Awake, My Unthread Minion!

[RFisher]

Ideally someone searches for a topic, finds an old thread about it, & reads it. Then if they have anything to add, they ressurect that thread. This is much, much preferable (IMHO) to starting a new thread, rehashing the subject, & ending up with essentially a duplicate of an older thread.

Even a "hey, this was helpful" isn't so bad. Such a bump gives people who missed it the first time & who hadn't thought of searching for it a chance to see a good thread.

Displacement in time is one of the fundamental benefits of this medium.

Now, considering ENWorld:

You have to be a paying community supporter to access the search. While I can't disagree with that decision, I think it's unfortunate. The ability to search is a fundamental aspect of (IMHO) practical computerized information.

When it comes to long threads, it may sometimes be better to start a new thread that links to the old one. The potential for threads getting long here is greater than many other boards.

Then there's the archiving, which I don't really know anything about. I'm guessing archived threads can't be directly resurrected. (I wonder how much everyone being able to search might diminish the need to archive so often.)

 

[jaerdaph]

It doesn't bother me at all, but it can sometimes be consfusing at first.

Is there some way a new post in an old thread (Say one that is three months or older) could get automatically tagged somehow as thread necromancy so folks know it's been awhile?

 

[The Lost Muse]

You have to be a paying community supporter to access the search. While I can't disagree with that decision, I think it's unfortunate. The ability to search is a fundamental aspect of (IMHO) practical computerized information.

I just do an advanced Google Search when I want to find something that's more than a few days old. It usually works like a charm, you just have to specify that you only want results from enworld.org

 

[Darkness]

I just do an advanced Google Search when I want to find something that's more than a few days old. It usually works like a charm, you just have to specify that you only want results from enworld.org

Also, if you don't want to use advanced search, just add site:enworld.org to your search terms.

 

[Pbartender]

Note: This poll/thread's title is from a phrase Pbartender wrote in a recently revived (for news update purposes) thread regarding Reaper plastic minis.

I'm flattered...


Personally, I have no problem bringing back old threads, so long as it serves a purpose.

In my case, the thread I reanimated wasn't exceptionally old, the information I found directly answered questions left unanswered in the thread, and the information by itself didn't seem worthy of an entirely new thread.

In all honesty, in all the years I've been posting here, I think it's the first time I've brought back a thread from the dead.

 

[jonesy]

I don't mind if it's interesting,

and if there isn't a new thread about the subject already.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Sometimes it bugs me, sometimes it freaks me out, and sometimes its cool to see stuff coming back from the dead. The only time I really get irritated is when someone necromances a 'Hey, what should I do with my next session" type question a year or two later.

QFT. And exactly what I mean by taste.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I'm flattered...


Personally, I have no problem bringing back old threads, so long as it serves a purpose.

In my case, the thread I reanimated wasn't exceptionally old, the information I found directly answered questions left unanswered in the thread, and the information by itself didn't seem worthy of an entirely new thread.

In all honesty, in all the years I've been posting here, I think it's the first time I've brought back a thread from the dead.

Yeah, I thought it was an exceptionally witty phrase.

Your thread was only a month or two old, and you had good info. I didn't mean to imply anything other than that I found the phrase funny and appropriate.

 

[BOZ]

Some I have to wonder what the raiser was thinking, though.

practicing on some worthless ones to get the hang of it?

sometimes, i won't be on for a week or so, so i go and respond to threads that have been dead for a few days already... like this one. so i'm guilty of that at least.

and of course, i like to keep my necromancy skills sharpened generally.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

sometimes, i won't be on for a week or so, so i go and respond to threads that have been dead for a few days already... like this one. so i'm guilty of that at least.
.

Yeah, but that's not thread necromancy in my book. That's barely thread resuscitation.

For true thread necromancy to happen, it's gotta be six months or more in my book. And ideally, I'd like it to have a date that ends in a different number than the current year. [Now fair calling thread necromancy on January 1, either! ]