Mods: Can the really old stuff be archived?

I kinda like that old posts and members resurface on here :) 

It's informative but it's also lovely to see how they enjoyed it here like we do now. I get a real feeling like I wan to know a lot of the old members who aren't here anymore.

But then I love interacting with people online here because we're all different but the same.

This place is my online home and family ^^

I really hope you haven't gone. This forum is a really good group and it would be a shame to miss you xx

more sophisticated forums break long threads up into pages. But then most forums list posts chronologically not hirachaly based on replyies.

Poor Luna, that time has flown by. I don't know where this year has gone.

I enjoy reading through some old posts when they are bumped up the forum, it is interesting to read the perspective of members who are no longer active on here. As already stated it does keep the memory alive of the members who have sadly passed on.

However we cannot keep adding to threads forever as the size of them will become unmanageable. The old '3 good things' thread had become so large that I had to stop clicking on it because, with my slow internet connection, I could not get it to load. I could go away and make a cup of coffee and the page still would not have loaded. Eventually it had to be closed by the forum team and a new one was created, which I am now able to read again.

The size issue also affects discussions with a large number of images, such as the creative and photography threads. I think it is inevitable that new versions of those will eventually need to be created, perhaps linking to the previous version in the opening post so that the older images aren't forgotten.

I feel that the old threads should be preserved indefinitely, as these conversations can be a valuable source of information which, of course, can be added to. New members bring new thoughts, experiences and questions... and long may that continue. 

If a thread is 'locked' and a member has something to add,  maybe they could simply start a new thread with the same name and add a number to it. e.g. "Can the really old stuff be archived 2"

Ben

Number said:

Long before I ever even made a post of my own in this place, I felt like Plastic was "my type of person"......although he has long since passed, his wisdom lives on in this place.  Luna's resilience and loveliness = same thing, although I did actually have the pleasure to 'know' here.

You whole post is beautifully expressed but the above was so poignant that it brought tears to me eyes 

'Lest we forget' ....

I am glad you raised this matter Max.  It is good to think about, and review things = healthy.  Like most others, I think it would be a shame to loose the archive of old and very old threads.  It is helpful and reassuring (to me) to see whole new cohorts of people on here treading the same old ground.....it shows that OUR struggles, thoughts and behaviours are timeless and inherent to us and our type.  The world changes.....but our place within it does not.

Long before I ever even made a post of my own in this place, I felt like Plastic was "my type of person"......although he has long since passed, his wisdom lives on in this place.  Luna's resilience and loveliness = same thing, although I did actually have the pleasure to 'know' here.

This place is old, clunky and a bit dysfunctional...just like me.

Max has left the platform (them/they) I hope you don't leave and are just hibernating. Though we never interacted I know you're a kind and supportive voice here and you will be missed if you leave.

Nothing to apologise for, you simply asked a question. Don’t ’beat yourself up’.

Ah yes, I hadn't thought of that, so thank you for pointing that out Debbie. 

Perhaps the NAS IT people could make the date/timestamp more obvious then. As it is, I think it's too subtle and can be easily missed. 

I hope you don't leave here Max

Agreed Sparkly.

I think they should be left open. If someone comments it might be an intriguing discussion which others might find interesting and want to participate in, even if the original guy who did it isn't around it doesn't mean we can't use that thread.

Just my thoughts on it, for what they are worth.

Sporadic Sparkly said:

I think it would be a shame if older discussions disappeared completely.

That's the problem if they were locked.

They wouldn't ever be able to be brought back up so would be lost forever. 

We can't read something we don't know exists...

I think it would be a shame if older discussions disappeared completely.

Some of the older ones can be fascinating to read, even if the information contained within them may not always be relevant and applicable now.

We are all entitled to our opinions. There are far worse things members have said in these forums, and I don't think anyone is likely to be offended by the opinion you expressed. If they are, I doubt it will be for long. 

I wouldn't worry about it. Ultimately, if you don't like the look of a thread you can just ignore it and they get bumped down soon enough again anyway.

The forum is very outdated, though, and could do with an overhaul. It's not even got a block button, which is a bit alarming. 

I think I've erred by asking this question.

My apologies. I think the bottom line is I don't do online groups any better than I do in person groups and an easily confused and frustrated by things. 

January will mark a year since Luna passed, I still enjoy reading some of her posts when they surface. I never knew ‘Plastic’ but reading their input is often informative, they have passed but their knowledge lives on.

I wasn't trying to argue I'm sorry if it came across that way. 

That's a fair comment, Debbie, I cannot argue with that.

For discussions like 'Creative Space', there is no expiry date as such because they will always be current.

However, I think there are others that do, such as ones where members are in need of advice relating to something that may no longer be relevant a few years down the line.