Inquiry regarding new thread topics on AFL-CIO (for Fermina-dazu, CD covers, New York City, or an ad

On the housing and AFL-CIO subforums, there are tons of threads about water heaters—everything from specific brands to general stuff like "Gas Water Heaters: Tips, Service, and Troubleshooting."
Since Robert Martin23 opened this new thread a couple of days ago titled "conventional gas water heater" to supposedly explain the difference between those and condensing models, but instead just copy-pasted old posts from other threads (some dating back over a month to early January), I have to wonder: what’s the point?
He kicked the thread off with this post:

I'm no professional gas technician, but I'll try to answer the questions that keep popping up all over the forum. Just a heads-up, I might get some things wrong, as I know there are plenty of true experts here. Hopefully, this attempt will encourage them to jump in and correct me so we can clear everything up in plain English. It's not just about the differences, but also about the pros of these units, which people always ask about when they're trying to get the best bang for their buck.

🕺
Now there's yet another thread called "condensing gas water heater" featuring a massive post (no. 1) that starts like this:

Our long-standing experience working with brands like Carrier, Lennox, and General Electric shows that when you're picking out a condensing unit, getting the right info on this tech is huge. We'll try to share our expertise and tackle the big questions you'll run into if you go with condensing technology.

...and the whole thing was ripped straight from this website.
Does anyone know why someone would open unnecessary threads and just move old posts into them (posts that weren't even off-topic before)? And then just copy text and images from a company's site and act like they wrote it themselves?
It doesn't feel right, and it's definitely not helpful. Talking about heaters, asking for advice, or comparing models makes way more sense in a general water heater thread, rather than a dedicated thread for one specific type that'll probably only be discussed once.
Plus, copying text from a manufacturer's site and passing it off as your own without any credit or links isn't cool.
There's no link, so maybe it's not an ad, but it's still shady since the person posting isn't the actual author. Unless they work for that company, which makes it even worse.
If these threads stay up because they might actually be useful, they should probably just move to the housing section, since they don't really have anything to do with the AFL-CIO.

Besides that, there’s already a thread about condensing water heaters going—last update was back in July of last year.

Rachel Jones8, do you honestly think any of those mods being called out would even dare to reply?
I mean—not once you've gone and annoyed them by turning a single post into 3,284 separate questions...
Seriously—it’s quite an undertaking trying to keep up with these debates when you're involved 😬 :😉

I've got my doubts.
I know. 😉
I honestly don't get some of these moves... I mean, really? I tried to find some kind of logical explanation for it, but maybe there just isn't one.

Miller, I find that misplaced threads can be a bit of a nuisance on the forum.
Maybe there are a few extra topics here or there—nothing major.
Besides, those kinds of threads are usually started specifically to get people talking and spark some constructive dialogue. After all, within a week, hardly anyone even looks at the original post anyway.

It’s not just about the clutter or having ten different threads covering the same ground... it's the principle. Why even start a new topic (check post br.14) promising to break down the differences between standard and condensing water heaters, only to skip the actual explanation? Instead, you just dump old posts from some other heating thread here and pretend they're new?
Then you go and open yet another one specifically for condensing units, using phrases like "our long-standing experience" or "what we do"... basically just copy-pasting a corporate website.
The moderator is supposed to be keeping things organized, not making them more chaotic, right?

I’m no expert when it comes to water heaters—really—but I did mention why these seemingly pointless threads pop up sometimes.

Hint:
Look... You could have just sent him a private message with your thoughts.
Calling people out like this on the public boards definitely won't help your future relationships here.

There’s no point in getting worked up over the wrong things—you'll just end up frustrated later on.
Instead, maybe focus on that server admin who’s pushed this forum right to the edge of being usable. 😢

And while you're at it, come share your take on the new iPhone and those mobile updates we're seeing. 👍
I’m sure you have some strong opinions about them.

George Sanchez59 said:I don't know the first thing about water heaters, but I'll tell you why these kinds of random threads even exist.

