Old Thread Subjects

[Spitfire]

Wasn't really sure where to put this as it's more of a question than a suggestion.

I was going to just PM a Mod and ask, but then the answer may be useful to many, so I'll ask it on the forum and everyone can have a chance to say what they think.

Question: How long does a thread subject/content reasonably have to sleep in oblivion before it can be debated again?

Not exactly the same thread/title etc, just similar content or subject matter.

The reason I am asking this is that over time many things change such as membership(more diverse opinion), opinion of existing members can change, Thailand changes, foreigner dynamics change such as diversity of age/location/experience etc.

I not asking for a definitive amount of time here, just want to know what everyone thinks is reasonable. It seems to me to be a little bit of a grey area at the moment.

Maybe some parameters/guidelines could be useful to many. All comments welcome from all(admin to the newest member).

[lomuamart]

There's no hard and fast rule. The forum is an "archive" in many ways and there's nothing wrong about bringing something up for debate again after any period of time.
However, anyone can suggest that a topic has moved on so much that the subject matter is worthy of a new thread and that does happen from time-to-time on HHAD.
The answer is - I don't know.

[Guess]

It is a positive thing that this is even considered. Many people just jump in with their size twelves and create a new topic.

I think that is has to just down to judgment by the individual. Some subjects become outdated very quickly. Visa rules for instance. It could easily steer someone up the wrong path if a post was mad on a thread that had been dormant for two years. I have often forgotten to check the date of previous posts. Other topics such as "What movies are you watching now?" and flying pig stories such as "Disneyland in Hua Hin" should really only require one thread for life.

I find the gray area is with topics like " Where do I get a good Indian Curry?" which may change every six months or so.

I am sure that most posters who have the savvy to even check past threads will probably make the right decision.

[Wanderlust]

I also think the length of an existing thread needs to be taken into account, not just how old it is; if there is a 20 page long thread on a subject, would a new member want to read it all?

[Guess]

.............if there is a 20 page long thread on a subject, would a new member want to read it all?

Good point. When I open a thread it is always with the most recent post. That's the little white mark after the date. I then only have to backtrack a little if necessary. I would suspect that that is a little know feature and may not be used by everybody which means they would have to wade through the whole topic to get to most recent post.

Maybe the mods should lock a thread after so many posts and invite members to start a new one.