Classifieds. Frustration is upon me

[BradT]

Would archiving the first 24-36 months of the site help. Maybe just allow us to read, but not be able to post to this section. Might be a lot less work.

 

Just give us a link to the archived section and maybe this would free up space for more active threads, and the search function might be quicker. (and this would keep the old posts from coming back alive)

 

Brad

[Freebird]

Just to be clear. We are not running out of space at this time. All is good. It's just about good housekeeping more than anything else. Eventually things have to be cleaned up and it takes a long time to do so. This is just one attempt to do that. I've spent close to 4 hours over the past two days deleting old Craigslist and For Sale posts that no longer have any significance and there are still hundreds to remove. The new area will prevent anybody from having to do that in the future.

[craigatcsi]

Instead of trying to weed out posts that are worthless after ## days, would it be easier to collect posts that are worth keeping for an extended amount of time?

I spend most of my time in the Watering Hole, and there are posts that are more just sociallizing than informational. Why keep those?

Another area of posts are the 'Need prayers for...' - I'm not trying to say these are un-needed, but do we need to see them a year from now?

The Tech sections are definately worth keeping for quite a while.

Just something to think about.

craigr

[Freebird]

No, either way it's the same process. You have to look at all of the 373,000 plus posts if you really want to decide which are worth keeping and which to delete. It's nothing new, just the nature of any forum.

 

There is no way to automatically prune threads based upon keywords. For example, there is no setting to automatically search for and then remove threads with the word "Craigslist". You can do a search but then have to select and delete each thread manually.

 

There is an automatic pruning feature built into the software that allows you to automatically delete threads that are over so many days old. That is a forum wide feature though which means that it would also delete threads in tech libraries and etc. that we don't want removed. Even many of the threads in the watering hole contain some good and relevant information that I wouldn't want to just automatically delete.

 

Yesterday I installed a new feature that does allow me to auto delete messages over so many days old that is also forum specific. That is why I created the new area for the sale listings. I have set that single forum to auto delete threads after 30 days. I have set the Prayer Requests forum to automatically delete all threads older than 180 days. The "Testing" forum also deletes threads...after ...I don't remember what I set it for but it is less days than the others. Rides and Rallies threads go away after a year I think. So, it's getting there.

 

So, this will help. for the watering hole, tech discussion, etc. though it is pretty much a manual operation to ensure that informative information doesn't go away.

[etcswjoe]

Don,

Never thought classifieds and fourms could be so time consuming. I just want to say thanks for all your time and effort.

[Freebird]

Thanks but please don't get the wrong idea folks. I'm not complaining about there being too many posts. That's why we are here. I'm just trying to make it better for you and easier for us to maintain.

 

I also just pruned the "Welcome New Members" forum. No reason for those to be there forever. They are to welcome the new folks here and I set it for 30 days. That one change got rid of more than 189 pages of threads and over 13,000 posts.

[LilBeaver]

No, you can delete posts but not entire threads. Once a thread has replies, it would then mean that you would be removing other folks posts also and that could, in some cases, be a bad thing.

 

That certainly makes sense; I should have asked a long time ago. Thanks.

 

...

 

I also just pruned the "Welcome New Members" forum. No reason for those to be there forever. They are to welcome the new folks here and I set it for 30 days...

 

Wait, so after 30 days we are no longer 'welcome' here anymore?!? I see how it is.

 

:witch_brew:

[Reed]

Four the classifieds just make a new area called Classifieds. Where any thing on this sight for sale will go. Could make diff. sections of adds like bikes, parts, ect. Have a time limet on all adds. 60 days it gone. If it hasent sold they can post it again or renew it B4 the time is up. There should be a place where the people that make things to sell like seat mods, hitches,ect. could post for a year at that time thay get a notes to renew or the post is deleted. Set it all up & post a worning. Big change starting 1/1/11 all classifieds will be deleted if you still need to sell some thing you will need to re enter it in the NEW Classifieds area.

ON 1/1/11 just hit the delete butten.

 

Just my 3 cents

[Freebird]

I think the issue is now resolved. Much of what you are suggesting is just not possible in the forum area. The current classifieds already do most everything you have mentioned.