Duplicate Threads

[OzzyKP]

Apolyton should consider a new policy on handling muliple threads on the same topic. Instead of just closing the one that came later you should merge the threads.

Your version of vBulletin has that option, right?

Cause currently the policy doesn't make any sense. Sure its the fairest way to do it, but two threads in the OT about the EU looking for control of the Internet. The first one had 8 posts in it, the second one had 47. The thread with 47 posts was closed. That doesn't make much sense.

Merge them.

If you don't have the option to merge threads, then find a hack or upgrade. Renewing the vBulletin license enough to get an upgrade isn't that expensive. I'm sure you've got enough from the donations and Plus memberships. There are some nice features in the newest version, and they are about to release another big upgrade. Some of the things you have hacks for are standard in other versions. And there are lots more hacks for 3.x anyhow.

But of course if you DO have the ability to merge threads its not an issue.

[DanQ]

Merging threads is an option, but on an aside upgrading to version 3.x of vBulletin here is easier said than done. The version 2.0.3 of the message board software installed for and on Apolyton has been customized again and again over the years, including incorporating features found in version 3.x.

Your suggestion will be considered -- thank you for it.

---------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[Urban Ranger]

Threads could be merged, but that ususally causes disruptions to the discussions, making them hard to follow.

[Locutus]

Merging is sometimes done but it's usually just really messy. When you've read one thread but not the other you have to go back and look at every post again to see if you missed anything of interest. For new readers it's very confusing as the merged thread has very little coherency. Most of the time I prefer closing one thread, or leaving both threads open (but the latter is more applicable in on topic forums than in the OT).

There's something to be said for closing the one with the most replies, I believe in the OT this is sometimes done depending on the mod and the circumstances. The best course of action always depends on the circumstances anyway. Nobody's perfect but the OT mods usually do the most sensible thing IMO.

[Ming]

Yeah... some of the merges would look pretty funny since many of the posts in the second thread are usually reminders that they are too late and that they got beat to the punch

Now, I have merged some threads in the past when I felt it was warrented.

[Zoid]

The thread with the least comments in it should be closed IMO, even if that one happened to be posted before the other thread. And I don´t think merging is the right approach, it tends to get really confusing if you don´t check OT several times a day...

[duke o' york]

If there was someway of showing which thread the posts had come from post-merger, it would be a good thing, but otherwise it would just confuse the hell out of people.

[Zoid]

Branched threads, anyone?

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Threads could be merged, but that ususally causes disruptions to the discussions, making them hard to follow.

But could end up with some nice "x-posts"

[Skanky Burns]

I've seen badly merged threads. It just confuses things and disrupts the flow of both conversations. Better to just close one, in most cases.

[DanQ]

Originally posted by Dr Zoidberg
Branched threads, anyone?

Don't... you... even... go... there.

I'll be clear for clarity's sake: no.

--------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[OzzyKP]

Usually the mods are pretty good at getting to the duplicate threads early before they each develop too much, so I'm thinking (at least for the typical OT type situation) that merging wouldn't be too harmful because odds are one of the threads are going to have less than 10 posts anyways.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by DanQ


Don't... you... even... go... there.

I'll be clear for clarity's sake: no.

--------
Dan; Apolyton CS

Just checking

[rah]

OK< I'll admit, it sometimes a matter of ease. Looking to see how a merge will look or reading all the posts to see which one has more "QUALITY RESPONSES" takes time. Something in short supply frequently. It's faster and much easier to just see which one was started first and close the other leaving a link. The trick is to catch it early so there is minimal disruption. I think the mods are very good at this (yes, I'm biased)

[Colon™]

Re: Duplicate Threads

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Apolyton should consider a new policy on handling muliple threads on the same topic. Instead of just closing the one that came later you should merge the threads.

Your version of vBulletin has that option, right?

Cause currently the policy doesn't make any sense. Sure its the fairest way to do it, but two threads in the OT about the EU looking for control of the Internet. The first one had 8 posts in it, the second one had 47. The thread with 47 posts was closed. That doesn't make much sense.

Someone had already warned there was an older thread about it, and posted a link to it so people should have known better than to keep posting in that thread.