nice things."

Now, I'm not a mod so I have no idea how frequently necromancers decide to raise hordes of draugr threads. From my perspective as a forum user, it's fairly infrequent and easily ignored - once I see one, I make sure I double check the other "new" threads when I read them. Maybe that's simply because the mods are vigilant, and they'd appreciate locking old threads. Maybe it's a fairly rare happening, and it would be a shame to have to implement that feature because of a few people who refuse to follow the rules.

Two solutions:

1. I really like the idea of a warning pop-up stating the age of the thread's creation and encouraging players to consider starting a new thread unless the content is still relevant.

2. Since a warning won't stop people determined to raise a bunch of old threads regardless of relevance, I personally would appreciate some progress on the issues that the Mobile website has with reporting posts. I considered reporting the necro'd posts this morning, but didn't, because Reporting is still broken on mobile.

ZOS_Volpe · December 2021

Greetings,

We've removed some comments that were discussing disciplinary actions. For further posts be sure to stay constructive and respectful with the Forum Rules in mind to avoid thread derailment.

Thank you for your understanding.

Wolf_Eye · December 2021

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @Destai. I think that is a fair question.

Currently, we are not specifically going through and closing threads by a certain date. Hence the thought behind an auto-close function. Rather, closing a thread currently depends on the thread topic's benefit to the community and the time between activity, when determining if it should be closed. (There are exceptions to this and are addressed individually.) But for a rough estimate number, about a year of inactivity would warrant a thread to be closed. Again, we want to stress that this is not a strict rule, as many of these situations could change depending on context of the conversation.

@amapola76 Yes, we are considering everyone's feedback here. To be clear, no decisions have been made. It's just something that has been on the idea board, hence why your feedback is important here. Plus, there are a few other items that need to be addressed first. Just wanted to chime in with thoughts since someone brought up the topic.

So like, for example, maybe there was a bug that was fixed. A few months later, someone comments on the thread even though the bug was long fixed. Would this count as a necro in light of the context?

I do kind of wish there was a hard and fast rule. I have an anxiety disorder and I dislike doing the wrong thing; I always get nervous that I'm necroing a thread if it is more than a month old....I don't want to get into trouble for accidentally necroing a thread without realizing it. I'm sorry.

BretonMage · December 2021

Auto-closing threads would ignore the fact that there are still some topics that remain relevant, and if we lose the ability to read some well-written posts on a still-relevant topic, it would do us a disservice.

A thread about a feature that has been changed or fixed is irrelevant and can be closed, whilst a thread requesting a change/addition that hasn’t yet been implemented, can still be of benefit to the community. And we, or a mod, will need to apply judgment to differentiate between the two. A pop-up warning is the best option.

I do agree with Elsonso that threads from 2014 and 2015, when this was essentially a different game, can be closed.

Olauron · December 2021

NeeScrolls wrote: »

p.s. Why not just auto *lock* ALL forum threads (other than stickys) without any replies after 1 year? This way, being *locked* rather than 'closed' , the older threads could still be referenced and linked, etc.

Is there any difference? Locked or closed thread is a thread that is read-only, without the ability to write in it (opposed to deleted thread, that is impossible to be read).

NeeScrolls · December 2021

Olauron wrote: »

NeeScrolls wrote: »

p.s. Why not just auto *lock* ALL forum threads (other than stickys) without any replies after 1 year? This way, being *locked* rather than 'closed' , the older threads could still be referenced and linked, etc.

Is there any difference? Locked or closed thread is a thread that is read-only, without the ability to write in it (opposed to deleted thread, that is impossible to be read).

i believe, specifically on the ESO forums, a closed thread = essentially "deleted" (as in, it disappears from PUBLIC view) . Conversely, a *locked* thread always remains viewable, linkable, reference'able, etc..

That's the difference. And i'm basing this on the fact that i've had some of my own threads CLOSED lol .

But anyways whatever cuz it's fairly obvious this thread is turning into the same type of 50/50 polarization as other similar hot-button topic threads devolved into. ( Sorry Math Probability majors, but i'm becoming convinced everything under the sun is simply boiled down to a flat like/dislike 50/50 split.

)

Amottica · December 2021

VaranisArano wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I don't support this, and I say this as someone who used to be a moderator on a different international game.

While it is quite annoying when a thread needs to be locked because a necro would be inappropriate, there are threads where being open is very much appropriate.

Threads that are guides should be able to be necro'ed as needed, threads with developer responses on pertinent issues as well (so that they can also be quoted), and lastly threads where there has been enough popularity over the years and are good for the forums that mods simply use their own discretion to keep around (a current example is the favorite npc one liners thread).

Having them autoclose would remove clutter but it also removed a lot of moderation discretion that was good for the playerbase. And humans being able to use good judgment is a definite thing lost with automation.

That being said the mod team knows best what they want to see, so they definitely should get a big voice in this. The one I did volunteer stuff for didn't have a lot of necro so it wasn't a big deal. But each mod team knows it's own issues which are individual to each forum

That's a very good point that guides should be able to be updated.

One of my guides is for what order players may want to play ESO's story arcs. I wrote it in 2018 and recently updated it now that the Deadlands has rounded out the Gates of Oblivion storyline. Whenever they'll be announcing next year's content, I'll update it again. Also, over the years I've had players ask questions and suggest other guides that work for them.

I think I have seen in other threads that guides can stay open of mod just open it up when needed. In any case, the forum design that closes the thread automatically after 30 days does allow for the thread to be opened upon request. However, few threads are worthy of being reopened as only guides would fit that need.

Olauron · December 2021

NeeScrolls wrote: »

Olauron wrote: »

NeeScrolls wrote: »

p.s. Why not just auto *lock* ALL forum threads (other than stickys) without any replies after 1 year? This way, being *locked* rather than 'closed' , the older threads could still be referenced and linked, etc.

