# Why am I now seeing so many old 2024 posts in my NEW list **URL:** \ **Category:** Website and Forum\ **Created:** [May 6, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504 "2025-05-06T14:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/1 "2025-05-06T14:56:05Z")
All of a sudden (past couple of weeks), I am seeing mostly 2024 old posts in my New list. Is this some sort of forum bug? ---
**Author:** ![camsysca](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/camsysca/32/1015228_2.png) [@camsysca](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/camsysca)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/2 "2025-05-06T15:06:01Z")
Mine hasn't been that bad, though there have been a few. I thought initially they were related to people editing their previous posts, but no, it seems random. My conspiracy theory - Arduino Forum is the victim of an AI that's run amuck (replaced @pert ?), and will continue to degrade. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/3 "2025-05-06T15:09:19Z")
Sometimes it's all the new. I didn't think of the AI, but wouldn't be surprised, just one more reason to hate AI. ---
**Author:** ![ledsyn](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/ledsyn/32/1203827_2.png) [@ledsyn](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/ledsyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/4 "2025-05-06T15:23:22Z")
I think there's something going on, a breach perhaps. I base this on something I saw a couple of days ago, + @Grumpy_Mike said something about a lost answer or similar. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![grb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/grb/32/1201129_2.png) [@grb](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/grb)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/5 "2025-05-06T15:27:00Z")
What are your settings for **Preferences \> Tracking**? Specifically, if you have enabled the option "Consider topics unread when they are closed", what you are describing could be the result of automated actions or manual actions performed in bulk to close old threads. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/6 "2025-05-06T15:45:16Z")
I don't think I ever changed these, or at least not since the beginning. ![Screenshot 2025-05-06 at 11.44.16](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/original/4X/4/8/d/48d38f9dc815d07dbceda2ff9d27b10eece0fb5e.png) ---
**Author:** ![grb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/grb/32/1201129_2.png) [@grb](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/grb)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/7 "2025-05-06T16:14:53Z")
Uncheck the last one. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/8 "2025-05-06T16:33:10Z")
Like this? ![Screenshot 2025-05-06 at 12.32.38](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/original/4X/5/4/c/54c8585b200310f57cff5b1b74309e7165311894.png) ---
**Author:** ![grb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/grb/32/1201129_2.png) [@grb](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/grb)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/9 "2025-05-06T16:36:52Z")
Yes, and click "Save Changes". This should at least prevent your "New" stack from filling up when there are bulk closures of old threads. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/10 "2025-05-06T16:58:02Z")
Thanks, I did forget the Save Changes (at the very bottom of the page). ---
**Author:** ![Grumpy\_Mike](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/grumpy_mike/32/213521_2.png) [@Grumpy\_Mike](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/Grumpy_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/11 "2025-05-06T17:17:07Z")
I think it is related to a poster who wanted his posts removed. So when that is done it leaves the rest of the posts that others produced. Therefore it becomes a new post and so that is why you are seeing yourself tagged in a new post from a few years back. Not a bug in the forum software but a consequence of removing posts from this member. ---
**Author:** ![6v6gt](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/6v6gt/32/225488_2.png) [@6v6gt](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/6v6gt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/12 "2025-05-06T17:56:23Z")
> [@sonofcy](#): > > All of a sudden (past couple of weeks), I am seeing mostly 2024 old posts in my New list. Is this some sort of forum bug? I think that you may experience this if you do a search and land in an old thread and spend a few minutes in there but do not read the whole thread to the end, then the remaining items in the thread become treated as "unread" for you. ---
**Author:** ![sterretje](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sterretje/32/391294_2.png) [@sterretje](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sterretje)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/13 "2025-05-06T18:11:04Z")
There is a difference between _unread_ and _new_. There is also _latest_. Where do you see the old topics? If an old topic is moved it will at least show in _latest_; I can't remember that it also showed in _unread_ or _new_. This happened in Dec 24 / Jan 25 when a bulk move was done as a result of the recategorising. When system closes a topic it will show in _unread_ and maybe in _latest_; I never scroll that far through _latest_ to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/14 "2025-05-06T18:14:41Z")
