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VANITY: Cluttering the Forum with Duplicate Threads
Me | 01/22/2010 | Charles

Posted on 01/22/2010 6:32:30 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT

I'm writing to address a problem of increasing scope -- duplicate threads. Let me be clear: I'm not talking about the rare threads that are blessed by management, and are duplicated because of their critical importance. I'm talking about the everyday duplication of the same story over and over again.

There are several reasons I see for us getting duplicate threads:

  1. people thinking they get special credit for being "first to post", so multiple people post a breaking story.
  2. people who are too lazy to search
  3. People who think they are too important to search.
  4. bloggers who think that if they blog an article and post their blog it counts as a "different story"
  5. People who want to comment, but feel their comments are lost in a 100+ comment thread, so they find the same story in a different paper and post it as if it is "new".
For these and other reasons, FreeRepublic is being inundated with multiple threads on the same story. While a live thread existed for the Scott Brown election, there were over a half-dozen posts to say he won; another over half-dozen posts saying dems would push health care anyway. There were 6 posts of youtube videos "Hitler reacts to Scott Brown's victory". 8 posts about Pelosi not having the votes to pass the senate plan. Too many posts to count on pelosi using reconciliation. Over a dozen posts on the Supreme court ruling on CFR.

This is BAD, for three reasons:

  1. it takes up space and clutters the board. Each thread has a slot, and each page fits a limited number of items, and if the same story is up 6 times, it bumps other things off the front page. Is this why the servers crash? I don't know, but it can't help.
  2. it makes duplicative effort. People don't know which thread to use to discuss, discussion happens in multiple threads, so we don't see all of our other freeper comments. Arguments get rehashed, good information gets lost because it's in one thread but another thread ends up taking over the discussion.
  3. it makes it near impossible to find information later. You search for some story to find the comment on it you wanted to quote, and you get a dozen hits, and don't know which thread the comments are in.

What good are duplicate threads? i've heard it argued that it helps "get the story out". But that presumes that Freepers aren't smart enough to be able to find stories if they aren't on the front page. Plus, it is self-defeating, because to the degree stories NOT on the front page are lost, posting the same story multiple times bumps more different stories off the front page.

Anyway, we have breaking news sidebar for stories deemed important by the moderators. We don't need to duplicate threads in general to get real important news out.

Are there any good reasons for duplicate threads? Well, the freepathon is a good use of duplicate threads, because it does bring it back up top regularly to remind people. But that is a special case, and as I said, I'm not talking about the rare duplicates made and blessed by the site.

I've been thinking this for a while, but it came to a head in the past few weeks, and was made clearer to me first when I tried to find a couple of posts from 2008 and saw how much easier it was to find things then, when there were fewer duplicate threads, than when I tried to find a comment from a month ago.

So, what can we do about it? Well, I know that at some level, this is a moderator issue. THe moderators could, at any time, lock and even delete duplicate threads. I realise that since they are not doing so, it might mean they are happy with duplicates, and therefore I am at cross-purposes with the powers-that-be.

But I don't think so, I think instead the mods are too busy with more important things.

I think that freepers can police ourselves. If enough of us challenged duplicates, we could put a stop to it.

I had some suggestions of ways we can help:

  1. Report all duplicates.
  2. DOn't post into duplicates, except to point out it is a duplicate, and provide a link to the place where the major discussion is taking place.
Duplicates are useful to people who post them, because other freepers comment in the duplicates, giving them legitimacy. If we simply ignore the duplicates, especially the blog duplicates where the blog ads no value, we might discourage them.

A special point about blog duplicates. I specifically note blogs that essentially find a video, or an article, post the video or article to their blog, and then link the blog here, adding absolutely no value.

But this really also covers blogs that make cursory comments about single articles. Because in the end, that's what Freepers do when they post an article -- they put the article in the body, and their comments on the article in the 1st comment.

