A 'Q' about duplicate threads, how do we tell who posted 1st, and what to do?

Hi I wonder if someone can give me a hand.

Today I posted a news report 'posted on 18-5-2009 @ 11:25 AM'.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Only to find that later that someone else had posted the same report at 'posted on 18-5-2009 @ 06:15 AM '.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

When I searched ATS( to see if anyone else had posted this) I used the news snippet title and it came up with no matches (another issue?) but I would have assumed the search STILL would have brought up the original post. Also my thread was well underway when the original (I assume from the times) came onto the 'recent posts' list. But I assumed from the times shown that mine was the second thread started so I apologised to the OP. Should I have contacted someone to close mine? And if yes, Who?

My main question, which may have a simple answer, is: are the times shown in the time zone of the OP or the person viewing, if there are duplicate threads does one go from the times shown or is there another way?

I hope it makes sense and maybe a mod can help or something.

This isn't a big issue but I would never want to waste the time and energy of a fellow ATS'er by ruining their thread.

[edit on 18-5-2009 by kiwifoot]

reply to post by kiwifoot


Let's see...

YES, the time shown in the threads is the time zone YOU have selected in your member profile.

YES, the "rule" is first one up gets the thread.

It is very helpful, and much appreciated, if you will contact a Moderator in the forum you posted in if you discover you have posted a duplicate thread.

Hope that clarified it for you...

Springer...

reply to post by Springer


Thankyou!

I was going to U2U somebody but I thought there maybe someone else out there wondering the same thing.

Will anybody do? Is there a MOD who hates doing this so I can get on their nerves HAHA!?

Thanks again!

reply to post by Springer


Hi Springer! Just out of curiosity, this happened to me yesterday (or two days ago?). I had also searched for the title of the article and nothing came up, and inadvertently posted a repeat article. Does a thread take a certain amount of time before it displays with the search feature?

reply to post by ravenshadow13


I think most threads are immediatly added to the database because they don't appear the change the URL to something that looks more temporary.

However, I think the engine requires you enter the exact name of the thread to get an exact match, sometimes some articles are posted using more characters or other words that may not show up.

~Keeper

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Actually funny you should say that, someone else posted the EXACT same story, hours after me! I'd like an excuse for being sloppy in my research so I hope it does take a while, but I'm pretty sure it's just going to turn out that I'm lazy!

ATS uses Google search, so even though the thread is added to ATS database the instant it is posted, it is not added to Googles database at the same time. The thread will only show up in search once Google has indexed it, which may take a minute or... a week. Hope that helped some.

Use this search to avoid the Google index delay:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Springer...

reply to post by Springer


Thank you Springer!

reply to post by Springer


Cheers!

Now I have no excuse!

Kiwi