There a quite a few forum topics that are dead and or so old they are irrelevant. I would suggest using the move or purge post options in VB admin on a lot of these. It wastes a lot of the users time to have to look for real current info.
Dead and old Forum topics.
- Thread starter factor
- Start date
BBM
Verified User
Really? 5 posts and you already think about half the forum should be deleted?
Quite some servers are still running old(er) software because of various reasons. These admins would be SoL if old information would be trashed.
With everything when searching for stuff; First thing to do when Googling for DA related/posted topics, is to look at the date.
While I do agree somewhat with your statement, is that certain posted tutorials could be updated more often in some cases.
Quite some servers are still running old(er) software because of various reasons. These admins would be SoL if old information would be trashed.
With everything when searching for stuff; First thing to do when Googling for DA related/posted topics, is to look at the date.
While I do agree somewhat with your statement, is that certain posted tutorials could be updated more often in some cases.
Richard G
Verified User
I'm sorry but some of the older post still contain a treasure on information and even some which still can be used today.
You can't just use the purge option to delete old posts just because of this reason.
Indeed only some tutorials could be updated or maybe removed when new ones exist.
You can't just use the purge option to delete old posts just because of this reason.
Indeed only some tutorials could be updated or maybe removed when new ones exist.
I agree with you the Company and community needs to take time to keep it up to date.
Ok here is a good example. Which if any of these are relevant?
https://forum.directadmin.com/showthread.php?t=19688
in 2014 it was listed as closed and all the links defunct. So why 3 years later is it not moved or deleted?
I agree that relevant items should be kept. With the wealth of knowledge in this community. Some one or some group should be maintaining the forum for relevance. Again I am not attacking anyone here. It is just feedback. It is my opinion. If everyone else thinks every post is relevant then its all good.. just feedback.
https://forum.directadmin.com/showthread.php?t=19688
in 2014 it was listed as closed and all the links defunct. So why 3 years later is it not moved or deleted?
I agree that relevant items should be kept. With the wealth of knowledge in this community. Some one or some group should be maintaining the forum for relevance. Again I am not attacking anyone here. It is just feedback. It is my opinion. If everyone else thinks every post is relevant then its all good.. just feedback.
BBM
Verified User
No problem.
The problem for that someone/some group to decide what's relevant or not, is kinda difficult as there are a lot of different setups possible with a multitude of variations.
Sometimes old topics get pulled to the top again because someone has encountered a similar problem.
There are 45000+ topics on this forum.
The way I see it, is that the nr. of person(s?) behind DirectAdmin is limited, and also do not spend much time on the forum (or maybe just in a passive way).
There are a few moderators (smtalk & Zeiter, that I know of) that maintain the daily operations and do 'housekeeping' here, but I don't think they are part of/paid by the DirectAdmin 'company' as such.
So asking them to go through 45000k topics to 'clean up' or archive, is a hell of a task I rather see them spending time on coding handy and helpful programs.
The problem for that someone/some group to decide what's relevant or not, is kinda difficult as there are a lot of different setups possible with a multitude of variations.
Sometimes old topics get pulled to the top again because someone has encountered a similar problem.
There are 45000+ topics on this forum.
The way I see it, is that the nr. of person(s?) behind DirectAdmin is limited, and also do not spend much time on the forum (or maybe just in a passive way).
There are a few moderators (smtalk & Zeiter, that I know of) that maintain the daily operations and do 'housekeeping' here, but I don't think they are part of/paid by the DirectAdmin 'company' as such.
So asking them to go through 45000k topics to 'clean up' or archive, is a hell of a task I rather see them spending time on coding handy and helpful programs.
