Merging discussions

What do you guys reckon to merging discussions that are on the same topic.

Basically to avoid the gradual addition of fifty different threads on hubs when it's the same information repeated ad nauseum.

I wouldn't do it much, just take all of the bottom bracket threads in a category and bung them together, etc.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to do this, just want to make sure you guys think it's a smart idea too.

When would you do this? When the thread seems to have died down?

Would you just tack one on the end of another?

I'd do it whenever I noticed a duplicate discussion exists, I'd make sure that the discussions had clear titles that made it obvious what it was about.

The latter thread would be tacked onto the end of the existing thread.

I wouldn't just merge all discussions on bottom brackets or something... just the ones that were applicable.

For example, I'd merge all bottom bracket discussions that asked about what to buy, and separately I'd merge the ones that relate to broken bottom brackets and maintenance. So we'd end up with just two threads on the topic, one about purchasing and one about maintenance/fixing, both in the appropriate category so that if it were found in a search it would be obvious which one to post in or read.

This becomes tricky when threads veer off-topic, ie. often. But it would be useful for the more informative threads.
You could have a link to the fixie FAQ as well for newbies - although they never read the FAQs anyway so I'm not sure they're that beneficial! :)

hippy's right they dont tend to stay on topic very long,maybe if you caught it when it was new and merged it with another disscusion it would make it eayier

Lotta work though...

hes not going to have to merge all exciting threads right now,he can gradualy do it,in time unless the topic hassent been covered we will learn to do it in that way

throwing an idea into the pot.

How about if there seem to be duplicute threads on a subject a master thread is started with links to the other threads. Like a bottombraket mechaincal problems thread with links to all of the other threads on that subject? The only problem would be keeping that thread the one that people go to first. Maybe it becomes a search issue. Getting complicated.

It's a bit messy to have master threads. It's messy to jump into new threads with the "this has been discussed... see these 15 links.". It's a bit messy to have to instruct new members to search.

Right now, it's not really a problem. But I've run enough forums in my time (including several at the moment) to know it's a problem that grows. You get the chance to tackle it early and avoid it, or you fire-fight later. One of those is a lot of work, I'd rather avoid the work.

The idea would be to catch the new thread pretty soon, and merge it pretty soon. I wouldn't do anything about nor care about the tangents threads take... I don't mind meandering conversation in fact I think it's good. I mind duplicates as it reduces the benefit of having all of this information pooled together on here.

You're the man of expearience and the man who is running the forum so say do it. If doesn't work try something else. That all you can do isn't.