Thread Migration - moving posts without owner consent?

mistywolf17 said:The issue is that his thread was merged with another one. Once that happens, it technically isn't "his" thread anymore, which explains why he can't find it under his own posts. I believe that's essentially what he was trying to convey. 😉

Aleluyah. 🙏

Jacob Foster11 said:What happens if someone subscribed to this thread? Does the subscription expire, or does it carry over to the new one?

Btw, you can always just use the "Find all posts by..." option.😉

I'm not sure about the subscription since I don't use that feature myself. But I guess it might just disappear. 😕

How is anyone supposed to find things with "Find all posts" when it only shows the last 300 messages?
They can just use the Search function with specific keywords, which is exactly how he found it. 🤷

mistywolf17 said:His thread got merged with another one. So now it isn't technically "his" anymore, which means he can't find it sitting under his own profile. I think that's basically what he was getting at. 😉

Honestly, I think that’s what’s really eating at him. He could just use the search bar, sure, but since he actually found it, he's just stuck obsessing over why it was moved... and the fact that nobody bothered to tell him either...

Jacob Foster11 said:What happens if someone subscribed to this thread? Does the subscription expire, or does it carry over to a new one?

By the way, you can always just use the "Find all posts by..." feature. 😉

Goodness, I feel like an outsider here, suggesting you hunt for fifty posts that are easily accessible. Since I first started this specific thread, I’ve written at least another 500 posts—in my estimation, anyway, though it feels like much more. How could anyone be expected to spend fifty hours searching for a single topic? It simply doesn't make sense.

I explained exactly how I located it. I was reviewing my notes in Word—specifically the introduction to the thread—and wondered which keyword would work best in a search engine. The word "collection" stood out to me, as I don't recall using it very often. The opening sentence reads:

The Ten Commandments are a collection of biblical laws found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deut. 5:6-21.

I used the advanced search function, entered the word "collection," added the username "no Nick" (without quotes, naturally), and there it was.

http://forum.us/search.php?searchid=7570587

Give it a try and see if it works for you. 🙂

Jacob Foster11 said:What happens if you subscribe to this thread? Does the subscription expire, or does it carry over to the next one?

By the way, you can always find everything by using that "Find all posts by..." option. 😉

No way, that's just not possible.
It only shows the last 300 there.

Don't get mad at me, but I’m asking this seriously: do you really have a blacked-out profile and still not realize how limited posts work? I don't think you understood my question about how moving a thread means the original one stops existing, which is why it won't show up in his open threads anymore.

Oops, looks like by the time I hit post, a few others had already said the exact same thing. 🙂.

mistywolf17 said:I cannot say for certain regarding the subscription, as I don't personally utilize that service. However, my intuition suggests it would likely disappear. 😕

I have never once utilized a "subscription" feature on any forum, and certainly not here; besides, I suspect such a thing would simply vanish anyway.

mistywolf17 said:How on earth is one supposed to use the "Find all posts" feature when it only displays the last 300 entries? It feels quite limiting, doesn't it?
He was able to locate it by utilizing the search engine and specific keywords, just as he had done previously. 🤷

I have officially abandoned my attempt to use the "Find all posts" feature. I estimate that I have written perhaps 2,000 posts since last April—though it might actually be more than that, if I am being honest. Regardless, there is simply no way for me to locate them using that specific method.

rapidrider3 said:I find myself agreeing that this is likely what’s weighing on him most heavily. It's one thing to hunt her down via a search engine, but now that he has actually found her, he's stuck in this agonizing loop of wondering why she was transferred—especially since nobody bothered to give him any official notice about it.

It simply makes no sense if they don't reach out to me. 😢 Having served as both a moderator and an administrator on another forum, I find myself reflecting on the etiquette of thread management. In my own experience, moving a topic without any prior notice feels quite counterintuitive; I have always made it a point to notify users whenever I relocate a discussion. It leaves me wondering: does being a moderator grant someone the liberty to manipulate my threads however they see fit simply by virtue of their title? 😕 To me, this simply doesn't make any sense.

Steven Clark2 said:Give it a shot and see if you can actually pull it off. 🙂

Did it work?

mellowlynx68 said:No, absolutely not.
There are only the last 300 there.

Don't get mad, but I’m asking you seriously: how can you have a black username and still be this clueless about limited posts? You clearly didn't grasp that once a thread is moved, it stops being its own thing and won't just show up in his open threads.

I wasn't aware of that. No worries, I'm not upset. Even moderators make mistakes. Besides, I'm still pretty new to this role myself. My apologies for spreading misinformation. 😉

I haven't used the search function much in the past, so I wasn't aware. Now I know.

