To whoever is merging all the threads:

[Xunlai Agent]

Like Fallen said, you can undermoderate, or, overmoderate, both of which are debatable, and its inevitable that someone will disagree with one of the options.

But, overmoderation is without a doubt better. Play it safe...
The game is rated PG13, and GWOnline is an elite fansite, they do have to keep things clean here.

So yeah, maybe it is overmoderated. Not a really bad thing though.

I completely agree however sometimes it would be nice if they could mark posts that were merged because I am often quoted out of context and it my post looks strange and unrelated (to the point that people think I am unable to read)...

[Mawgleah]

A lot of this could be avoided by forum members using the search feature. If members would take a few minutes to search for a topic before creating an new one, moderators wouldn't merge as many topics as they do.

If members use the seach feature, they would get to choose which existing topic they can contribute.

If I have to search, I get to choose which topic the thread gets merged with.

Also, there are some topics that were create months ago that are still just as relevant now as they were when they were created.

I've seen threads go from 1 post to 10 pages in a flash and it doesn't stop the community from reading or posting, so the thread length isn't a valid argument to cease merging topics.

[zweistein]

I've seen threads go from 1 post to 10 pages in a flash and it doesn't stop the community from reading or posting, so the thread length isn't a valid argument to cease merging topics.

But that new thread. you see it, read it, you post your idea to it, you can read several pages because it contains up-to date views of other players.

On the other hand, if you see old thread that was seemingly resurected, why bother reading page X of old thread that people usually dont bother to post to anymore unless they are diehard about subject (and thus provide no base for rational debate that has some direction). Thus, new threads, some with propably fresh or different look at subject gets buried and forgotten.

---

On the other hand, this forum is very clean and rubbish free

thou:

Search is primitive keyword based thing that just does not find relevant threads sometimes.

Topics of interest http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=381086 are outdated quite alot.

What I suggest:

Create new subforum for 'Beaten topics' - one thread per one issue (storage, etc ...) in there. since there are NOT that many issues all current big threads will stay on 1st page there...
(and of course, dont allow creating new threads there ... make it repositiory of those really big common threads)

[MixedVariety]

I see the point in the OP's post, and in a perfect world (Walgreen's?) we would leave every new thread up as unique, even if it weren't. However, there are several things I myself consider when deciding whether or not to merge a thread (and I'd imagine Mawgleah and Cerilia do, as well):

1. Has this been discussed before?
2. If so, is the older information still pertinent?
3. If #2 is the case, by leaving up a new thread and not merging with an older one, am I not cheating forumers of information they might find valuable?
4. Will leaving up the thread and linking to older ones, and/or closing the thread and linking to older ones, be sufficient?

Typically what merging does is add a new thread to the end of an older one. Usually from a technical standpoint, that would make the most sense, because any additional information or discussion can continue from where the older thread left off. From a pragmatic standpoint, it unfortunately often tacks new information onto a cumbersome, unwieldy thread that is difficult to encompass in one reading; however, it is best read anyway, because there may be posts from Gaile (or other sources) inside that provide information unavailable in a new thread alone.

In other words, if we deem it important enough to merge, we will continue to do so, or close and link if a new thread is nothing but a repeat. The judgement of whether a topic is unique enough to introduce as a new thread is tricky; I have several times reconsidered and recanted actions based on PM's with posters who had arguments sufficient to convince me my action was incorrect.

So, we are not incorrigibly unwavering in our decisions. PM us if you think an action was wrong. Otherwise, we will continue to try to keep this a clean and 'safe' forum for our readers, and as others have said, overmoderating seems better than the reverse.

[Aretelio]

A lot of this could be avoided by forum members using the search feature. If members would take a few minutes to search for a topic before creating an new one, moderators wouldn't merge as many topics as they do.

If members use the seach feature, they would get to choose which existing topic they can contribute.

If I have to search, I get to choose which topic the thread gets merged with.

Also, there are some topics that were create months ago that are still just as relevant now as they were when they were created.

I've seen threads go from 1 post to 10 pages in a flash and it doesn't stop the community from reading or posting, so the thread length isn't a valid argument to cease merging topics.

I was banned from a Jeep forum for asking people to search rather than have everyone create a new 'Jeep death-wobble' thread.

Of course, I went down licking-and-screaming on that one!

[Xycury]

I think the moderators are doing a far excellent job with these forums. Merging helps, and repeating the same information over and over every 3 months is just pointless, sure it may be confusing to get in half stream but it's better than seeing "OMG THEY NURF !~@$%" about 20 times....

Closing threads is a good thing, because it's far too easy to get it out of control.

and having US tell them when to close or merge......... uhm... last time i checked, i was just a registered user... not a Moderator Boss....

most of the mods were picked from the very best registered users that have shown they can handle the job, and what better to moderate than someone that's been around.

have some consideration and admiration on a fine job, <-- it's a JOB to do this, that they all are doing.

[Erasculio]

The problem is, nobody has the patience to read that many posts, so it ends up being a thing where people take one look at the first post, skip to the end, and simply read the last post because they have no idea where the relevant conversation begins

Keep in mind that this is the reader's problem.

A person who has a question about something ought to realize that the answer may be anywhere from page 1 to 10 - even more important, if the person believes what he's asking to be important, it's also easy to assume that he will have the patience it takes to read a few pages of text.

Likewise, if a person is posting a suggestion/a rant/ect, he's also supposed to be worried enough about the subject to read what people have said about such subject, be it before or after his post.

It all breaks down, IMO, on the belief that one's own opinion is more important than everyone else's, even on an unconscious level. If a person comes here to post his opinion about something that has been discussed to death, that post will likely be merged with an older topic, and will likely be read by less people and get less replies - since it has been discussed before, and so will attract less attention, regardless of how important the poster believes his opinion to be. But many wish to have the first post, to be sure everyone will read his opinion, even if what he's saying has been said many times, and discussed even more, a few days before.

(Not to mention that, often, the person too lazy to use the search feature before making a new topic is the same person who's too lazy to read a 10 pages long topic that basically said everything that person wished to said.)

I personally think it's bothersome to look at page 1 and see half topics about the same thing, with the other half being about issues that were discussed one month ago. I think it's better (not to mention saner, IMO) to continue a discussion than to begin it anew and ignore everything that has been said before.

Erasculio

[milias]

LoL, my threads get closed all the time, but I don't mind it, I just keep posting. Kinda like a cat and mouse game *cough*

So long as you don't break any rules, you're fine. Of course, it'll take time for you to become the master of treading on the line like me :-)

[snowkissed]

LoL, my threads get closed all the time, but I don't mind it, I just keep posting. Kinda like a cat and mouse game *cough*

So long as you don't break any rules, you're fine. Of course, it'll take time for you to become the master of treading on the line like me :-)

*adds milias to her "special" list*

[Aiiane]

LoL, my threads get closed all the time, but I don't mind it, I just keep posting. Kinda like a cat and mouse game *cough*

So long as you don't break any rules, you're fine. Of course, it'll take time for you to become the master of treading on the line like me :-)