Bitcoin Forum

This is the beginners and help board of the forum. So as a beginner, I am here to get some help. I therefore appeal to you to kindly forgive my ignorance, but I need to ask these questions so that I can get a clearer understanding and not break the forum's rules.

1. If necroposting isn't allowed to prevent spamming why aren't very old threads lock?

2. If I come across an old thread from 2021 and I think I have new input to contribute, would do you advice me to start a new thread instead of bumping the old one?

I don't think this has been discussed before (AFAIK). I do have a personal opinion for both your points tough, it might not be the same as the admin's and i reserve the right to change my opinion if i hear good arguments coming up from other people :).

1. Don't think this is a good idear. If you lock a topic, it becomes completely static. What if somebody wants to clean up his posts because he (for example) doxxed him/herself? I know, the internet it permanent, and your post details stay in several caches forever, but at least if the topic isn't locked you have the option to edit the details that are in plain view.
AFAIK, there are people advocating to lock topics as soon as they received sufficient replies, but it's more of a personal responsibility, not something the mod's have to do manually or the admin does automatically.

2. depends on the thread... Most of the time, the answer would be: yes, if you find a topic that hasn't received a reply for 2 years and you have something new to add, it might be a good idear to open a new thread... But it does depend on how long ago the thread has been created, how long ago since the last post, the content of the thread and the comment you want to add. For example, if it's a topic from 2014 that asks a very specific question and received a couple dozen replies over then next 7 years but no real answer, and it is now dormant for 2 years AND you have the exact answer for the exact question that has been discussed for 7 years and is dormant for only 2, it might be ok to add the answer to the question for reference purposes. If you just want to tell the world you haven't found the answer either you might want to consider not necroposting...

I can't see any rule that prohibited necroposting.
For the unofficial rules, refer to this thread: Unofficial list of (official) Bitcointalk.org rules, guidelines, FAQ (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=703657.0)

And a few replies below, there's a related reply from the author regarding the topic:

Depends if it's off-topic.
Example in Technical Support board, I only see a few who necropost with the exact same issue.
Usually, it's only "similar", which should have been a posted as a new topic.

Because it would be tedious and possibly pointless to search through every section in-depth? I mean, it certainly takes a significant amount of time and mental effort to analyze each post on a forum with hundreds of topics for each section.

Plus, as far as I'm aware, necroposting varies from case to case basis. There are instances that some people have found their subject of interest through a Google search, or perhaps it's just that this particular subject is thought to be of high quality and continues to serve its purpose for a longer period of time. But still, the topic can be easily reported and locked if it is revived from a low value opinionated reply and that the parent topic is irrelevant in the present day.

Personally, bumping an old thread or creating a new one isn't really a huge problem as long as the post is substantial, extremely relevant and well-written -- because hey, that is what we should do  e v e r y   t i m e.

From my perspective of view, there are boards and threads which are self moderated and locking of such threads can only be done by the OP on the other hand most times threads are locked when it seems spamming is getting so much on it even after an answer or a solution has been provided to those threads.
There are threads that even without locking them, it seems that it has already been exhausted and more newer ones tend to push down the old ones.


Yeah, it will be better you start a new thread and make some reference to the previous thread rather than going to kick start a discussion you weren't there from the start

Because sometimes there is a valid reason to post in those threads, and if a moderator auto-locks those threads, then those threads can only be opened by other moderators.


If it is something directly relevant to the thread, then provided it's not horribly out of date (from like 5 years ago), then you should put your post in that thread. Otherwise if it just has a simple connection to that thread, it is better you start a new one.

Many members have been correctly answered your question, but I want to add few thing:

1. Be sure you're read the date of the thread before posting, when a newbie or someone bump an old thread, the next poster will not get any warning message before replying. If there's no warning message, it doesn't mean you're correct, you need to read the post which bump the thread, if it's just a common sense and only repeating other people post, don't post or your post will get deleted.