Just wanted to get my thoughts out there. When you head over to the advanced search, there's an option to search by title. Since you can add a title to any post, I figured that would actually work.

Steven Clark2 said:.......

It makes zero sense for them to just ghost me. 😢 Look, I run things as a mod and admin over on another Reddit community, so I actually get how this works—you don't just move a thread without a heads-up. Usually, if I move something, I let people know. So what, does being a moderator mean you just get to mess around with my threads however you want just because you have the badge? 😕 It’s ridiculous.

I do the same thing, except I don't bother sending notifications. Every once in a while, we'll just leave it for maybe a day—if we know they're online for several hours—and they'll figure it out. We even have a dedicated thread where we talk about everything, so we just post there that stuff was moved from point A to point B, and everyone stays happy.

Maybe some people would just get annoyed getting those kinds of private messages... we all have different personalities, and honestly, you can't please everyone.

Anyway, since a massive amount of time has passed since all this happened, I don't think there's anything left to be done at this point.

The only fix would be for them to put out a notice somewhere stating they won't be giving warnings when moving threads...

Jacob Foster11 said:Yes, it actually worked...

👍 I suppose I am fortunate that I occasionally possess the ability to connect the dots (largely by selecting a word that wasn't already overused in my vocabulary), which is how I stumbled upon it. It truly meant a lot to me to be able to review it.

Alright, I wasn't aware of that. Please don't worry, I'm certainly not angry. Even moderators make mistakes. Besides, I am still quite new to the moderator role myself. My apologies for spreading misinformation. 😉

I haven't utilized those search functions very often, so I simply didn't know. Now I do.

We all make errors, but you should strive to better understand your interlocutor; you will find it necessary in your role as a moderator. Had you been reading my posts from the very beginning, you would have understood exactly what I was getting at. 🙂

I wanted to explain my thought process. When you use the advanced search, there is an option to search by title. Since every post can have a title assigned to it, I assumed that approach would work.

I located the thread using a single specific word (though, admittedly, it could have been another word—it hardly matters), and I was quite surprised to find it had been "merged" into another topic without any prior notice. I couldn't help but think it was rather wonderful that it was merged without my knowledge or presence. 🙂

rapidrider3 said:I follow a similar approach, though I don't broadcast it. On rare occasions, we might wait about a day—provided we know they’ll be online for several hours—before making the move so they notice. We also have a dedicated thread where we document everything, so users can see that their content was moved from one spot to another, which keeps everyone happy and satisfied.

I suspect some people might find receiving those kinds of private messages a bit grating. We all have different temperaments here, and frankly, it is impossible to please everyone.

Now, given how much time has passed since that incident, I suspect there isn't much left to be done about it.

The only real fix would be to post a general notice stating that users won't be notified when threads are moved.

We are a diverse group, but perhaps it would be wise to establish a consensus among the moderators on this Reddit, just for future reference. It would prevent anyone with bad intentions from misinterpreting a thread relocation. 🙂

To be perfectly honest, personally, I see no logical reason why moving or merging a thread shouldn't involve a notification. 🤷 However, I believe in practicing a certain level of tolerance. 🙂 If the moderation team decides there is no need to announce every single move or merge, that is perfectly fine; if they choose to do so, that is also fine.

Just yesterday, another moderator deleted a thread of mine, but at least they sent me a message to let me know. It seems we all have slightly different philosophies on the matter.

Steven Clark2 said:It simply makes no sense for them to ignore me. 😢 Having served as both a moderator and an administrator on another major Reddit community, I am acutely aware that moving a thread without any prior notice is entirely counterproductive—especially since my standard practice is to always notify the original poster when I relocate their content. As it stands, does this imply that a moderator can simply manipulate my threads at their own whim purely by virtue of their title? 😕 To my mind, that is completely illogical.

Nick, hello there. 🙂

On our Reddit (which is the largest platform in the country), we manage a massive volume of discussion topics.
Occasionally, we moderators make errors in judgment, and what you have described falls under the category of such an administrative oversight.
It is absolutely true that sending a private message to the thread author could provide significant clarity.
Moving forward, I will ensure that I always send the author a PM explaining why their thread was merged, including a direct link to the new location (while I have done this sporadically in the past, I have always maintained a redirect for several days to ensure users can find their way).