I hear you. I don't know if the company is limited or if the mods are limited. I assume its big business since they are maybe in the top 5 for this product. Again we don't know. One would assume because I am new here as you pointed out I wouldn't know. I see them as a business with customers. They asked for my suggestion. However to your point "if" the forum is run by the community (and not the company) me, you, Richard, smtalk, zeiter, and so on.. Which I would think is true and an awesome thing. We are not helping like we should in my opinon. There needs to be more of us volunteering to help. We obviously all have admin or coding skills. I happen to not have big coding skills also one could assume I don't have 20 years in web hosting. I do have an interest in making the community or product better.
While I agree some content on this site is old, I disagree we need to "purge" all old data. I do believe some old information could be deleted, yet even if some of it doesn't apply (or like the example given) is full of abandoned projects, it provides valuable information for somebody who might be trying to do the same.
Once we have that out of the way, I do believe that a Wiki would allow different users to take over maintaining and allow for better information sharing. Of course the forums are great to ask questions and share some information, yet a Wiki would allow for guides and lists to be better placed and allow different users to add to that information or fixes down the road. The only problem I see, would be to figure out a way to "moderate" wiki changes to avoid people who "think" will make a process better, but instead break it...
Once we have that out of the way, I do believe that a Wiki would allow different users to take over maintaining and allow for better information sharing. Of course the forums are great to ask questions and share some information, yet a Wiki would allow for guides and lists to be better placed and allow different users to add to that information or fixes down the road. The only problem I see, would be to figure out a way to "moderate" wiki changes to avoid people who "think" will make a process better, but instead break it...
Richard G
Verified User
Old data will sink to the bottom, especially is not looked at anymore if closed.
I don't have any issues with old topics, so I don't see a problem with keeping them.
Next to that, your example pointed to the 3rd party stuff, which is "use at own risk" and no DA support anyway.
Some like nice and neet clean forums, others like the information of the old days so they can see how things were done in the old times.
It's just a matter of taste. And it's a load of work to sort all those thousends of posts.
So as stated... I agree about the tutorials.
Arieh
Verified User
Some time ago there was an idea of creating a wiki for DA, because over the years a lot of people want to contribute at some point but don't keep the commitment forever. This was an idea by the mods here including Jeff, unfortunately he passed away.
If a new wiki were to be made it would require management from either DA and/or the current mods I think; else the same fate will lie as other helpful topics on this forum; at one point its useful, until its maintainer is gone.
I think some type of a wiki is still a good idea, since it would allow for a better place to search and browse around. It will give the community a way to build and maintain useful information, rather than pages in a a history book old topics are becoming: They're useful often, but not always up to date.
If a new wiki were to be made it would require management from either DA and/or the current mods I think; else the same fate will lie as other helpful topics on this forum; at one point its useful, until its maintainer is gone.
I think some type of a wiki is still a good idea, since it would allow for a better place to search and browse around. It will give the community a way to build and maintain useful information, rather than pages in a a history book old topics are becoming: They're useful often, but not always up to date.
Richard G
Verified User
We still have the help sections for that I guess. They are maintained and if I seen correctly, they are getting a more modern look too.
BBM
Verified User
The problem is, the Help pages can't be 'seen' from the forumpages.
I think most new-forum users ended up here through a Google search, and never visited the main DA-site.
I've mentioned this as well some time back, here:
http://forum.directadmin.com/showthread.php?t=50879&p=262098
...that I think it would be better to add some links into the header of this forum so helpful people can point out the links to the Help-pages on top somewhere.
I think most new-forum users ended up here through a Google search, and never visited the main DA-site.
I've mentioned this as well some time back, here:
http://forum.directadmin.com/showthread.php?t=50879&p=262098
...that I think it would be better to add some links into the header of this forum so helpful people can point out the links to the Help-pages on top somewhere.
Richard G
Verified User
You're quite correct BBM.
Indeed there should be a link to the help section and site-helper, especially for new customers.
It's very easy to make with vBulletin. I just upped your post and put a +1 in there.
Indeed there should be a link to the help section and site-helper, especially for new customers.
It's very easy to make with vBulletin. I just upped your post and put a +1 in there.