So FreeRepublic does NOT need a blogger to post a link to their blog in order to see the blogger comments. The blogger could simply paste their comments into the comments of the thread discussing the news story, so they would be part of the discussion.

The blogs that are valuable are those that find links to several articles and pull a story together from it, or which are movers and shakers whose opinions are themselves considered newsworthy.

But this isn't a vanity about bloggers, which is why I confined my list above to bloggers who provide no value-add to their posts, and are just trying to generate blog hits for their google ad revenue.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Free Republic Policy/Q&A
KEYWORDS: crybabies; dontopentheblogs; duplicate; duplicates; duplicatethreads; somebodyneedsabreak; thisisnotimportant; timeout; timetotakeabreak; whiner; whining
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To: hennie pennie
Yes. And I agree with them. I hope my post isn't seen as disagreeing with that. From that thread: "There are blog “pimps” who want nothing more than to promote their own sites, but for most people, it is simply how they start out sharing their thoughts on a matter. Encourage these members to take part in existing discussions."

That is what I am doing, trying to encourage the blog posters to instead take part in existing discussions.

I don't jump down the throats of bloggers the first time they post, I try to tell them where the real discussion is, if there is one, and encourage them to post their blog comments as full comments, with links to their blog so we can check them out.

I certainly don't want to chase bloggers away. I'm a blogger.

61 posted on 01/22/2010 8:02:19 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: hennie pennie

LOL ‡


62 posted on 01/22/2010 8:02:35 AM PST by ßuddaßudd (7 days - 7 ways Guero >>> with a floating, shifting, ever changing persona.....)
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To: hennie pennie

Who’s offended? Welcome to FR.


63 posted on 01/22/2010 8:02:43 AM PST by RGSpincich
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To: hennie pennie

Bloggers that post a one paragraph thought on a story that has already been posted on FR add nothing of value.

If they break a story, that is an entirely different matter.


64 posted on 01/22/2010 8:03:12 AM PST by listenhillary (FU Cass Sunstein - You are the embodiment of evil)
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To: hennie pennie
It's a tough job, isn't it?


65 posted on 01/22/2010 8:03:31 AM PST by Peter Horry (Those who aren't responsible always know best.)
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To: hennie pennie

I strongly advise everyone to read their instructions which were very clearly put forth last year.


The welcome wagon didn’t last long as I remember it and became a contentious posting when used.

Bloggers are more than welcome and are becoming major players as the admin mods pointed out. But what is wrong with them tagging their info to an already existing thread on the topic, especially if they don’t really add to the info already presented?

You’ll find bloggers posting their info and never commenting on the story. Hit and run bloggers looking for hits back to their blog.

FR has grown so much from it’s beginnings that it takes a major effort by Jim and crew to keep it up and running. I’m sure they’ve thought about these issues and would implement changes if they could. But major changes such as pre-approving threads would take a major effort and probably isn’t viable at the present time. Thus the need for FR users to be more alert to helping their fellow users. jmo.


66 posted on 01/22/2010 8:04:25 AM PST by deport (39 DAYS UNTIL THE TEXAS PRIMARY....... MARCH 2, 2010)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
One thing that may help but not really easy to implement is the use of a daily thread on a topic. I know that's not totally the answer and breaking news items should be posted. Example, I try to post info about the current Texas Governors race. In it I try to cover as many articles that I see around the state's papers and combine them into one posting. Another example would be consolidating Palin info into some categories as daily threads. I know if the thread gets too long it becomes hard to find info. There is no easy solution as long as the board is an open and free flowing entity and that is the way it should be as long as Jim can keep it that way.
67 posted on 01/22/2010 8:14:27 AM PST by deport (39 DAYS UNTIL THE TEXAS PRIMARY....... MARCH 2, 2010)
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To: deport

A group did that for the FLDS compound raid, they had a daily thread and posted links to news articles. It kept the discussion focused, and in one place, and I think it was a great way to foster discussion in the community, instead of dozens of threads.


