Why such long threads?

No!!!!! Some threads take on a long life of their own. Just because they do, does not mean that they need to be deleted. Often, especially in Group Builds, they can run for extended time frames and have hundreds upon hundreds of posts. Deleting all that work just because some arbitrary number has been reached is flat out wrong. Yes there may be some silly fluff in there, but there is likely more hard work and great model building as well.

What stik said! Bob

Cadet Chuck

What is the point of continuing these long threads with over 1000 posts?  Who is going to spend the time to read all that?  I suggest that when they reach some maximum number of maybe a hundred or so, they should be deleted by the moderators.  My 2 cents worth.

I agree with Stik.  Especially all the GB threads.  MANY tips and tricks are learned during these GB's and some one just popping in and starting out in the hobby has a wealth of reference material in those threads.  

Eagle90

I agree with stik.

There is always a treasure trove of valuable information lost to the ages buried in the quagmire that is a group build thread. GB threads tend to stretch to the 100 response mark long before they even begin.

Questions will be asked, in progress photos posted, questions answered, techniques clarified, all within the thread. Problem is, no one will be able to easily find it.

Months or years from now you'll remember reading something in a thread, but since the thread is a GB one, not one titled with a subject pertaining to the information you wanted you'll be hard pressed to remember if that thread was in the armor forum, group build forum, or whatnot.

And 50% of a GB thread is a combination of "I've added you" and "Great Job".

Agree with Stik.

Jim 

Don't the tags help you mark a post for just that purpose ... So you can mark a post for future reference? Or you can favorite the post to come back to at a later date...

stikpusher

No!!!!! Some threads take on a long life of their own. Just because they do, does not mean that they need to be deleted. Often, especially in Group Builds, they can run for extended time frames and have hundreds upon hundreds of posts. Deleting all that work just because some arbitrary number has been reached is flat out wrong. Yes there may be some silly fluff in there, but there is likely more hard work and great model building as well.

This brings up a possible feature that could be added to the forums. If there are more than thirty or forty posts in a thread, there could be some way of going the the block of messages that include the most recent post, without having to change the whole forum to "read latest first," and without having to go to the first block to select message group number.

I view Group Builds as an e-version of a kind of  modeling club meeting/build "night".

Everybody sitting around and building, swapping info, making silly comments, teasing, praising and showing new or renewing old techniques, to the other guys.  This environment brings out to best in each participant.  While allowing for a friendly supportive atmosphere to keep the"lone-lys" at bay and create a sense of shared purpose.  

Benefits? all the participants and those who follow along 'incognito" increase their abilities and knowledge of the subject matter.

Cut to a specific length of posts? No! Counter productive.

In current WIP threads  there is no limit of threads even those that start and stop and restart maybe months later. Yet there seems to be no problem with those threads. Nor for those  that stretch out, sometimes for over a year ( due to some real world interference) or are heavily laden with "how to" photos causing a large number of posts.

Ours is a dynamic as well as a tradition laden (hidebound, some may think) hobby, never staying in one place too long but evolving from a basic interest in creating a product that pleases us and sometimes,if so inclined, being able to share with like minded folks that appreciate our efforts.

Gotta go now, my glue is dry  and I need to get the prime coat on........

Uuuumm....NO!

I sometimes do what Fly-n-high said.  Go from back to front as see what the latest is.  I came from an Auto forum site that closed about 2 years ago.  Thats why I am here and also because my friend challenged me to try something different.  A tank!  But thats how I ended up here.  Anyhoo on that site we had a few threads that were incredibly long!  One was called "The Ever Growing Stash".  Its where we all put a pic of a kit if we had bought one that day.  So I agree some of the longest are the coolest.  Why else would they be so long?

Honestly, I have to laugh...it's funny and enlightening sometimes to see what annoys some people! We're all different,. and I have my own share of "pet peeves".

Having said that, I don't see how the size of a thread is a detriment to the forums. I confess that I never read GB threads. Just too much spam and banter.

The popups are the only thing that bugs me.  Especially when I use my phone.  

Why is this thread so long?

Raualduke

Why is this thread so long?

'cause it is interesting-informative-up to date-provides a forum for intelligent (?) discourse- and most importantly............It's FUN      

It was a joke pal

Raualduke

It was a joke pal

  I  know; good fun eh?

As the others have said, there are very good reasons that threads reach such high numbers of posts.  If I were you, I'd click the link to go to the newest post in a long thread.  That's what I do.  

It is good fun duster, hope I didn't offend

Raualduke

It is good fun duster, hope I didn't offend

  not me 

AND 

the Baron excellent point / reminder  

On a boating forum I was on they used to edit/compress completed boat restoration threads once the build was finished.  All of the "atta boys" and "check out my new hamster" comments were deleted but all of the relevant, helpful tips were left in.   I'd rather see that than imposing a thread count. <-pun.

Huh ?  Whadya say ?

tankerbuilder

Huh ?  Whadya say ?

He was talking about his long tailed hamster---I think--somthin' like that

lol, I was talking about those threads that go from model building to something off topic for several pages.  

Agree with stikpusher

Oh ! ;   I thunk we was talking about thread count . Aren't we supposed to do that only when buying bed - linens .Ya know , the more threads the better the product . Shoot all these long threads got me to thinking .Ain't that what they'se supposed to do ?

There is a thread started on a sister mag site called What did you get today been going for yrs, but i do get the point okay after the g.b.is done then dump thread for it