Forum software open discussion and suggestions feature requests.

Robin2:
The exception I would make is where a Thread is written as a Tutorial. IMHO those Threads should be locked to avoid a long discussion from distracting from the lesson in the Tutorial.

...R

IMHO tutorials should be initially left open to garner anything that the OP may have missed.
Omissions / errata should be catered for by dialog.

They will AUTO-LOCK after 120 days anyway with the recent implementation of that feature.

IMHO tutorials should be initially left open to garner anything that the OP may have missed.
Omissions / errata should be catered for by dialog.

The problem with allowing comments in tutorial threads is that it dilutes and detracts from the content which may put future readers off of reading the whole topic. That is not a problem if the whole tutorial fits in one post (unlikely) or if each of the chapters of it are put in separate posts all at once.

Using the one chapter per post approach as I (and Robin) have done means that readers can take things at their own pace without intervening posts commenting on examples etc disrupting the flow of the tutorial, but it does make adding more to the tutorial once comments have been made more complicated.

However, locking the tutorial also has its problems. When I wrote the "Using millis() for timing. A beginners guide" tutorial it was locked by a mod without reference to me, which I was happy with until I got a couple of PMs pointing out an error in my examples which, not being a mod at the time I could not correct. I did not think it fair to ask a mod to unlock the topic for a short time to let me edit it as I could foresee problems in getting the timing right and didn't want to impose, so I left it and only corrected the error when I became a mod.

A possible improvement would be to allow a topic starter to edit their own posts in a locked topic and to add to the topic and for them to create a separate topic for comments on the tutorial with a link to it in the tutorial

Having said that, nothing can make people read the tutorials (or the sticky topics) as we all know so well.

The OP can also ask for some posts to be deleted if they interrupt the flow for a 2 or more part post.

Or as has been done in the past reserve a few for future edits / additions.

I think it is more down to the OP than just arbitrarily locking things down which may in turn lead to more moderator requests or unwanted PM's to the OP.

There should be a feature where the creator of a thread can lock their own posts

rising_youngstars:
There should be a feature where the creator of a thread can lock their own posts

That would be an OK feature but I suspect it may come in for some abuse on occasion.
Like so may you tube channels that remove comment ability.
Or where a section of help tutorial may have a serious safety flaw.

There needs to be at least some peer review ability but preferably without involving extra moderation.

True. Moderators should be able to review the thread before locking it...

Or better an extra button near the 'report to moderator' like 'Ask moderators to lock thread' or something like that. Just an idea. Not to be taken too seriously :smiley:

rising_youngstars:
There should be a feature where the creator of a thread can lock their own posts

I don't like that idea. Although the creator may think a Thread is finished others may have a different view. Most Threads are started by someone with a question about his own project and one easy way to repay the effort that goes into providing the answers is to make the OP's experience (i.e. problem and solution) available for others and for others to be able to extend the scope.

For the very Threads that need to be locked it does not seem too onerous to ask the Moderators to do the necessary. And I have to add that on the occasions when I have needed to edit a locked Tutorial the Moderators have responded very quickly to my request to unlock and later re-lock the Thread.

...R

A big part of the Autolock is prevent spammers from posting to old threads.

TheUNOGuy:
True. Moderators should be able to review the thread before locking it...

Or better an extra button near the 'report to moderator' like 'Ask moderators to lock thread' or something like that. Just an idea. Not to be taken too seriously :smiley:

It goes above moderator review as we tend to have skills in areas that may be below or alternate the topic we are supposed to review.

And I don't see the need for an extra button when there is one already available for all members to use.

CrossRoads:
A big part of the Autolock is prevent spammers from posting to old threads.

That aspect was sort of a side benefit albeit a darned good one !

Soooo I visited ADAFRUITS discord server and there you cannot post until you have actually waited 10 whole minutes.

I sort of find that appealing and am now torn between the following

A single time 1 shot re-direct to the readme (newer version) with a click at the end to gain access to the forums ?

A single time one shot as above but with a wait time and automatic re-direction to the forums ?

Clearly I would not be posting this unless I thought your input was not as valid as my own.
It would certainly slow down spammers who would often resort to other targets of interest away from the Arduino forums.

Remember there are no crazy ideas...well except the electro shock therapy for offenders of the forum as health and safety wont let us do that. Oh and there was that other idea but lethal force wasn't allowed either.

ballscrewbob:
Remember there are no crazy ideas...well except the electro shock therapy for offenders of the forum as health and safety wont let us do that

So you don't want the electric shock machine I built when I was 10? >:(

PerryBebbington:
So you don't want the electric shock machine I built when I was 10? >:(

Nah it needs to be upgraded and sent on the QT Plain brown wrapper preferred :wink:

Oh and don't put candles in the same package its a nightmare trying to explain what it really is to those gentlemen with the guns

Just reading all the posts from page 1 - 9, can't you contact the forum owner Nick Gammon? + he's not around here these days

rising_youngstars:
Just reading all the posts from page 1 - 9, can't you contact the forum owner Nick Gammon? + he's not around here these days

Nick Gammon is not, nor has ever been, the owner of this forum. Nick Gammon is a forum member and volunteer moderator.

ballscrewbob:
A single time one shot as above but with a wait time and automatic re-direction to the forums ?

I would certainly favour a one-time wait for a new sign-up in preference to 100 five minute waits.

Of course, if a single 10 minute wait would be effective why not reduce the 100 to two or five?

...R

Robin2:
Of course, if a single 10 minute wait would be effective why not reduce the 100 to two or five?

I would suggest 50...

Thanks Robin I hadn't really considered the 5 minute waits.

I would agree in reducing the 100 to a much lower number in conjunction to the initial wait during re-direct.

Ten waits would probably be ample to discourage spammers.

I wonder though if a slightly higher number has some value in that it encourages newcomers to think about their issue rather than rushing back to the forum as each idea occurs to them.

Sort of thinking a 5 minute readme wait and around 5 to 20 normal waits Bill.

Maybe with the last wait also being a re-direct to a readme to push the point home.