Why are 2007/2008 topics coming back to life?

[Brian Elfert]

Why are there a number of topics from 2007 and 2008 that have suddenly come back to life? Maybe Sawmill Creek needs a warning like other forums when you reply to old thread. Those other forums warn you that you are replying to an old thread and even make you check a box to actually post your reply.

[Perry Holbrook]

Looks like the 3 below were all brought to life by people who just joined and making their 1st post.

Perry

[Jim O'Dell]

Well, that tells me they are searching the forum for information and a question is raised or didn't get answered in a way that made sense to that particular person. How many times have we told a newby to look in the history? Not here, but some forums are downright mean about it. I opened an old thread on an A/V forum last week because it was exactly the issue I was dealing with. I made a disclaimer at the first saying I knew it was an old thread and to not kill me :rolleyes:, and that I didn't want people to rehash everything that had already been said. Keith and Aaron go to great lengths to keep all of the history available to us. I'm personally glad someone is using it. As long as it is still pertinent it's fine by me.

The warning you mentioned would be a good way to let all of us know that it is an old thread we are about to resurrect. That would be good reminder, but still allow it to happen if the poster thought it was warranted. Jim.

[Sam Murdoch]

Agree 100% with Jim.

[Harry Hagan]

Having the ability to revisit topics of interest seems inherent in a venue (magazine, internet forum, etc.) where people come to share their skills or learn new ones. This is why I contribute to SMC.

[Patrick McCarthy]

. . . . isn't there a saying about "everything old is new again" . . . .

more seriously, got to agree with Jim

[Dan Hintz]

I'm with stupid... er, Jim ;) Everything he said is exactly my line of thinking.

[Jim Koepke]

In the Neanderthal Haven Forum there is a Sticky: Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs to keep a lot of the old threads cataloged.

It is a convenient feature to help new members find information.

At the end of the Whirlpool Water Heater thread it was my recommendation that the Off Topic Forum do the same. It would likely be good idea in most of the forums.

jtk

[Bryan Slimp]

Could this also be a fishing attempt of sorts? One of the topics I replied to was about time card/clock software. I did a quick google search and SMC didn't come up anywhere in the first five pages of the search.

[Brian Elfert]

I could possibly see some value to replying to an old woodworking thread. I don't see much value in replying to an old thread about water heater problems. The original poster probably long ago fixed the water heater or got a new one.

If your water heater is broken then start your own thread.

[Dan Hintz]

The bump was a thank you... even years after the fact, that thank you is nice to see, a reminder your hard work is appreciated.

[Ole Anderson]

I enjoy seeing what was said years ago and how it might apply to today's problems. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for an OP to ask a question that is actively being discussed the same day, why I don't know.

[David Helm]

It's why I keep all the back issues of Fine Woodworking. I look into them regularly

[Stephen Cherry]

The way I look at it is that it's a discussion forum, no one is forced to read or reply, so let people do what they want. One thing I will mention is that it's nice to have moderators that require everything is kept on a nice level of civility, but if you want to bring up an old thread, why not. If you want to start a new thread on 15" planers, or 8" jointers, or shapers; that's fine also, you never know when an interesting tidbit of information will surface.

Isn't the internet great?

[Kevin Bourque]

A bumped lawn mowing thread has relevance in February??? Or EVER!!!???

[Brian Elfert]

When someone replies to an old thread it brings it back up to the top. I suspect most of us don't look at the date of a post and then think the post is new because it is at the top of the page. We then reply not realizing the threads is years old and in most cases the problem asked about was long solved. I've relied to an old thread in the past and then felt stupid later when I realized the thread was really old.

This is the off topic forum. I think there would be a lot more value in one of the woodworking forums to bring up old stuff rather than in the off topic forum.

[Sam Murdoch]

I've replied to an old thread in the past and then felt stupid later when I realized the thread was really old.


Me too - I kicked myself then I laughed - more than once this has happened :D.

[Rick Potter]

I have something to say, but I think I will wait a few years.

Rick Potter

[Alan Melbourne]

we all find it a bit annoying when a time specific topic ( on broken appliances etc)

but several times a thread will pop up that i never saw when it was started or any time i was looking around

[Steve Meliza]

We now have three separate ancient threads relating to grass and lawns revived by the same person. He has now posted an identical post to all three with a link to an artificial lawn supplier.

[Dan Hintz]

Steve,

I red flag those guys so they can be removed from the forum... they're almost always here to push their own product / service.

[John Coloccia]

Zombie Thread Apocalypse....everyone PANIC! AHHHHHHHHH......

[Stephen Cherry]

Zombie Thread Apocalypse....everyone PANIC! AHHHHHHHHH......

It's a crisis, and I can't buy wonderbread, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! the horror