I trust that you will accept this explanation, and I hope we can bring this matter to a close now without further unnecessary prolongation of the discussion? 😉

Aaron Harris2 said:Hey Nick. 🙂

On our Reddit (which is the largest one in the country), we have an incredible amount of threads.
It happens that us moderators make mistakes in our decisions sometimes, and I suppose what you pointed out falls under that category of minor mishaps.
It is absolutely true that sending a private message to the thread author can be very helpful in these situations.
From now on, I will make sure to always send a PM to the author explaining why their thread was merged and including a link to the new one (I've done this sporadically in the past—sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't—but I always left a redirect up for a few days so people could click and see where the topic moved).

I hope you can accept this explanation, and perhaps we can conclude this matter now without dragging the discussion out any further? 😉

No, I certainly didn't expect this kind of "dragging on" (as my uncle would say, just making things longer than they need to be, LOL); I honestly thought this would be resolved and locked within two or three replies. 🙂

The "mishap" itself isn't really the issue, nor am I looking to point fingers at anyone in particular—even if I don't have total confidence in the moderators from that PDF where my thread was merged. I'm not blaming anyone; I simply wanted to understand the process. If nothing else, it might be useful for everyone to know that notifying the original poster is a good practice. There really should be at least a redirect, though a private message is clearly the best way to go.

P.S. I heard there was some wild party going on in Washington, D.C. last night for someone's birthday. 😍

Jacob Foster11 said:Yeah, it worked...

Fair enough, I didn't realize that. No worries at all, I'm not upset. Even mods mess up sometimes, and I'm still pretty new to this role myself. Sorry for spreading the wrong info. 😉

I haven't used those specific search filters much, so I just didn't know. Now I do.

Here’s what I was thinking: when you use the advanced search, there’s an option to search by title. Since you can add a title to any post, I assumed that would work.

Before this thread gets locked, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate seeing mods who are actually decent people—the kind who aren't afraid to admit when they don't know something or made a mistake.

🙏 🙏

🙂

Well, I am genuinely relieved that we have finally brought clarity to this matter. 🙂

I have taken due note of your comments. 👍

(As for any plans for a party? There will be nothing of the sort, as I suffered a rather nasty fall on some ice; I lost my footing far too quickly and nearly fractured several ribs—thankfully, it was a near miss—and consequently, everything has been pushed back by a week or two... please, do not ask.) 🤦

mistywolf17 said:I've got no clue about subscriptions since I don't bother with them. But my guess? They'd probably just vanish. 😕

Nah, they wouldn't disappear. I actually use them, so I know how it works. 🙂
If you ask me, subscriptions are easily the best and fastest way to keep up with what's happening on this forum...

I agree regarding the subscription model. I simply add items to my subscriptions whenever I want to track them. 🙂

Incidentally, I am uncertain if everyone here understands the search engine's capabilities. You can filter by specific subforums or timeframes, and results can be sorted chronologically or by topic versus individual posts. There are numerous ways to navigate through all posts, even from a user with 10,000 entries. Give it a try. 🙂

How exactly should we go about testing this? Could you provide an example? 🙂 Honestly, if everyone were already fully informed, there wouldn't be such a pressing need for us to constantly ask questions here on the forum. 🙂 I have a general understanding of how search functions work, but I am struggling with the specifics: how can I use it to locate my own posts from a certain window, say, between April 2nd and April 22nd of last year?

You tend to be quite verbose, which complicates things 😁

However, if you select "Find posts from a year ago - and newer"
and adjust how the results are displayed via the "Sort results..." option,
you will find that you have contributed to roughly 12 different threads since that time. 😁

A significant amount of information is available there.
Furthermore, targeting a specific subforum makes the search process much more efficient.

shadowpilot8 said:Well, you certainly tend to be more prolific, so it isn't easy to track everything. 😁

Please, don't trouble yourself; I have logged over 4,500 posts since September 2008. 😁 I arrived at that figure using a slightly different methodology. 🙂

However, if you use the "Find posts from a year ago and newer" feature—
and adjust how the results are displayed via the "Sort results..." option,
for instance, you would see you've contributed to about 12 different thread pages from that point until today. 😁

There is quite a lot of material there to read.
It becomes even simpler if you know which specific sub-forum you want to search.

I will certainly keep those tips in mind for the future, but I truly appreciate the advice, just as I appreciate everyone else's help. 🙂

Hey mellowlynx68, I've moved this thread over here.
There were several threads titled "The Ten Commandments," at least five of them, actually. :0rofl:
Someone opened yet another identical one a few days ago, so I went ahead and merged them all together.

I suppose it might be helpful to practice using the search function a bit more. 🙂 Best,