I can count on one hand the number of searches I have ever done so I doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/15 "2025-05-06T18:15:34Z")
When I click on the New at the top. ---
**Author:** ![mikedb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/mikedb/32/1098613_2.png) [@mikedb](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/mikedb)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/16 "2025-05-06T18:20:49Z")
> [@sonofcy](#): > > All of a sudden (past couple of weeks), I am seeing mostly 2024 old posts in my New list. Is this some sort of forum bug? All of a sudden (last week) \> I get e-mail notifications from a post that I never took part in and the post was the first from the OP? ---
**Author:** ![sonofcy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/sonofcy/32/1283617_2.png) [@sonofcy](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/sonofcy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 6:23pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/17 "2025-05-06T18:23:29Z")
No email, just checking the New at the top of the page. ---
**Author:** ![6v6gt](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/6v6gt/32/225488_2.png) [@6v6gt](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/6v6gt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/18 "2025-05-06T19:10:17Z")
> [@sonofcy](#): > > I can count on one hand the number of searches I have ever done so I doubt that. Maybe someone else was kind enough to do the search and posted a link to it in their post which you subsequently clicked on. ---
**Author:** ![pert](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/pert/32/217111_2.png) [@pert](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/pert)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/19 "2025-05-06T19:14:26Z")
> [@sonofcy](#): > > I am seeing mostly 2024 old posts in my New list. Please provide links to some of these posts. We might be able to identify the specific reasons for that by looking at them. > [@camsysca](#): > > Arduino Forum is the victim of an AI that's run amuck It is true that we receive a significant amount of spam posts that are AI-generated. It is also true that when a topic receives a spam reply, this "bumps" the topic. The spam is typically removed within a matter of minutes, so by the time you visit the topic you might not be able to see any reason why it was bumped. However, the volume of malicious AI-generated posts has not increased lately. And it is my impression that the volume of malicious posts has not increased since the advent of the AI era. The spammers just have a new way of generating the spam posts now. In my opinion, the switch to using AI-generated content for spam posts has actually been beneficial for moderation because this content has a very distinctive characteristic, which will immediately raise our suspicions. Previously, the spammers would usually copy/paste a relevant human written post from Arduino Forum or another platform like Stack Exchange (sometimes even doing things like automatically swapping words with synonyms to make the post content unique). Those posts were much more difficult to spot as malicious, both by the moderators and by the forum helpers. It was heartbreaking to find that one of these topics was only a vehicle for spam after the forum helpers had dedicated significant efforts to responding to a scumbag spammer. As for "an AI", that is not really an accurate characterization of the situation, since the malicious posts surely originate from many different companies, not from a single AI. I'm not sure how much automation is used in their process. I wouldn't be surprised if it was still mostly human-driven (other than the generation of the text of the post). > [@camsysca](#): > > replaced @pert ? I'm still here as always. It is true that we use an LLM to automatically detect spam posts: > [@Proposal: Add dedicated category to catch topics created in first category arbitrarily](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/proposal-add-dedicated-category-to-catch-topics-created-in-first-category-arbitrarily/1110132/136): > > The automated spam detection system was recently (2025-01-07) changed, and in my opinion it is definitely an upgrade. From the time of the [SMF](https://simplemachines.org/) -\> [Discourse](https://www.discourse.org/about) forum framework switch in 2021, we used the [Akismet](https://akismet.com/) spam detection service. Discourse recently created their own LLM-based spam detection system: We are using the [Qwen/Qwen2.5-32B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen2.5-32B-Instruct) LLM. The best thing about the new system is that the prompt is defined in the forum settings, which means we can adjust the AI's instructions as app… However, although the specific [Discourse AI](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ai-powered-spam-detection/343543) system we are currently using is relatively new, it only replaces a different equivalent (but slightly inferior) system ([Akismet](https://akismet.com/)) which was in use since 2021. We (the entire moderation team) still manually