[Closed] Old “product” related threads being closed.

threads are closed automatically after 12months

if people don't play nicely with each other they get closed sooner.

Seems fair to me.

But what about maker/seller of the product? I'm referring to people searching for info on a product on Google, and using closed threads for info.

What about them?

Threads get closed after a period whether it's an all round love in, or a unanimous bile filled vitriolic rant.

The latter are fairly rare, so it's not like brands/products are being represented poorly.

A thread of any age is likely to be representative of the full spectrum of views, that it's closed isn't really relevant.

It is relevant, if it appears high in google searches, yet people can't add their experiences to it.

Say it was the other way around… a thread full of praise for a product always ranking high on google, yet 18months down the line there were lots of failures of the product, and people were still using the closed thread to help inform their buying decision.

But it's not a product review page. It's people having a chat. A year ago.
People can use it for all sorts of purposes, but that's on them.

When searching on Google, it ranks forum results as highly as "product reviews", and many people are as interested in the experience of punters as those of journos. The thread I was looking at would probably have put me off trying the tyres if I'd read it before fitting them, as I don't want hassle when fitting tyres.

Check out how long similar threads stay “live” elsewhere …

http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/terrible-maxxis-beaver-29er-lightweight-mud-tire-791462.html

You know how well the Singletrack forum does in mtb product related threads…? Well often this results in a slagging off thread always appearing high in the natural search results.

Manufacturers/importers/retailers should be aware of this and respond to the threads. This means their views also appear high in Google search results forevermore.

Really proactive companies could have their own discussion forum, with a post for each product, which they can keep 'live'. They could provide a link to that on every relevant STW thread.

http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/terrible-maxxis-beaver-29er-lightweight-mud-tire-791462.html

When searching on Google, it ranks forum results as highly as "product reviews", and many people are as interested in the experience of punters as those of journos. The thread I was looking at would probably have put me off trying the tyres if I'd read it before fitting them, as I don't want hassle when fitting tyres.

And yet it didn't, so clearly not that much of an issue. As said, this isn't a product review board, it's a discussion forum. I've no issue with threads being closed, saves them being stupidly resurrected years later when the content is irrelevant.

If, taking your example, a user feels that strongly about how easy Beavers were to fit then they could just start another thread, with newer, more relevant experiences. If that one gets 10 responses saying "they're shit", then it merely reinforces the original.

Manufacturers/importers/retailers should be aware of this and respond to the threads.

I'd rather hear from other riders. But anyway, point is that the threads are “live” as far as google searches are concerned, but neither riders or manufacturers/importers/retailers can add to them.

So what do you suggest? That the policy of closing threads after a year is rubbish? That it shouldn't apply to some threads (who decides?) That you should be able to apply to reopen a thread slagging off a product if it appears sufficiently high in the google search results?

I can see that he's got a point. I often use threads on here, mtbr and others to help me make (reasonably) informed choices. Particularly regarding the plethora of products that have no real independent review collateral to have a butcher's at.

As he says, other websites have threads that stay open for years and become massive sources of information.

A couple of posters have suggested that threads are automatically closed after a year. I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, certainly not with all of them.

Maybe Singletrack should shut all the [u]chat[/u] threads after a given time of inactivity (because some have indeed been going for well over a year, like the Friday tune one) but keep the Bike Forum ones open? Though in fairness, some of the chat threads are great!

I've no issue with threads being closed, saves them being stupidly resurrected years later when the content is irrelevant.

I don't get that comment. What do you care, it's not like anyone is forcing you to read them. And at what point does someone decide what is, and isn't, relevant? 😐

your google search is swayed by your browsing so STW will come up quicker for you than somebody who has not been here.
And yes it's not a product review site it's a place where people say what they think.

the threads are “live” as far as google searches are concerned

But Google like recent updating, so a new thread about the same product should rank higher?

A couple of posters have suggested that threads are automatically closed after a year. I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, certainly not with all of them.

All threads are closed after one year of inactivity. IIRC, it's to prevent spam comments?

The vast majority of additions to posts over a year old were from spam link farmers. Each spammer adding to an ancient thread bumped that thread to the top of the pile, which is how it works here. That is gold to spammers, so it happened a lot. This is how the 'Holy thread resurrection Batman!' tag/comment came from.

So, we decided to close threads that had not been commented on for a year. Our lives are now easier 🙂

Maybe, an 'Apply to have this thread re-opened' link is an idea/option? I'll raise this with the tech guys and see what they say.

Mike is right, you're getting it as a top hit because you're a stw nerd and google knows every detail of your life, normal people wouldn't see it so high. if the thread was still open, yes you could add your comment but while that might put some people at ease, equally it'd also bump all the negative comments, could have a greater negative impact.

Mark - Resident Grumpy

Maybe, an 'Apply to have this thread re-opened' link is an idea/option?

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What do you care, it's not like anyone is forcing you to read them. And at what point does someone decide what is, and isn't, relevant?

No, of course not, but we've all done the "compose a carefully crafted reply to a question only to notice that it's 4 years old" thing. Which is irksome. If it's about a product it's probably not that relevant anymore - they get updated. If there's a thread from 2010 (say) about forks failing, and someone chimes in today and says "mine have been fine", that's not really that useful, and yet the OP, in his massive concern, could be led to think that the second hand forks he was considering buying will be fine.

Or something. I'm happy. But then I also hate forums with 846 different sub fora, such that there's a distinct forum for each different diamater of Reverb seatpost, but some [s]weirdos[/s] folk like it.

The easy option, if you want to add to a previously closed thread, is to just start a new thread and link in the old, closed thread 🙂

The easy option, if you want to add to a previously closed thread, is to just start a new thread and link in the old, closed thread

Please don't do that.

The last time someone did that it put us mods in a perpetual state of closing and linking to threads already on the topic. Mark hard to spend a whole weekend rebooting us.

Wouldn't it be the same as lazy links in adverts/links to other websites in adverts tho?
Or is it not that simple?

All threads are closed after one year of inactivity. IIRC, it's to prevent spam comments?

Ok, that makes a lot more sense. As does the bit about Google prioritising ST because of browsing history.

If it's about a product it's probably not that relevant anymore - they get updated. If there's a thread from 2010 (say) about forks failing, and someone chimes in today and says "mine have been fine", that's not really that useful

Fair point and all. I guess those of us who like to research stuff need to have our wits about us!

Well, that makes perfect sense Mark, I see why things are as they are. All makes sense now.
Reopen request might be useful, but might also be more trouble than it's worth if it eats up people's time.

Oh, for those of you that think otherwise: Singletrack forum threads often come very high in Google natural results even if you've never been to this website. For my example, it was fourth with a fresh clean browser and IP.

[b]normal people[/b] wouldn't see it so high

[closes browser, goes away to have a long hard look at himself]

A less time consuming idea than answering requests… make it so that only [b]P[/b] members can resurrect threads?

Interesting that a 12-month old thread is still doing well for SEO though. Well, interesting if you're dull like me 🙂

Singletrack rules the roost when it comes to SEO in the mountain bike world. Only MTBR does as well.