2. When you see someone bump an old thread without any point, report the post to the moderators.

I would say Necroposting and Bumping are two different things.
it's perfectly fine if the OP of an old thread wants to refresh the info after a long time and it's not necessary to open a new topic for that. while necroposting is ordinary trolling, they usually try to promote something on a "relevant" topic, and then the spammers stick their signatures and continue with the unnecessary discussion.

Answering something years after other member asked a question is stupid and clear case of necroposting.
Original topics doesn't have to be locked at all, unless original author decides he wants to do that, or if topic turns into spam fest that can result in moderator locking it.

It depends from case to case, and there is no universal answer for this question.

I have not read in any rule and regulations on this forum where it is written that long inactive posts cannot be replied to. Once the reply to a topic is not closed, replying to such topic should not be seen as a foul or breaking a guideline.

And on the other hand, irrespective of the time a post is last replied to, contributing to it in relation to current situation can still be done.

It ain't allowed for the fact that many insensible peeps would end up messing up the already concluded discussions on that thread - assuming it was a thread for a major project -- but it ain't also Locked cus permanently cus at some point, modifications could be made in future.
It all really differ in many cases. Depends on the issue in question, if it's necessary to make them as a continuation, then that's exact..but if not, then you'll have a create a smaller thread that's coined from the former, as an appraisal.

Sandra 🧑‍🦰

For you to post in an old thread and not accuse of necroposting it should have important or relevance to the subject of the thread, an update, an upgrade, or a breakthrough on the topic or the topic is not yet conclusive that it needs a relevant answer to fulfill on whatever question and issue the topic has.
You will break the rule and will be guilty of necroposting if your topic or post is redundant, more so if you happen to be part of a signature campaign.

Old threads should be lock especially when the discussion starting to be nonsense and all replies are generic answers or already out on the topic. But if the thread still helpful since the thread creator open it to leave an open discussion towards certain issue then I guess its still good to let it open.





If you can contribute to the topic post it there since its nonsense to create new thread since there is a topic already posted intended for that.

From others comments on this very question it's clear there's no conventional or consensus agreement among forum users on what should be done about in such case. It therefore suggest that you can use your discretion knowing when you're bumping or spamming on a particular thread that has already been discussion. And things that anyone should consider to knowing if you're spamming or should bump on an already existing thread is; the duration of such thread; when last was it edited or a comment was made in the thread was it 2 or 3 years ago; or are the answers to the question of the thread now obsolete and you have current updates to it which could be so elaborate.

Please be aware that, if the necro post is not substantial, then it's not OK anymore (at least, this is what I understand from mprep's statement).
So, basically, there is no rule against necro posting. However, if OP wishes to bring back to life an old thread, this can be done, in my opinion, by editing it (if he was the author + combined with a post like "March 2023 Update: I found new evidence / new information etc.") or adding new valuable information to what has been discussed, if he believes that it would be useless to start another thread on same matter, since one was already created. Take for example the topic Merry Christmas to the Forum (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5088731.0), which is brought back to life each year on Christmas. Practically, by typing there after 365 days, those posts can be considered as necro posts. Yet there is no reason for starting a new similar thread each year.


Same as above. Each case should be analyzed on an individual basis. If what you want to add is precisely on the subject of the topic, then you could add your post to the old thread.

Basically these guidelines can be considered as common sense. If you feel that you are not on same page with the main subject, then start a new thread. But if you'll discuss precisely same ideas, you can use the old topic.

Additionally, it depends on the thread; question, news or update. If the person wants to find an answer and the old thread doesn't provide answers that suits the level of understanding the user needs, bumping the thread won't help as many members won't contribute on the bumped thread. So, the user can create a fresh thread and as well refer to the old thread then tailor out what answer they're actually looking at. Hence if its a news or update it's not necessary because they must be changes in such threads. So, you made the right point by adding that it has to be a personal decision.