Give me a hint?
Look... you could've just sent him a DM with your thoughts instead.
Calling people out like that over some paperwork isn't exactly going to help your future business relationships, is it?

Maybe. Honestly, though, we’re just not on the same wavelength, so I figured someone else might be able to make it click better.
Look, I'm just putting this out there to apologize publicly to the person involved. It’s not about starting drama or calling anyone out for no reason—I just felt like I owed everyone an explanation.

You're stressing over nothing. Why bother? You'll just end up getting yelled at by the boss later anyway.
Man, someone needs to shut down this server admin before he completely trashes this forum. How much more of this can we take? 😢

I mean, I read through all these posts to see what people are saying... but honestly? It feels like a total waste of time. Why even bother?
Don't worry, I'm not getting worked up, just a little confused. 😵

Oh yeah, I also wanted to weigh in on that iPhone and the new security updates rolling out here in the States. 👍
I bet you’ve got a take on them.

I'll pop in to read, but... nah, I don't really have an opinion. Never even seen them in person, let alone in a photo. 😁 )

The moderator may step in to launch new threads or reorganize existing ones if they feel such moves will improve clarity and optimize the PDF exports...

This specific thread regarding condensing water heaters was established so that you all, much like the members of the AFL-CIO, could engage in a collective dialogue to find your own solutions and assist one another. All other inquiries concerning gas water heaters will remain under the main directory...

As you likely noticed, the introductory text on condensing units was sourced from this website with the explicit permission of its owner. I have refrained from including the direct link, solely to avoid any appearance of selective advertising...

I was just about to shoot you a DM to get you in on this conversation. I wanted to see if you could help me make sense of some of these weird moves once I saw you pop up here.
Honestly, I feel like starting a thread to explain the difference between standard and condensing water heaters, only to say nothing about them and just link to another topic, doesn't really help anyone follow along. It kind of messes up the flow, you know? But hey, that's just my two cents—maybe it'll work out somehow. How are we supposed to compare the pros and cons if everything is split into two different threads?

Starting a whole new thread just to copy-paste stuff from a website... and not even bothering to use the quote tool? Seriously?

Our long-standing experience. Working with brands like Carrier, Lennox, and General Electric, I’ve learned one thing: if you want to pick the right condensing unit, you've gotta get the right info early on. Isn't it better to know what you're getting before you buy? We'll try to give you the quick rundown. We’ll share our long-standing experience and tackle the big questions you're bound to run into if you decide to go with condensing technology.

You didn't even say who’s doing the talking here. Whose experience are we actually talking about? Who's the one supposed to be sharing all this wisdom? Without that, it just sounds like you're talking about yourself.
Honestly, you should’ve just admitted you copied that text from somewhere. The link doesn't even matter since it's pretty obvious it was ripped off—anyone could find the source if they wanted to. Plus, since the text lists specific water heater brands that this company actually services, it basically reads like a blatant ad. Don't get me wrong, though; mentioning a company isn't always an advertisement. If someone is just sharing their own experience or giving a genuine recommendation, that's fine. We see that kind of stuff on other threads all the time.
Copying posts from other threads—especially when you're asking about a specific brand or a particular issue—is kind of weird, isn't it? Wouldn't you get a way better, faster answer if you just posted in the thread dedicated to that specific water heater or stuck to the "Gas Water Heaters - Tips, Service, & Troubleshooting" discussion?
Alright, thanks for clearing that up regardless. Just because I don't see the point doesn't mean there isn't one, right? 😉
Is it just me, or is this sub getting a little messy? Between posts being moved around, stuff getting deleted, and people opening new threads for things that already exist—like gas combi water heaters—it’s getting hard to find anything. Anyone else feeling this? Check this out. Thinking about getting a condensing water heater? Check this out. Could we just keep the conversation going on the existing threads instead of starting new ones from different topics? Why clutter things up?
Things are getting a little chaotic, haven't they? It wasn't like this before, but I guess there’s a method to the madness that we'll figure out eventually.
I won't beat a dead horse, thanks for reaching out.