Is there any difference? Locked or closed thread is a thread that is read-only, without the ability to write in it (opposed to deleted thread, that is impossible to be read).

i believe, specifically on the ESO forums, a closed thread = essentially "deleted" (as in, it disappears from PUBLIC view) . Conversely, a *locked* thread always remains viewable, linkable, reference'able, etc..

That's the difference. And i'm basing this on the fact that i've had some of my own threads CLOSED lol .

But anyways whatever cuz it's fairly obvious this thread is turning into the same type of 50/50 polarization as other similar hot-button topic threads devolved into. ( Sorry Math Probability majors, but i'm becoming convinced everything under the sun is simply boiled down to a flat like/dislike 50/50 split. )

Thanks. That is the first time I am seing this. On another forum "close" and "lock" are synonymous and it is also possible to hide (keep a thread for the mods only and unavailable to public view) and to delete (remove it completely, but not necessary with the posts, as the posts may be kept in the DB even then). I don't believe anyone here proposed making old threads unavailable for reading.

Yes, everything is 50/50. Things that are not 50/50 are not even discussed

peacenote · December 2021

VaranisArano wrote: »

Locking all old threads because a few users recently necro'd a bunch of threads seems like a prime case of "This is why we can't have nice things."

Now, I'm not a mod so I have no idea how frequently necromancers decide to raise hordes of draugr threads. From my perspective as a forum user, it's fairly infrequent and easily ignored - once I see one, I make sure I double check the other "new" threads when I read them. Maybe that's simply because the mods are vigilant, and they'd appreciate locking old threads. Maybe it's a fairly rare happening, and it would be a shame to have to implement that feature because of a few people who refuse to follow the rules.

Two solutions:

1. I really like the idea of a warning pop-up stating the age of the thread's creation and encouraging players to consider starting a new thread unless the content is still relevant.

2. Since a warning won't stop people determined to raise a bunch of old threads regardless of relevance, I personally would appreciate some progress on the issues that the Mobile website has with reporting posts. I considered reporting the necro'd posts this morning, but didn't, because Reporting is still broken on mobile.

This. Very very much this.

Warn people who may be doing it by accident. Educate or ban people who are doing it inappropriately on purpose.

NewBlacksmurf · December 2021

Maybe if there are thresholds…so lets say

X number of views AND comments (auto close if less than X and both apply)
I had a post that is now over 2 years old I think…it was an issue about HDR for Xbox One X…that was just now addressed less than 90 days ago. Had that been closed it would have resulted in a bunch of other new threads losing the original content.

Tornaad · December 2021

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

@ZOS_Kevin I would say that either remove the policy of closing old threads when someone goes to post on them or auto close the threads. The fact that old threads stay open suggests you are open to people commenting on them, but the actions of your moderators suggests the opposite. Right now, you have contradictory messages in your forums.

spartaxoxo · December 2021

Zuboko wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

I would say that either remove the policy of closing old threads when someone goes to post on them or auto close the threads. The fact that old threads stay open suggests you are open to people commenting on them, but the actions of your moderators suggests the opposite. Right now, you have contradictory messages in your forums.

It's really not a contradiction. Old threads that shouldn't be necroed can be quoted if they are open. And having the physical capability of doing something isn't really the same as permission.

Right now they have people exercise judgement because some old threads are still worthy of discussion, and some are not and contain outdated information.

Destai · December 2021

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Zuboko wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

I would say that either remove the policy of closing old threads when someone goes to post on them or auto close the threads. The fact that old threads stay open suggests you are open to people commenting on them, but the actions of your moderators suggests the opposite. Right now, you have contradictory messages in your forums.

It's really not a contradiction. Old threads that shouldn't be necroed can be quoted if they are open. And having the physical capability of doing something isn't really the same as permission.

Right now they have people exercise judgement because some old threads are still worthy of discussion, and some are not and contain outdated information.

Can you point me to threads that were necroed and not closed? I think the overwhelming trend is that they are closed, most often without the discretion the community would expect and appreciate.

spartaxoxo · December 2021

Destai wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Zuboko wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @SimonThesis. Thanks for the feedback. We have been considering the pros and cons of potentially implementing something like this. Having feedback like this is helpful as we consider if a feature like this helpful to the community and our moderators. Appreciate you bringing this up and thoughts from others on whether players support this or not. We'll keep an eye on this thread for more feedback on this potential feature.

I would say that either remove the policy of closing old threads when someone goes to post on them or auto close the threads. The fact that old threads stay open suggests you are open to people commenting on them, but the actions of your moderators suggests the opposite. Right now, you have contradictory messages in your forums.

It's really not a contradiction. Old threads that shouldn't be necroed can be quoted if they are open. And having the physical capability of doing something isn't really the same as permission.

Right now they have people exercise judgement because some old threads are still worthy of discussion, and some are not and contain outdated information.

Can you point me to threads that were necroed and not closed? I think the overwhelming trend is that they are closed, most often without the discretion the community would expect and appreciate.

Yes. I got a pretty good example.

This thread was created in 2014. And it's full of people's favorite one liners. These lines are still in the game, so it's not outdated. And the community has added to it every now and again over the years, building on the one liners offered in the past.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/132862/favorite-npc-one-liners/p1

It's a great thread. The latest time it was necroed, we even got a green post about what a fun thread this is. It would be a shame to see it closed.

It is not a guide. Just a fun thing this community loves to participate in for a while. Then people will forget about it until they've had a chance to play new stuff or revisit some old stuff, and then it gets participants again.

Speaking of which I got a line to contribute that I didn't before haha. This time is not a necro as it would be lrss than 30 days since last reply, which is still active even by the strictest forums standards. Going back over that thread is fun.