Increase in Number of Threads with same topic

Hi IL team,
Though members are encouraged to search before starting a thread,its least heard.Every day same topics pop up already discussed.I am sure the moderators do their best to merge.But i request you find a mode to eliminate similiar threads starting in numerous counts ,especially on diet,infants,cooking etc.
I try my best to give the already existing link.But the members dont stop from posting in the new thread,rather than the existing thread link.
Hoping to see a solution for this.

Thank you.

Dear SD,
What you have written about is very relevant in IL today.
In my forum, new threads are regularly started by new comers, asking for an already given recipe.
The less said about the Religious forum, the better.
We have such a resourceful search option & sadly it is just not used.
Lack of patience can be the only reason, perhaps, supriya??
Finally the mods receive brickbats for merging threads & permission, no, intimation, is sought by those whose threads are merged. We mods are all housewives with limited time on hands and these things are all just not possible.
Well, to cut the long story short, I reall wish Search Option is fully utilised.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chithra mami,
Thanks for acknowledging my thoughts.I feel sad/bad sometimes to see when members do not take time to go through or search the forums and then post.

Supriya,

Very valid points. Not enough patience is one and not knowing that they could search is another. This is a very old problem with forums.

Now, there are multiple options that can be tried, keeping in mind the less number of clicks as it might frustrate the new user.

(1) Have a search option for similar threads in the creating new thread page, may be next to subject line or something. New members can do the search there before submitting?

(2) while we do PM, when we enter the username, we see the automatic search being done while we type the name. this is bit expensive, but can be implemented when members are writing the subject line.

(3) I see similar thread displays already in place. Why not move it to the header than being in the footer? That way members for sure will look?

my 2c

Hi Supriya,
Thanks for bringing this issue to everyone's attention. Am sure if all of us could only use "Search" tools effectively before starting a new thread, the forum navigation will be more smooth giving way for a user friendly and well-organized community.
Hi Nandshyam,
Thanks for your suggestions.

Originally Posted by Nandshyam

(1) Have a search option for similar threads in the creating new thread page, may be next to subject line or something. New members can do the search there before submitting?

Let me explore the feasibility of such a feature if one exist.

Originally Posted by Nandshyam

(2) while we do PM, when we enter the username, we see the automatic search being done while we type the name. this is bit expensive, but can be implemented when members are writing the subject line.

As mentioned by you this is going to be server intensive and we would want to consider this as a last option only and we could implement it only if absolutely necessary.

Originally Posted by Nandshyam

(3) I see similar thread displays already in place. Why not move it to the header than being in the footer? That way members for sure will look?

Yes, this is very doable but this is not going to help much, I guess. The similar threads are displayed only after a new thread is started. The display of a new thread in the top / bottom of the page will not prevent a new user from starting a thread.
What we need to address now is to encourage new users to search before posting.
Let me go ahead an put a notice in the forum asking IL ites to search before starting a new thread.
Hope this educates the new ILites.
Thanks all for sharing your views.

Thanks Laxmi for taking a step to minimize repeated threads.Way to go..

Nice topic there supriya,

This problem is common among the forums.

One could be lack of patience among the newbies. Another is the structure of the forum. You all know that the structure of forum is huge.


There is a solution for this, but i am not sure how much feasible it is.
Whenever a member tries to starts a new thread, A pop up should ask them to type the suitable title of the thread they are going to start.

After they type the topic, an auto search will be performed ( search only the thread titles) and throw back and say the member that a topic(s) is already available under this title. The system should prompt them to view those existing threads. If there are no threads available in the given topic they can very well go ahead and start a thread. They can also start a thread if they are not satisfied with the existing threads.


Hope this works.


Cheers,
Marun

There are just too many threads with the same topic that are being created by the same user in different forums or by different users in the same forum! It has become very difficult to browse the forums because of this.

I'm sure the moderators are doing all they can to check this. But the increase in this trend shows that something more needs to be done.

I suggest that when a new users register, they can be sent an email with a link to the rules of the forum, that says something like - Your membership will be activated only after you click this link. (When I registered, I was sent a mail with a link to the rules, but it did not say that my membership will be activated only after I click that link, it was more like a suggestion to read the rules - and I had the choice to skip it). The new user will be directed to the rules of the forum, but of course, no one can 'force' the user to actually read the rules. Sorry if this is already in practice.

I also suggest that the 'Rules' post be modified/updated a little, highlighting the issues that the forum is facing presently and putting them right on top - particularly the starting of new threads with same topic or same thread in multiple forums (also not quoting full messages when sending a reply, it just increases the page size making it difficult to read) - so that the new user can read those first.

It is sad to hear that a moderator receives brickbats for merging threads, when the user him/herself has not followed the rules that are so clearly posted. At the same time, I would like to say that IL moderators are a little lenient with warnings when rules are neglected. I understand that this is because the founders of this forum wish to maintain a 'homely' atmosphere here.

I am a member of other forums where users who deviate from rules once are given a strict warning - not by PM but right there on that thread in red font for everyone to see, and not as a fine print at the bottom of the post - and the next time they do so, they are banned, and nobody has the right to throw 'brickbats' at the moderators because they have the right to decide who stays and who goes.

It's all about following rules - that's why they're made right? - and respecting others!

I don't mean to offend anyone with my suggestions and observations. It's been bothering me for a while because it's become just so difficult to browse IL. I keep seeing the same topic over and over again, or the same user creating multiple threads (like around 8-10) on the same day, or so many 1-word or 2-word replies just to increase the number of posts.