Posted on 05/17/2002 8:17:18 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
This is just a reminder that before one posts an article, one should check to see if the article has been previously posted in order to avoid duplication.
Duplication causes several problems. Just like the old Monty Python skit about spam, if the same thing is posted over and over, it can drown out other valid posts. It needlessly consumes system resources. It fragments discussion.
In general, moderators will pull duplicate postings when we are alerted to them or when we notice them. This has the benefit of eliminating the "spam" effect and it helps keep discussion from being fragmented. However, it does not really save system resources, and it can be frustrating when one is about to reply to a thread and it vanishes (due to being a duplicate). A better solution is for people to take care to ensure they are not posting a duplicate.
To avoid duplicate postings, some things can help. First, when posting, search to see if the article has already been posted. Load up the "Latest Posts" page and scroll down it to see if the same article is there. Check the sidebars. And use the FR search engine.
Second, do not change the title of an article when posting it. Doing so makes it less likely that another searching to see if an article was posted will find the earlier copy.
Third, don't be in a rush to "be the first" to get an article up. Really, is there a big need to do so?
Also, here is a tip for using the FR search engine. Only words that are four or more letters are examined, so searching on "Pim" or on "CIA" will not accomplish anything.
Finally, I will add that not all duplicates are removed. On the day an article is published, if several hours (four or more) have passed since the article had last been posted, we will tend to leave it up if it is reposted (unless it is still visibile in a sidebar) to make it so that people who don't scroll back several pages will not miss an article of current relevancy. However, this should not be overdone or abused or this may change.
Thank you.
; )
;^)
Also, check the search link before you post, OK? Search
(notice: I'm just teasing, at least I didn't post a picture of spam.....)
I know you. You're Yoda!
I wish there was one page of 1 1/2 line spacing and three columns that listed 1) the article title, 2) the source, and 3) the original author.
With such a set-up, one could quickly scan the recent postings to see if someone has already posted the item but with perhaps a different title.
Perhaps put this page in the sequence necessary to post a new article.
My two euros.
Thanks for the reminder!
And search, seperately, both "News/activism" and "General Interest" (aka "The Dead Zone") if it could be in "General Interest".
It's an ego thing, rather than an informative thing. How about suspending repeat offender posting privs for 30 days? It is really just a few posters that do most of the duplicate posting.
You might want to go Here to find out...
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