New Post or Revive Old Post?

**theimagedoctor** · 10-16-2012, 11:00 AM

Greetings everyone, I'm new to this forum and need advice on protocol here...

Let's say I want to discuss a topic that has appeared on the forum (in some form or fashion) in the past. Would I be best advised to...

Start a new post thread that pertains specifically to what I'm asking?
Continue a previous post thread, even if its been inactive for some?

And if the latter, is there a general time frame considered acceptable to restart a topic? 1 month old? 6 months old? 1 year?

Various forums have various preferences, and some people get very critical of "not using the search function" and continuing existing threads. So I'm just trying to get the lay of the land on this forum.

Thank you in advance...

**russhutto** · 10-16-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by theimagedoctor

Greetings everyone, I'm new to this forum and need advice on protocol here...

Let's say I want to discuss a topic that has appeared on the forum (in some form or fashion) in the past. Would I be best advised to...

Start a new post thread that pertains specifically to what I'm asking?
Continue a previous post thread, even if its been inactive for some?

And if the latter, is there a general time frame considered acceptable to restart a topic? 1 month old? 6 months old? 1 year?

Various forums have various preferences, and some people get very critical of "not using the search function" and continuing existing threads. So I'm just trying to get the lay of the land on this forum.

Thank you in advance...

Personally, I'd say both.

Use the search function and see if what comes up is helpful. If it seems really outdated, start a new thread with your specifics.

We have a great community here and folks are happy to chime in. Not a lot of strife over posts.

**efrisch** · 10-16-2012, 12:04 PM

I agree with Russ - search first to see if your question is answered anywhere, but don't be afraid to start a new thread if you can't find specifics. More people are going to see a new thread than a really old one that gets pulled to the top (I know that personally, I never look at threads again once I'm either subscribed or not)

**Mike on Bass** · 10-16-2012, 03:21 PM

I'm kind of like Eric- it depends on what the thread is. Try the search- some searches work better than others.

Generally speaking, the 'question-answer' threads are more closed-loop. For example, the 'what's a good projector in this price range' thread is one that will get a few responses of suggestions and that's probably going to go into the archives. Those are best utilized in a search. I understand the forum etiquette of 'search' function, because after seeing the 10th 'what projector should I buy' thread, it indicates laziness on the part of the poster to not look around first. So that, I'd search for. What I do if I start a new thread, mention that you looked, found thread XYZ, but I have a different question... That at least lets people know you looked for it, found it, but didn't answer your question.

Some are more open-ended like the 'show your pedalboard' thread. As new people join, or regulars get new pedals, they may update every few months. That's ok.

Some are more discussion/topical related. Those could go either way. Some have been more on-going and casual. Others have been more impassioned and more or less laid to rest. For those, if it's been a while (over a month or two) and the tone of the thread was one that was an 'agree to disagree', that might be better left alone. No one likes to rehash old debates. But if it's ongoing, and a calm, interactive thread, even though it might be a few weeks since it was updated, it might be ok to chime in. That's more of a discretion call.

The only time I've encountered a thread that gets frowned upon is if someone is out looking to 'debate' everyone for the sake of debating. That's not to say we don't have our 'iron-sharpening' discussions where people have different perspectives, but when someone goes out of their way to pick apart everyone's post but doesn't really add anything of substance, that's about the only time the forumites and sometimes the moderators even say 'ok, that's enough' and don't give that person an audience.

So, welcome aboard, hope you find it a good source

Mike