It'd be nice to have a sticky

Of all the topics that seem to be repeated over, and over again....such as:
God as an aliens
The DaVinci Code
Bible codes
JFK assassination
The pyramids
Yellowstone
Disney
Deja Vu
666
Titor

And I'm sure I have missed a ton of others....just a thought

[edit on 2/21/2005 by LadyV]

Yeah 666 seems to be a repeating number

LadyV
You don't even need all those stickies, all you need is one sticky explaining the search feature. Call it, How to Find What You're Looking for on ATS. I'm sure it would cut down immensely on repeat posts, which seem to irritate you a lot. I've noticed you yourself have repeated the post about repeating posts, LOL, not to be an ass, I just thought it was funny.
I really think someone should write a search explanation, and beg the mods to stick it up, that way new people to the sight can be introduced to the search feature right away.

Also, lots of web traffic surely comes from google searches, and those bring you to the individual thread. People still might not see the notice. And of course..sigh..even people who see the stickie have a chance of forgetting or ignoring the information. God knows I've seen people ignore information once or twice before.

What if there was a script that displayed relevant search returns in another frame when visitors to ATS came through certain high traffic portals, like Google, Yahoo, etc? That might be a way to encourage people to get familiar with the search feature right away.

That's the key, to nip ignorance in the bud. Denying it takes too long! Pre-emptive should be the new policy!

I can't even tell if I'm being serious anymore. Time to wander off back into the maze.

There are no new stories.
Only new angles.
Hopefully the repeats are at least new angles.

The search function here is a bit difficult here, but if you read the instructions, it gets easier...imagine Yes, repeat threads annoy me....just one of my many little odd things that makes me, "me" ....what can I say!

Originally posted by Umbrax
There are no new stories.
Only new angles.
Hopefully the repeats are at least new angles.

Yeah, but most of them aren't

[edit on 2/21/2005 by LadyV]

I disagree if we had a sticky for those subjects that have been covered over and over again we would have the first page full. Not really a solution more of a hinderance. As for the forum search being difficult, yes it can be however; using google tool bar and search of above top secret site works great.

Originally posted by Umbrax
There are no new stories.
Only new angles.
Hopefully the repeats are at least new angles.

yes, the positive thing can be that its some new research or angles on these repetitive topics.

though i guess it can be a chore trawling through.

[edit on 21-2-2005 by MysticOfRadiance]

[edit on 21-2-2005 by MysticOfRadiance]

The best way I know to abort dup threads is to post that it is a dup and then go up to "suggestions" and bring it to mods attention.

I know ATS is a bit overwhelming to new members. And I imagine a lot of noobies are so thrilled to be here that they don;t think to search.

And, I think you're preaching to the choir. Some people will post as they see fit...period.

One should take into consideration that some members do not have time to read 20 pages of some old topic only to reply "I agree with post 5 on page 11". It takes hours to go through old topics, some people have jobs and can't do that. They still want to discuss the subject though.
Just because old members already discussed it doesn't mean that we should shut the new people up and tell them to waste hours on reading topics "we already discussed". That is a bit unfair, me thinks.

New members should not try to impress old members with new angles or completely new topics. They should be allowed to discuss the same things we regulars already have. If you have discussed it and don't feel like doing it again, ignore the topic, don't click on it. Thats what I do.

Well....before too long, the board will of lost a lot of integrity. One morning I counted 12 repeat topics.....after a while, you'll lose many regulars which tire of the same thing, over, and over. I know of a few regulars already scarce due to board matters. I understand that as the board grows, you going to get this, but I do not believe it takes hours to look for something, it doesn't take me hours to a quick look using key words, and I usually get back one page of results.....Paperclip, you must be way better at that search thingie than I am if you get pages and pages back!

Originally posted by paperclip
One should take into consideration that some members do not have time to read 20 pages of some old topic only to reply "I agree with post 5 on page 11". It takes hours to go through old topics, some people have jobs and can't do that. They still want to discuss the subject though.
Just because old members already discussed it doesn't mean that we should shut the new people up and tell them to waste hours on reading topics "we already discussed". That is a bit unfair, me thinks.