review every action taken by the system. So humans are still as essential in the management of the forum as has been the case since 2021. Prior to the migration to the Discourse forum framework in 2021, the management was a bit more human labor intensive due to the old forum framework's spam detection system being quite primitive (which meant far more false negatives which had to be managed entirely by humans), and due to the old moderation interface being a bit less efficient. > [@ledsyn](#): > > @Grumpy_Mike said something about a lost answer or similar. Coincidence? Yes. I did a careful search for the post. Even if it had been deleted, I would still have been able to see it due to having staff privileges. Here is the discussion in question: > [@Leonardo is unable to detect the serial port](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/leonardo-is-unable-to-detect-the-serial-port/1378723/19): > > Hi @Grumpy_Mike. I searched, but was not able to find any post other than this one that you made in response to @cccc79928's support request. I even looked in the deleted posts as well as the normal posts in case it might have been lost accidentally when we cleaned up a cross-post. If you can provide a link to the post you are referring to, I'll be happy to take another look. If you can't find it, you can check to see if it is in your post drafts (only you can see your drafts, so I didn't check… Occam's razor tells us that this was simply a case of a single human error (which is completely understandable), not some shady conspiracy theory. If a malicious entity had obtain the privileges necessary to delete posts by other users, why would they use those privileges to delete a single (or at least a small enough number that only one occurrence was noticed) random innocuous post, and thus risk exposing the breach before they had done anything meaningful with it? More likely they would either do their best to abuse the privileges covertly, or else make as large a disruption as was in their power all at once to take advantage of the small time window before such activity would result in the breach being closed and them losing the privilege. > [@Grumpy\_Mike](#): > > I think it is related to a poster who wanted his posts removed. So when that is done it leaves the rest of the posts that others produced. Therefore it becomes a new post and so that is why you are seeing yourself tagged in a new post from a few years back. There was a single occurrence of this months ago (a group of us discussed it in a direct message so check there if you want to refresh yourself on the details). It is true that this resulted in old discussions being bumped. However, that was months ago and there hasn't been anything else like that since. Those bumps were a result of a large amount of manual work I did personally to preserve the valuable information that had been shared by other forum users on the affected topics. The forum software doesn't have any capability for doing such things automatically. So this is definitely something I would remember doing if it had occurred again recently (I'm still traumatized from the time I had to do it months ago 🥲). > [@sterretje](#): > > This happened in Dec 24 / Jan 25 when a bulk move was done as a result of the recategorising. Yes, this is another case (separate from the one @Grumpy_Mike) of when users might notice the side effects of forum maintenance. The one @sterretje is referring to was discussed here: > [@Updated web site +1](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/updated-web-site/1335615): > > Just a big +1 for the re-organisation of the forum. Not sure if it's 100% complete but I do like it. Thanks @pert . It might take a bit of getting used to to find things but that will not be a problem. And another case of something similar here: > [@Bulk correction of broken links in posts](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/bulk-correction-of-broken-links-in-posts/1365963): > > There seems to be an exercise now running to identify broken links and, if possible, substitute a replacement link from [web.archive.org](http://web.archive.org). I've received a few edit notifications regarding old posts which have been updated because of this. I guess this is done with script (or even AI) support. I'm curious to know how this works in practice. If the web site returns a 404 error then the case is clear. If, however, the domain still exists and there is a redirect to a more general search or profile pag… The forum maintainers periodically recategorize topics or fix breakage, even in old posts that we happen to stumble across, or receive a report about. However, there hasn't been any bulk campaigns such as the ones mentioned above recently, and the volume of sporadic maintenance hasn't increased recently. ---
**Author:** ![ledsyn](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/ledsyn/32/1203827_2.png) [@ledsyn](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/ledsyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504/20 "2025-05-06T19:23:30Z")
> [@pert](#): > > I'm still here as always. Aha! That's what a fake @pert would say too! 🙃 [Next page](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/why-am-i-now-seeing-so-many-old-2024-posts-in-my-new-list/1379504.md?page=2)