68 posted on 01/22/2010 8:23:35 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: RGSpincich; Admin Moderator
I thought you were offended by my use of the term, "Instructions" - but the Admin Moderator was so clearcut that I couldn't think of a better description.

Anyway, I've got lots of pings from my posting the link to the Admin Moderator posting, so I must be utterly mistaken, I had NO idea that what was set forth in that long posting no longer applies.

I searched before I posted, but didn't see any other threads from Admin Mod about bloggers.

Take care, and thanks for letting me know that I didn't offend you.

69 posted on 01/22/2010 8:28:44 AM PST by hennie pennie
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To: hennie pennie

Why did you send that to me?


70 posted on 01/22/2010 8:29:15 AM PST by DManA
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To: b4its2late

Giggety!


71 posted on 01/22/2010 8:31:21 AM PST by GQuagmire ( We are no longer Massholes)
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To: hennie pennie

Yes ma’m, I read it.


72 posted on 01/22/2010 8:33:30 AM PST by poobear
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To: deport
I wonder if bloggers are being told somewhere to go around to different websites, such as here at FR and post their blog articles?

IF this is so, I wonder where they are being advised to do so?

It would be interesting to know.

Also, do you have any idea what kind of money that bloggers actually make from google ads, nowadays?

I thought I read that google ads are a mere pittance nowadays, that the ONLY way to make "real" money is to post videos on UTube.

That'a why I only rarely open up an messagethread which says stuff like, "SEE this V=I=D=E=0, it's sooo kEwL, go 2 UTube, n@w, do NOT pass go, gimme money!!!"

I never click on the video come-on threads as I've read that there are actually some UTube video posters who make hundreds of thousands of dollars over there, but I don't know who they are, I don't follow it closely.

But bloggers trying to get "hits" to their blogs, they aren't making more than a pittance few bucks a month, I'm certain I've read that several times this past half year.

73 posted on 01/22/2010 8:36:22 AM PST by hennie pennie
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To: CharlesWayneCT
Charlie "OCD" Wayne is...

...THREAD COP. Wednesdays at 9 on Logo.

74 posted on 01/22/2010 8:40:02 AM PST by TruthHound ("He who does not punish evil commands it to be done." --Leonardo da Vinci)
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To: DManA
Because I obviously thought it might interest you since you are participating on this thread.

However, I have now written your name down dmana, and I sincerely promise you that I will NEVER post anything whatsoever, not anything whatsoever, no matter what it is about will I post anything to you EVER again. So not to worry!!

75 posted on 01/22/2010 8:40:56 AM PST by hennie pennie
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To: My hearts in London - Everett

It’d be nice to have a duplicate button that auto adds “duplicate thread” to the keywords for a post, but there would be some room for abuse. Perhaps a citation to the original thread as a requirement would fix that, I don’t know...


76 posted on 01/22/2010 8:43:31 AM PST by jurroppi1 (America, do not commit Barry Care-y!)
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To: poobear
Do you by any chance if what the Admin Mod stated in that long posting has changed?

I haven't been able to find any update on it, but perhaps my search skills are really super lousy. I try to avoid blog postings, but when there is BIG news, they are seemingly unavoidable.

I wonder if they irk Jim and the mods, too.

77 posted on 01/22/2010 8:47:10 AM PST by hennie pennie
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To: hennie pennie

I’m giving this one a rest HP. I’ve never been banned here in six years (maybe close) nor have I given any Moderator advice. I plan on keeping it that way. They have an entire army of Viking Kitties as a back up and frankly I surrendered years ago.


78 posted on 01/22/2010 8:53:51 AM PST by poobear
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To: hennie pennie

Chill out. Jeez.


79 posted on 01/22/2010 8:57:36 AM PST by DManA
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To: poobear
Oh I'm sorry. I apologize for addressing a question to you. I had no idea that it would so upset you.

Good by.

80 posted on 01/22/2010 9:02:57 AM PST by hennie pennie
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