New members should not try to impress old members with new angles or completely new topics. They should be allowed to discuss the same things we regulars already have. If you have discussed it and don't feel like doing it again, ignore the topic, don't click on it. Thats what I do.

i agree with this as well, its important to be fair to all concerned as much as possible.

That's probably not a good idea for the main reason of indexing. Members will have to search through threads to find information instead of an index of different threads. For example, I feel you rudely commented in the thread I started on JFK being assassinated by the state of Israel as quoted by Vanunu. I did a boolean search before my post and compared my topic to all the ones it found and found my topic to be unique. If I had to post in a sticky forum or was pressured to it would not lead to good conversations. Distinct Topics deserve Individual Space but things that are repititious usually reflect the users ability to research and use this boards existing resources before personally inquiring to other members on the form of threads. I'll consider the matter closed but please before you post in my threads next time add to the discussion, if you have a personal criticism of my ability or actions please u2u me. Thanks

Originally posted by LadyV
Of all the topics that seem to be repeated over, and over again....such as:
God as an aliens
The DaVinci Code
Bible codes
JFK assassination
The pyramids
Yellowstone
Disney
Deja Vu
666
Titor

And I'm sure I have missed a ton of others....just a thought

[edit on 2/21/2005 by LadyV]

Originally posted by LadyV

t I do not believe it takes hours to look for something, it doesn't take me hours to a quick look using key words, and I usually get back one page of results.....Paperclip, you must be way better at that search thingie than I am if you get pages and pages back!

Oh, you misunderstood me there. Looking for topic doesnt take long, but READING them does. There are a lot of topics on this board that go on for more then 15-20 pages, over 100 posts in one thread. So if a new member wants to discuss, lets say, DaVinci code, they would have to spend hours reading already existent topic on it, in order to post something there. Some people just do not have time for that but they still want to discuss it. Thats why they start a new topic.

Of course, there is that other kind of topic repeat, when a few people start the same topic on the same day, which has already been posted several times the day before. Now that is something that should be controlled.

But otherwise, I would just ignore the topic I do not wish to discuss. You don't really have to discuss Revelations every time someone posts something on it, for example. Or any other topic.

I disagree.

The only reason repeat threads should be an issue is server space.

If you are sick of a topic don't read it. Each new thread normally provides unique information, from new people. Many of the repeat threads are very popular. The previous thread sometimes have thousands of responses. Sometimes, it is nice to bring information back to the forefront, and even to rethink it.

And yes, the search function is a little tricky here. Most new people would struggle. I know I do still, and I have used it several times.

I will give you my opinion about repeat threads. It's important to use the search function to see if there's already a recent ongoing discussion on the topic you wish to author. There are many conspiracy topics that will keep coming up because they are so well known and they draw a lot of interest. I’m sure many people find ATS because they were searching Google for the JFK assassination, Moon Landing Hoax or the NWO to name a few. These members want to discuss these things with a community of like minded people rather than read a year old thread.

Personally I think it’s ok if someone starts a repeat thread if the original hasn’t been active in say six months. This is the way I moderate the forums, I think you will find many other moderators do the same. The new author will typically champion the new thread and encourage dialog between members. I think this is good for ATS.

What's more ironic than making a repeat thread about repeat threads?

Making more than one.

Originally posted by PistolPete
What's more ironic than making a repeat thread about repeat threads?

Making more than one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah....have fun.....it does bother me though...although you too just made a repeat about posting about the dislike of repeat threads

LadyV, are you talking more of an "Index" of threads dedicated to certain topics?
Such as the 9-11 index?

What topics should I post since I am new? Can you explain what a sticky is?

A sticky is a note in a forum that doesn't move put on top...a little notice. As to posting topics......it's a good idea to do a search first and see if the same topic has been done recently.....there are some topics that you just know has been done to death...pyramids, JFK, fake moon landing etc...

Trickmaster...that would be wonderful and helpful and easily available and to find for new members!

[edit on 2/22/2005 by LadyV]