Bowsprit

ohhhhhhhh. i must remember to check the dates of posts. i don't know why old threads are left active on fodors.

Gretchen

OH, c++p. Well, hope they loved it.

5alive

It's been happening a lot lately. Other forums have a "this post is closed." Can we petition for that?

starrs

We petitioned against it.

5alive

Well, certainly, you can't top a favorite thread for everyone to see it, but you can still link to an old thread.

OTOH I keep pulling up threads where people we've never heard up get on there and are really rude to longtime members here. Example: The strand about a room rental site--I don't even want to name it or they'll show up on this strand too--where they were incredibly rude to NY Traveler.

Bowsprit

It's common sense to close old threads. The information may still be available on a search but old threads can contain dated information that is no longer relevant.

How do we petition again, starrs?

starrs

Some believe it's common sense to leave threads open because they can be helpful in the future. A stray topping isn't that big of a deal - for some anyway. This thread is a perfect example. No harm done. The editors deleted the ad after being alerted to it. If someone had been asking a question about seating, they had access to this thread for information AND could ask additional questions. IMO the constant repeat of questions on TA is a result of closed threads.

Bowsprit

The threads shouldn't be Deleted. Just closed. 6 months is long enough to keep a thread around if nobody has commented or added anything new.

Since the threads aren't deleted, the information would still be available for the random few posters who actually do a search.

How does one go about putting out another petition? Do you know?

Bowsprit

IMO the constant repeat of questions on TA is a result of closed threads.
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No, I don't think so.
The constant repetitive questions on any travel site are because posters, especially newbies, don't know how to search properly. OR, they've done a search and were only able to come up with outdated information from threads that were years old and still opened or those recently bumped to give the search engine a sense of immediacy.

starrs

There was no petition - just Fodorites sharing their opinions, just like we do every day. When Fodors made major changes a couple of years, one included the freezing of old threads. Many people complained about it and they quickly reversed their decision.

I see far more repetition of basic questions on TA compared to here. I don't see much problem with people topping old posts - other than spammer placing ads. This thread is one example of that. I hope Fodors keeps the same policy of allowing access to old threads.