A solution to keeping database size down?

[Katharine]

I thought it was me when I couldn't access the forum! All becomes clear having read the rest of this thread.

Agreed - I even tried it on two different computers!!

[Scone Lover]

What about even earlier than Page 10, what about page 5, there is stuff on there that hasn't been touched for absolutely ages. either that or a time limit of six months say before automatic closure

[cj]

Keeping in CH and CH-related topics is important as this is essentially what the forum is about. General conversation needs to be pruned every so often, 3 or 4 months sounds about right. We can then carry on our inane and random chit-chat withour feeling too guilty about taking up too much cyber-space!

[Mrs C.]

What about even earlier than Page 10, what about page 5, there is stuff on there that hasn't been touched for absolutely ages. either that or a time limit of six months say before automatic closure

oh dear, Sean`s found all that to go at now!!!

(have posted somewhere else on same subject , but thanks JT!)

[Richard Ruck]

What about even earlier than Page 10, what about page 5, there is stuff on there that hasn't been touched for absolutely ages. either that or a time limit of six months say before automatic closure

A few thoughts about this.

Firstly, new forum members (especially those who have a lot to say ) may find it useful to look back at old topics / comments and be able to discuss them themselves. I think that this could be increasingly important as time goes by, as new arrivals may make valuable contributions to discussions which have currently run out of steam for us.

As an example, DBTS started a very amusing topic ages ago entitled "Mass nudity in the Swimming Baths". No-one has added to it for many months, but it would be a real shame if it was unavailable to newer members (no pun intended).

Also, just because stuff hasn't been 'touched' it doesn't mean that it hasn't been read or used for reference by someone.

Secondly, I'm really not comfortable with the idea of the originator of a particular thread somehow claiming 'ownership' of it.

Some of the most interesting and lively threads have been prompted by a simple question or comment from the originator, with other forum members weighing in with intelligent / useful / hilarious contributions, and provided these contribution stay within the parameters of acceptable use of the forum I don't see why other forum members (moderators excepted) should effectively have the power of censorship over them.

[Mrs C.]

I`m inclined to agree with you Richard - the more "serious" topics - or should I say, the ones which were inclined to stay on topic, were during the earlier phase of the forum when people hadn`t really "got to know" each other. But in almost every thread there is something of interest so it could be difficult to prune on "age" alone.
I`m sure I wouldn`t like to have to decide what goes and what stays!

[Vonny]

Here's an idea - we could enable auto-pruning (sounds painful!) on the "General Chat - Non CH" section, which would automatically remove any topic which hasn't been accessed for any specified period - e.g. 3 months?.

That sounds good. I moderate on another forum and this is what happens there.

[Great Plum]

I'm in agreement with Vonny I think. I post on another forum (when I have time!) and they auto prune everything on their 'chat' forum after 3 months - and have an archived forum for anything that maybe interesting.

Bear in mind they have at least 50 people online all the time.

I don't like the idea that we should delete threads just because the originator of the thread thinks they are finished though.

[jtaylor]

The easiest approach is the auto-prune, but JUST on the General Chat - Non CH section.

Any topics which contain CH or Old-Blue specific content can be moved into the CH section??

[Katharine]

I would agree that threads don't belong to anyone - there are a few examples of short threads that didn't go off course eg my plea for help over Halloween stories when I had particularly asked you all to stay on topic (and you listened!!)

I do belong to another forum and that does regular archiving of some sections and cutting of the chat sections. Nobody seems to object to that -yes the postcount does go down when it happens but there is no classification as here. I think the software must be similar to this.

[blondie95]

i agree that things need to be rpuned, i dont think those that starterd a topoci should have decision about if it stays or goes.

And thank goodness your back I had a right panic last night when i couldnt get on here!

[Richard Ruck]

i agree that things need to be rpuned, i dont think those that starterd a topoci should have decision about if it stays or goes.

And thank goodness your back I had a right panic last night when i couldnt get on here!

"rpuned" - this has been happening to whales around Iceland recently!

Just out of interest, have you ever used the 'preview' function before submitting a post? It's very handy..........

[Mid A 15]

What about even earlier than Page 10, what about page 5, there is stuff on there that hasn't been touched for absolutely ages. either that or a time limit of six months say before automatic closure

Secondly, I'm really not comfortable with the idea of the originator of a particular thread somehow claiming 'ownership' of it.

Neither am I. It was intended as a suggestion to put the onus on US to seek out the threads we want to keep that might exceed the 3 month (or whatever) autoprune deadline.

I've now made a post on one thread in particular which I thought was a credit to the forum in the way it was conducted.

Maybe that is the answer simply make a post on a thread that you want to keep if it is over 3 months old.

[Richard Ruck]

Maybe that is the answer simply make a post on a thread that you want to keep if it is over 3 months old.

This may well be a good compromise, but I'm still slightly worried that newcomers will be denied access to the many pages of wit and wisdom that are bound to be overlooked.

[Mid A 15]

Maybe that is the answer simply make a post on a thread that you want to keep if it is over 3 months old.

This may well be a good compromise, but I'm still slightly worried that newcomers will be denied access to the many pages of wit and wisdom that are bound to be overlooked.

I'd rather keep everything too but I was under the impression that the forum would blow a gasket if we didn't prune stuff.

Hence the question as to the best way to do this and my responses.