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Search Options ►Regarding Deleting Threads
Site Update
Staff have recently been inundated with requests for thread deletions, most often when an account is being sold/moved into. This is creating an unsustainable workload that is impacting other areas of the site.
Due to this we are now formally restricting thread removals to one year old or less from the time of the last post. For example, from today, threads last posted in before July 14th 2014 will no longer be removed from accounts.
Users posting in threads they want deleted to bring them within the time limit will receive a formal warning against their account.
Posted by Eve
(#2775) on Tue Jul 14, 2015 1:08pm
- ThatSmallWeirdo
(#33790)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:08pm
DonutFish (#8407) it is really easy to tell that, though, especially if the account was sold. Simply look at past topics, and you'll see a post about selling and a buyer. Bam, you know it's a new person.
Keanai.
- Oiseau
(#1570)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:56pm
Toxic & Keanai (#33790) Not everyone posts about selling their accounts though. I gave my old account to my SO, and before that, I contemplated giving it to my sister.
- K-HAO-S
(#11644)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:00pm
If so many people are asking for this thread deletion, isn't there a reason for it?
Also.... This newspost makes it very hard for anyone moving into old accounts with old posts, especially because it came without warning.
I dont know about anyone else, but I really dont like old threads, and I dont like it when I am being PMed about said old threads despite the fact they're... Old.
Sitting here going it wont happen over and over doesn't really seem fair - especially because people have been warned for apparently necro'ing old threads?
As a friend of mine pointed out, old threads already make it hard to navigate forums. I really dont think an outright ban like this is going to help anyone.
Adding to this, I myself have many old forums I would like deleted because the memories have since become too painful...
The damage with the thread deletion is already done - if this was not meant to be a feature this needed to be denied from the beginning.
- Vixen
(#66196)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:37pm
Completely ignoring the issue of moving into new accounts, don't old threads bog down the server too? I understand holding them for matters of accountability, but as someone mentioned earlier neopets automatically deletes forums once they reach a certain page number. I'm certainly not condoning neopets, but it just seems like something that could possibly make the site run better and free up some space? I know singular forum posts don't have much of an effect, but when you're talking years of posts that may have 100 pages of comments each, wouldn't automatic cleanup after X amount of time from the last post help the site? Totally understand that you guys aren't interested in offering this service at this time, mostly just wanted to start a discussion!
- wirt
(#54061)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:47pm
I personally am not interested in automatic deletion. Some people need to keep their threads for record keeping purposes, or because of an issue that is being dealt with, etc. The ability to delete your own threads is useful for a smoother experience but unfortunately, that does create and issue with accountability if someone is deleting something to get out of trouble. I don't see an easy solution to the problem, and I appreciate the fact that the staff is willing to do it even though it is perfectly within their rights to deny it completely - seeing as it was never a feature to begin with. I think a simple solution would be for the new user to go change the previous user's threads to "User has moved" or "belonged to previous user". Perhaps the people moving should take responsibility for their account before they pass it on even and mark the forums themselves. Either way, the staff is trying their best I think.
- Okoriparukun
(#66825)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:58pm
THey can use the modify post feature to delete things if they're really looking to get out of trouble. Just a thought.
- Zoonotic
(#880)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 7:03pm
I have no problem with this change. I've never seen moving accounts as necessary, and since moving into this account, I've never had a problem with a post from the past owner coming back up (although it seems that they didn't have a ton). It seems like a lot of work to move a bunch of old threads that are unlikely to ever again see the light of day.
I also agree with a couple users above me. It seems like it would be about the same amount of work for a staff member to move all the forums as it would be for the new user to merely go back and change the titles or OP to indicate that they were made by someone else. :c Less work for the staff members is always good and there are probably more productive things they could be doing!
Thanks for offering this to begin with; I honestly didn't think about or consider this, but I can think of a few instances where it may be useful. ^ ^
- Ethy (busy)
(#52406)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 7:54pm
Last posted in... does that mean if I have a thread that's two years old but the last post in the thread was like six mo ths ago, I can still have it deleted?
- caveSalamander
(#64257)
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Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:08pm
Is there any way for volunteers, or hiring temp/ GP paid mods? It seems like there's a huge backlog of work that's *seriously* impacting the effectiveness of the site. It's not just this sort of thing either.
It's not even something nobody would take you up on -- I personally would love to assist the site out with stuff like this...
Posted on: Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:06pm
Again, as I stated before - we don't offer this service, one moderator did, and we allowed her to do so as it didn't appear to cause any harm. Of course we couldn't anticipate that users would think it's a general service that moderators extend to users, and due to that the issue has arisen. This is the solution we came to that benefits both sides.
In the end, users buy into accounts knowing they come pre-loved, and part of that is past posts and threads =)