It seems a lot of older posts are being resurrected lately due to spam or other 1 time posters. Then, long time forum posters are replying to the original post. In many cases the OP has already completed their trip.
Do you look at the date of the OP? Do you read the most recent posts before responding?
Do you look at the date of the OP?
Not always.
Do you read the most recent posts before responding?
Yes.
To some extent, each thread is a "conversation", so even after a specific answer is given or the OP's trip completed, the conversation can go on.
My guess is many folks come here (for the first time at least) with a specific question in mind - like "nice hotel in Paris" - and, if they're like me, run search or scroll the France page for an answer before posting. In that case, they may join an older thread (possibly ignorant of the age of the thread as a newbie here), and that often gets folks to revisit the topic again - maybe with new eyes.
I like seeing an older thread that I've forgotten (but responded to) where my immediate answer to the OP is pretty much the same (or way different even). As I read through the thread and see my original response I get a chuckle at my "past self" and my lousy memory that made me forget I had replied already.
I actually struggle with when to answer a NEW post with the same question again - eg. the "nice hotel in Paris" or "restaurants in Amsterdam" or the like. Is it worth rehashing a reply that already exists in a different but searchable thread?
Do you look at the date of the OP?
Not always.
Do you read the most recent posts before responding?
Yes.
Agreed. Threads mutate. And wander and...
Also I tend to "stash" posts where I've commented to come back to if anybody has a question about my comment. That sometimes triggers a response to the ongoing (mutated) thread.
And I'm sure there are other reasons for the resurrection of old thread.
I'm wondering why you're asking those questions.
"This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity." Someone (Webmaster?) handles it.
The Webmaster does sacred work.
Six month cut-off date from the last post.
I'm fixing to reply to an old-ish post right now. I'm looking for the post about time being infinite, but we're not, so I can mention that I just now bought my first "check-in only" suitcase. I plan to spend less of my time worrying if everything I want to take will fit into a carry-on that I will probably check anyway.
On some other forums that I read there are threads that are decades old and hundreds of pages long. Most threads naturally have a relatively short life on the "all topics" page here, then get locked after six months. There's very few what I'd consider "old" threads here. Even the "Travelling Through The Alphabet" thread is pretty quiet these days.
edit: to concede a little to your point jeanm, sometimes when people add info after the OP's deadline for doing something it is a bit surplus to requirements. That's an easy mistake to make though.
Other than looking for specific info, I only look at posts from the last 24 hours. If I respond it is because someone else has in that time period. So I usually don’t see look at when the original post was.
Even if you add something a bit late for the OP, it might be useful info for others reading the thread. I've noticed how many matches to threads on here there are when you Google a travel query. There's probably a decent amount of people come here from Google and read old threads, active or locked.
Someone might find interest in it, even if it's not the OP.
I have done this on rare occasion after using the search engine for a particular topic.
Gundersen, the wife has cut me off but never for six months!
Makes sense to me. After all, she's the one who first called you Big Mike.
Yes and Yes.
