Moved Thread Re-Directs

headkase · 2012-10-04 19:21:43

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)

karol · 2012-10-04 19:41:13

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').

headkase · 2012-10-04 19:45:42

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.

karol · 2012-10-04 19:50:02

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.

jasonwryan · 2012-10-04 19:51:15

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.

headkase · 2012-10-04 19:53:10

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)

headkase · 2012-10-04 19:54:59

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.

fsckd · 2012-10-05 00:02:00

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.

headkase · 2012-10-05 00:09:20

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.

karol · 2012-10-05 00:13:00

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.

headkase · 2012-10-05 00:20:43

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. I have no excuse..

jasonwryan · 2012-10-05 00:57:08

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.

Inxsible · 2012-10-05 15:02:43

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.

headkase · 2012-10-05 16:07:28

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.

Inxsible · 2012-10-05 17:48:05

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

headkase · 2012-10-05 18:14:30

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

FluxBBS I believe is the incorrect product.

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.

Inxsible · 2012-10-05 18:18:12

Gaaahhh !!

waves fist @headkase !!!

headkase · 2012-10-05 18:26:06

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.

karol · 2012-10-05 18:29:04

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

ANOKNUSA · 2012-10-06 00:58:13

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. We don't need to clutter up the boards any further.

Arch Linux

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

Moved Thread Re-Directs

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

Re: Moved Thread Re-Directs

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

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

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

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

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