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#1 2012-10-04 19:21:43

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Moved Thread Re-Directs

I'm not familiar with the nitty-gritty of FluxBB but when I moderated a vBulletin forum when we were moving threads one of the options was to leave a re-direct in the original sub-forum so that users wouldn't be confused as to what happened to their thread.  vBulletin offered two kinds of re-directs.  A permanent one which would always show in the forum and gradually move its way down as new posts were made, and an expiring one which would disappear after a set amount of days.  If it is possible to leave re-directs with FluxBB what would you guys think about doing so?  When threads get TGN'd or binned for deletion it may not be obvious to a new user to check those two sub-forums when their thread vanishes in a puff of thin air.

Last edited by headkase (2012-10-04 19:22:53)

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#2 2012-10-04 19:41:13

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Why aren't they subscribed to their threads?
They can always find the threads they started from their profile (at the bottom of 'Essentials' tab, it's called 'Show all topics').

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#3 2012-10-04 19:45:42

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

karol wrote:

Why aren't they subscribed to their threads?
They can always find the threads they started from their profile (at the bottom of 'Essentials' tab, it's called 'Show all topics').

I can't speak for anyone else but that is not obvious to myself.  I just looked in the upper-right and seen "Topics" with a "Posted" link which brings me to threads I have posted in.  Not obvious.  Also, if I was just reading a thread and going back to read it later - without having posted in it - then the possibility for confusion is also there.

I'm not saying that the functionality you described doesn't already provide the feature, just saying that it may not be obvious to a new user - or in my case an older user. wink

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#4 2012-10-04 19:50:02

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

I know it's not obvious, I have it in my list of things to point out to fluxbb devs but it has to wait a bit (no time atm).

There's a thing called a bookmark, you can bookmark stuff on the Internet.
Unless a thread or post is deleted, you should be able to just click on the bookmark in your browser to get back to it.

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#5 2012-10-04 19:51:15

jasonwryan
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From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
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Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

The functionality exists; we just choose not to use it as it leaves a lot of cruft on the boards - for every moved thread, there is a redirect thread in the original forum.


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#6 2012-10-04 19:53:10

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

karol wrote:

I know it's not obvious, I have it in my list of things to point out to fluxbb devs but it has to wait a bit (no time atm).

There's a thing called a bookmark, you can bookmark stuff on the Internet.
Unless a thread or post is deleted, you should be able to just click on the bookmark in your browser to get back to it.

There are quite a few things that can be done.  The issue is that I don't believe that many users, especially new users, would take the time to consider them.  Re-directs, if desirable, would be helpful "pointers" around the forum - the question remains: are they available, and are they a good habit to use?

Last edited by headkase (2012-10-04 19:56:11)

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#7 2012-10-04 19:54:59

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

jasonwryan wrote:

The functionality exists; we just choose not to use it as it leaves a lot of cruft on the boards - for every moved thread, there is a redirect thread in the original forum.

I suppose it has come up before on your guys end.  If you guys think it makes the forum crufty then that is always your prerogative.  smile

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#8 2012-10-05 00:02:00

fsckd
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Registered: 2009-06-15
Posts: 4,173

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

If I move a thread by a new user, I usually email them to let them know.

Subscription is the best way to keep track of a thread. It persists even through splits and merges.


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#9 2012-10-05 00:09:20

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Sometimes I'll be "watching" a thread while not having posted in it and not subscribed to it either.  When the occasional thread does disappear I know that it's usually TGN'd or Dustbin'd.  Threads commonly go there.  Threads moved to a different section are more rare.  When I was new, before I caught on, thread moving made me scratch my head because I didn't know where to go look.  If cruft is the issue then a redirect that expires after one day could possibly fill all use-cases.  However, as always, it's your guys board to run.

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#10 2012-10-05 00:13:00

karol
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Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

headkase wrote:

Sometimes I'll be "watching" a thread while not having posted in it and not subscribed to it either.

Why haven't you bookmarked it? The ID doesn't change when the thread is moved.

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#11 2012-10-05 00:20:43

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

karol wrote:
headkase wrote:

Sometimes I'll be "watching" a thread while not having posted in it and not subscribed to it either.

Why haven't you bookmarked it? The ID doesn't change when the thread is moved.

I'm lazy.  I'm all for automation. wink  I have no excuse.. tongue smile

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#12 2012-10-05 00:57:08

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

headkase wrote:

When I was new, before I caught on, thread moving made me scratch my head because I didn't know where to go look.


Wax on. Wax off.


wink


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#13 2012-10-05 15:02:43

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

headkase wrote:

If cruft is the issue then a redirect that expires after one day could possibly fill all use-cases

That functionality doesn't exist in FluxBBS. If upstream were to implement it, I am sure all mods would keep a re-direct.

As of now, it is not possible to delete a "redirect" without actually deleting the thread so we are not going to have 2 threads/placeholders for every thread that is moved.


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#14 2012-10-05 16:07:28

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Ah well, it was a hopeful idea while it lasted.  If the functionality is missing in FluxBB then there isn't much that can be done.

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#15 2012-10-05 17:48:05

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

headkase wrote:

Ah well, it was a hopeful idea while it lasted.  If the functionality is missing in FluxBB then there isn't much that can be done.

well you can always open a feature request on the FluxBBS tracker neutral


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#16 2012-10-05 18:14:30

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Inxsible wrote:
headkase wrote:

Ah well, it was a hopeful idea while it lasted.  If the functionality is missing in FluxBB then there isn't much that can be done.

well you can always open a feature request on the FluxBBS tracker neutral

FluxBBS I believe is the incorrect product. wink

I dug around on their website for a bit, lots of program documentation but I didn't find a user manual.  I may have just been blind.  Ah well, I'll leave it at this now.

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#17 2012-10-05 18:18:12

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Gaaahhh !!

waves fist @headkase !!!


Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

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#18 2012-10-05 18:26:06

headkase
Member
Registered: 2011-12-06
Posts: 1,975

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

big_smile wink

A user manual is a hard artifact to create and maintain.  Especially when "on the inside", e.g. when you actually have moderator status, you can just look at the options and immediately know what they do.  wink

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#19 2012-10-05 18:29:04

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

http://fluxbb.org/docs/unfeatures doesn't list redirects so there's hope :-)

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#20 2012-10-06 00:58:13

ANOKNUSA
Member
Registered: 2010-10-22
Posts: 2,141

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

Whenever a mod moves a thread, that move is announced.  This moves the thread to the top of the "New" list, which I suspect is how many of us check the boards (rather than digging through every sub-forum).  So the idea of a redirect has never occurred to me, as I'll always see any thread that receives a new post, even if that post is just a mod saying "This thread has been moved."  If you posted in the thread yourself, you can find it listed under your user profile.

In other words, folks who can't find a thread are just looking for it the wrong way. wink  We don't need to clutter up the boards any further.

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