Should we close old topics?

Rob: I don't think it's an issue here, but it was suggested by a user of someone else running it.

OhioStater is right about the other buzz. Why just today someone posted a new comment on a thread that saw its last entry on Jun 19, 2000. It was about Power Tower, which I think opened in ‘98.

That site skews to the younger, and maybe as a consequence, multiple threads showing up in regard to the same topic(s) can be typical. So users there have been encouraged to use the search feature first to check if there’s already an ongoing discussion. What we don’t know offhand is whether the person posting is even aware that it’s an old thread. At any rate, the search feature seems to work really well there, doesn’t it?

I made this suggestion at some point in the past for PointBuzz. We decided against it, maybe for technical reasons? I don't remember. But my opinion is the same. Close 'em up.

To be fair, it doesn't seem to be as big of a problem as it used to be. But if the auto-close feature is simple to implement, I don't see a reason for them to be open. If someone wants to revisit a thread, I'd say starting a new thread is acceptable.

Coasters entering the top 100 for the 1st time must be one of the oldest topics on this site. Keeping this one open is a no-brainer.

BTW, I renewed my CoasterBuzz membership last week and I'm still seeing ads. A membership is supposed to block the ads, right? Well, I saw half a dozen ads while reading through this thread.

Membership should block ads. Did you flush your cache and force reload?

There really aren't any threads that are pinned that get useful contributions more than a year apart, so I don't necessarily see a problem with it, but I also don't see the need. I personally don't think it will matter much either way.

Bobbie: There is no record of your renewal or a credit card charge last week.

We've got a plan to get PB in the newer forum version, but it'll take awhile to get there.

Jeff, evidently the first attempt was unsuccessful. I just tried again and it would appear to have gone through, as the ads have magically disappeared.

I am hoping, ok begging that old topics are not removed.

I have a few selfish reasons, but what comes to mind is that every once in a while...I like to look up some of my own old posts...see what I was doing...how I was feeling and re-living what took place in my past.

When I do this it's like looking at part of a film of my life. Most trip reports were good days...some were great days and a few...ehhhh...not so good.

But I always thought I would be able to "re-visit" these trips again.

Maybe one day when I am way too old to ride that will be all I have.

Thank you, as always, for reading this. (Sigh....)

Jeff, correct me if I'm wrong, but you aren't asking about removing old threads, just locking them so others can't add new comments - right?

Just closing them, yeah. I would never remove anything. The Google juice you get from having tens of thousands of indexed pages is like gold. If no one ever made another post again, I'd still make money for years.

Yes.

Thank you Jeff!

Not only dor this...but for all you do for us.