Edit:
Either I want to, or maybe just a little bit. 🙂

Robert Martin23 said:I opened this thread on condensing water heaters so you guys can hash things out with the AFL-CIO style and find the answers you actually need. Want to help each other out? Just keep all the other gas water heater talk over in the main section.

I think anyone struggling with their water heater would have a much easier time if they just stuck to specific threads for their exact model. That way, you get direct help from pros who specialize in certain brands. We all know which ones they are—they used to be all over those discussions, though maybe a few have stepped back lately. If everyone just specifies their exact model right away, wouldn't that make getting a quick fix a lot simpler?
Trying to cram combo units and condensing boilers into just those two threads? That’s a bit much, don't you think? We've got everything from basic specs and how they work to savings, buying tips, repairs, and even AFL-CIO repair stuff. It's way too much for one spot.
Maybe some of this belongs over in the "Housing" subforum instead. That way, folks who aren't planning on getting their hands dirty fixing a unit themselves can get the general info—or the specifics—they need to figure out how to kit out their place.
I'll go ahead and 🙂 while you take a moment to 🙂 things over there. 😁

Honestly, I don't think this topic even needs to be an issue here. Like Robert Martin23 already pointed out, he’s just trying to organize things as efficiently as possible. I'm no expert when it comes to water heaters, so I can't say if every single type needs its own thread, but he knows what he's doing and he's the one moderating.

When a sub-thread gets split off from an older discussion, that first post can definitely look a bit weird. It's usually because they're trying to make the opening post make sense while also making sure the old thread doesn't look like it has a massive hole in it.

I'm pretty sure that's why the first post feels confusing, but at the end of the day, the thread has a title, there are other posts, and everyone knows what the debate is about. That should be plenty.

And yeah, Rachel Jones8, I agree with you—that text you quoted starting with "our long-standing experience" could have been phrased a lot better instead of being a straight copy-paste. But it's really not worth making a huge scene over. You probably could have just sent Robert Martin23 a private message to clear it up, which would've been way easier.

Nathan Turner3 said:I honestly don't think we need this thread here. Like Robert Martin23 already mentioned, he's just trying to organize things the right way. I'm no expert when it comes to water heaters, so if he thinks a specific thread is needed, I'll take his word for it—that's why he's moderating.

I thought we were finally done with this whole thing, but hopefully it's okay if I weigh in. Is there actually a reason to keep debating this? This is supposed to be a place where we can ask stuff and comment, right? Not trying to complain, just wondering.
Regarding the water heater threads, sure, having one for every type makes sense, but the issue is (and I know I said I wouldn't bug you about this again, but just to clarify):
- identical threads already exist
- there are tons of other water heater topics where asking about conventional vs. condensing models wouldn't be out of place (especially since we have threads like "Rheem, Trane, Carrier," "Carrier," "Trane water heater," "Colt water heater," plus "Which gas water heater should I buy?" and general ones like "Gas water heaters - advice, service, issues" etc.)
- the first one was opened on February 19th (for conventional models) with this post, which claimed the thread was meant to explain the differences between regular and condensing models, yet condensing models weren't even mentioned. To me 😕
After that post, I asked in the thread what the actual point was (me: "...mostly, I don't feel like you gave any useful info on conventional models, and you didn't say anything about condensing ones") and I got this response:

Robert Martin23 said:To be honest, I'm waiting for an actual pro to write an introductory post about these units. Especially since gas appliances are discussed across several threads on the AFL-CIO forums, and while interest is huge, the confusion is even bigger.
You can tell who the experts are just by reading the posts, so I'm asking one of them to keep the topic going regarding condensing units* and provide some basic intro info. There’s a lot of stuff out there that can easily mislead a layman, and technicians in this space are just trying to sell whatever they can.
I know manufacturer websites have plenty of info, but it's usually easier for pros to digest than for regular people. If we can help each other with solid, accurate advice, why wouldn't we?

