PSA: Beware of the Necro Threads

[Theodric]

It'll ease once 5.2 arrives, I bet. At least for a while. Fresh content usually brings with it fresh discussion.

[Penthea]

Sometimes a necro is a perfectly valid thing to do if you genuinely have something to offer to the conversation, and if no more recent threads are available to post in.

But the way we are seeing necro threads happening lately is clearly blatant trolling. Most of the time the trolls don't even try to pretend they're making a genuine contribution. They just say one line that vaguely relates to the subject or a stupid joke.

I feel that this behaviour is very disruptive because:

1: Necroed threads push more recent, and therefore usually more relevant, threads down the list and even on to page 2, where most players never go. Essentially reviving these old threads for no reason other than to troll is spam that interferes with the visibility of newer threads.

2: The majority of these threads necroed by trolls are about very divisive topics that often very successfully result in players arguing with one another in new posts. Obviously the troll's intent is to take joy in watching people clash in a thread they personally revived.

I really wish the forum moderators would do something about this. If we can clearly see they are trolling, then surely they can too.

[Limecat]

I've never gotten where this attitude came from that bumping an old thread is equivalent to someone crapping on your doorstep. I've long since lost count of the number of times the following scenario popped up:
*someone googles trying to get some info, ends up on Board X as the only relevant-looking option*
*either the search engine or in-site search reveals one particular thread related to the matter*
*the specific thing being asked isn't really answered or is hidden behind the ever-helpful "i PM you fix lol" answer*

At this point our hapless knowledge-seeker makes an account and either:
A) Asks in the thread, and then gets banned when the admins and five remaining members of the board come REEEEEEEEEEEEing out of the woodwork at the necro.

or

B) They make a new thread to ask, are met with wailing and gnashing of teeth for having not "googled it", topic is locked, person banned.

Seriously, if being asked a question is such a colossal hardship, save yourself a few of those seconds you're considering wasted and just ignore it.

[Iscah]

I really wish the forum moderators would do something about this. If we can clearly see they are trolling, then surely they can too.

I agree - though unfortunately it seems like there are no active moderators patrolling the forum at large - or if they are, they can only act within strict guidelines. There doesn't seem to be someone with the authority to "see a pattern" and act on it (I suspect they receive reported posts in isolation), which I think is how trolls carry on here so long. It's a slow burn of posts that never individually overstep any boundaries, so they can't be modded and build up to any sort of "X strikes and you're out" state even though the cumulative effect clearly deserves it.

All we can do is report, and hope there's some threshold at which it can get alerted to someone with the ability to join those dots and do something about it.

[Kusanagi7]

sumtimes cant warning about stuff like this actually cause it to happen more?

[Arngrim_Greyashe]

I've never gotten where this attitude came from that bumping an old thread is equivalent to someone crapping on your doorstep. I've long since lost count of the number of times the following scenario popped up:
*someone googles trying to get some info, ends up on Board X as the only relevant-looking option*
*either the search engine or in-site search reveals one particular thread related to the matter*
*the specific thing being asked isn't really answered or is hidden behind the ever-helpful "i PM you fix lol" answer*

At this point our hapless knowledge-seeker makes an account and either:
A) Asks in the thread, and then gets banned when the admins and five remaining members of the board come REEEEEEEEEEEEing out of the woodwork at the necro.

or

B) They make a new thread to ask, are met with wailing and gnashing of teeth for having not "googled it", topic is locked, person banned.

Seriously, if being asked a question is such a colossal hardship, save yourself a few of those seconds you're considering wasted and just ignore it.

It seems to me you're not aware of the situation. There is one particular user going about and bringing several year old threads to the first page to simply push current threads and discussions off. They aren't asking questions. They aren't contributing to conversation. They're only putting in a few words, then moving along to the next thread they want to necro. Some of these threads are clearly bait to start up old arguments, such as the Male viera threads. This individual is seeking to cause problems, not ask for help. That is the difference.

[Ssmiley_Bjakkzz]

Who cares, whole game is necro

[Rocond]

With so many threads from 2003 - 2008 being dug up from the grave

This is impossible. FFXIV 1.0 came out in 2010. The forums started in 2011

[RokkuEkkusu]

My advice to those who see necroed threads and/or don't want to deal with the so-called "trolls":

Don't entertain them. Don't post or reply in their topics. Ignore those threads. Post and read only the areas that apply to you.

[Saefinn]

I disagree.
If an issue was brought up 5+ years ago, and someone decided to contribute, this would mean there is still merit to adding points of talk to the discussion at hand.

While the original topic creator may not be around to see your posts, someone might.

Whilst that's a plausible reason for somebody to do it. I don't think the necroing the OP is referring to counts.

See exhibit A:

I am so sorry this happened to you. If you need someone to talk to feel free to PM me

That was on a 3 year old rant thread from a new player who got kicked out of a dungeon for being new.

Exhibit B:

You can easily tell there are no more players joining the game by how empty The Goblet is.

A 1 year old thread about the population of the game that was necro'd.

Exhibit C

You can reply to your thread by clicking "Reply to Thread."

A necro'd thread from 2014. That funnily enough was about a necro debate.

And these are all necrobumps from a resident troll who is well established as being a troll. It seems after finding many of his troll threads haven't gotten good bites and that almost everybody realises that he's a troll that he's taken to being a nuisance instead.