Duplicate Topics

[ChargerGrrl]

Perhaps there's an automatic way to prevent duplicate topics from being created/posted?

Maybe it's just the OCD in me, but it drives me BATTY when people post new threads for often asked questions without doing a search.

Sure, some of those threads can be a bit old/no longer relevant and therefore new versions are in order. But there must be a ton of JEWELRY CLEANING or INSURANCE threads out there! Preventing them from being posted in the first place would help de-clutter the forums.

 

[musey]

It annoys me too, Charger! Those very-frequently-asked questions. Is there a way to automatically prevent something from being posted, though?? Sounds like it would be hard/impossible to program.

 

[Lynn B]

Well, apparently I am apathetic

because I really don't mind (too much!) duplicate topic postings. I figure diamond newbies don't know we've already discussed it several (or hundreds!

of) times, and general FORUM newbies don't know yet to search before posting!

BUT, I can see how it does become cumbersome... although I can't really see a practical. workable way to catch-and-eliminate it, or even to "combine" common threads, either. ???

One suggestion (and this new Suggestion Box forum has certainly shown me that I am FULL of them!

) might be to have a FAQs forum. And some of the predictably repeated topics could be located there. Topics such as, "How to clean my diamond?!" "What about jewelry insurance?" etc.

I hang out on another forum that did just that. Various members volunteered to kinda scour through old threads on a certain topic and then turn them into one comprehensive FAQ thread on that subject. It is actually very nice, and very convenient. And those threads get a LOT of views, so people ARE using them.

As always, just my humble 2 cents!

 

[ACN]

I know on other forums that I visit, they have a feature when you post that does this:

In the Subject area say I type "Jewelry Insurance"

As soon as I am done typing, right below the subject line and before the box to post, a search comes up with the most 5 relevant posts containing that same phrase and there is a message saying, "Have you searched/read these similar threads before creating this post"

Basically, it still allows the person to post a thread if they so choose, but it may deter them if they see an auto search done for them.


For example:

Sub: Jewelry Insurance

"Have you searched/read these threads:"
1. Jewelry Insurance?!?
2. Insuring Jewelry
3. Ect....

 

[psadmin]

Date: 8/25/2009 3:35:27 PM
Author: ACN
I know on other forums that I visit, they have a feature when you post that does this:

In the Subject area say I type ''Jewelry Insurance''

As soon as I am done typing, right below the subject line and before the box to post, a search comes up with the most 5 relevant posts containing that same phrase and there is a message saying, ''Have you searched/read these similar threads before creating this post''

Basically, it still allows the person to post a thread if they so choose, but it may deter them if they see an auto search done for them.


For example:

Sub: Jewelry Insurance

''Have you searched/read these threads:''
1. Jewelry Insurance?!?
2. Insuring Jewelry
3. Ect....

This is a very good idea that i have been contemplating for awhile.

Hopefully we can implement this in some future.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 8/25/2009 3:35:27 PM
Author: ACN
I know on other forums that I visit, they have a feature when you post that does this:

In the Subject area say I type ''Jewelry Insurance''

As soon as I am done typing, right below the subject line and before the box to post, a search comes up with the most 5 relevant posts containing that same phrase and there is a message saying, ''Have you searched/read these similar threads before creating this post''

Basically, it still allows the person to post a thread if they so choose, but it may deter them if they see an auto search done for them.


For example:

Sub: Jewelry Insurance

''Have you searched/read these threads:''
1. Jewelry Insurance?!?
2. Insuring Jewelry
3. Ect....

This is an AWESOME suggestion!

I was so excited to see that Admin thought so, too!

(Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE this Suggestion Box forum!!!

)

 

[radiantquest]

I am thinking about this and the only way I can figure to do this would be like a keyword track or something. The problem that I think might arise is that yes, there are alot of insurance questions that could be answered by one or two threads. In that case I think the keyword track might work, but in RT there are tons of questions that start with "Help me pick a diamond..." In that instance every question is different. So the keyword would just become irritating. Another thing that I thought about is that this site uses the word diamond so many times that anytime someone would type in the word diamond every post would show up in search results.

This is just what I think. I may be very wrong about how it would work.