* a dedicated thread for condensing units didn't exist at the time; it was only opened two days later

- then, old posts start getting copied into the thread—twelve of them... and not just from that day, but including a post from January 3rd and its reply, which actually fits much better in the "Gas water heaters - advice, service, issues" thread.
Is it really okay to say "technicians in this space are just trying to sell whatever they can"? All technicians? Everything under the sun? Isn't that a bit insulting to all the pros? And coming from one technician, no less?
So, someone just kicked off this new thread about "condensing water heaters," and let me tell you... the intro is absolute madness. Who even writes this stuff? I can't even begin to process this. What am I looking at?
What’s even the point of a website full of jargon that nobody can understand anyway? I was honestly just waiting for an actual expert to weigh in.
Why even start a second thread when the first one already kicked things off like this?

Gas water heaters... such an endless debate, isn't it?Standard gas or condensing units? Which way are we leaning?
Just a standard gas water heater.
I'm no licensed gas technician, but I figured I'd jump in and try to answer some of these questions that keep popping up all over the forum. Just a heads-up though—don't hold me to everything I say, because I know there are plenty of actual pros here who know way more than I do. Maybe my attempt at kicking this topic off will get someone to set me straight. Can we just break down these differences in plain English?.

Wouldn't one single thread be enough to clear up all those differences? Like that first post mentioned, why not just keep it all in one place?

Ever notice how splitting a thread can be super awkward? You try to make the first post make sense without leaving a massive, obvious hole in the old discussion. It’s a weird balancing act, isn't it?

I get it, I've definitely noticed that too. Sometimes a post just vanishes and you're left wondering where the hell it went...
Anyway, this is where the thread first kicked off. 14 ) some later posts were added to the thread—right before that one, including the first two ( 1 I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What's on your mind? 2 It’s been a month and a half and I’m still overthinking this? Honestly, why even bring up a problem that’s already fixed? Just because a pro gave him the answer, you know?
I don't get it. If a new thread is already open, why are those two ancient posts stuck right at the top? Plus there are another twelve like that... I mean, shouldn't the actual relevant posts be tucked neatly behind the original post that started the whole thing? My post was literally the second one in line.

I'm pretty sure that’s exactly why. The first post is a bit confusing, isn't it?Look, the thread has a title and there are other posts right there. We all know exactly what the debate is about. Isn't that enough?

Nah, it wasn't even that confusing. It wasn't even the first one—the actual first post was the one sitting at number 14. Robert Martin23 wrote that one and kicked off the whole thread, then just tacked the other posts on in front of it. The rest are fine, but honestly, those first two could've just stayed exactly where they were.
Regarding moving posts around—you know, when you're searching for them and they've vanished? I think it’d be way better to just drop a direct link to where they actually landed, rather than just pointing back to the first page of the thread. Wouldn't that make things a lot easier?

Yeah, Rachel Jones8, I’m with you—that bit about "our long-standing experience" definitely could've been written better instead of just being a straight copy-paste job. But is it really worth starting a whole new thread over? Wouldn't it be easier if you just sent Robert Martin23 a private message to clear it up?

It’s not just about that specific text—that’s only part of it... the whole post feels that way.
And dropping certain brand names right in the first sentence? It kind of smells like an ad.
I see posts getting deleted or flagged all the time when someone is just trying to be helpful... like sharing where they found a good deal or which power tool they actually like, yet it gets read as a promotion... I don't get why this post would be treated any differently.

Those were just rhetorical questions; there's really no need to overanalyze this. Everything is settled, I just wanted to clarify what I wasn't seeing clearly. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Sure, maybe a DM would have been better, but I wanted an outside perspective. I know he'd just tell me everything is great and better than ever, but without explaining *why*.
I mean, maybe things are better, we'll see.
Thanks for reaching out and for the help. 😉

Rachel Jones8 said:I get that maybe a DM would’ve been better, but I wanted an outside perspective. I know he’d just tell me everything is fine and better than it used to be, without actually explaining *why* it's better.

Honestly, I can't tell if the issue is him being unable to explain it, or you having trouble following his logic. Either way, if you want to dive deeper into this topic, feel free to reach out to the craftsman—he'll do his best to break it down so it makes sense to you. If you're still stuck after that, just hit us up with follow-up questions. 🙂