How to clean up the classifieds?

[Warrig]

So I'm new to the site and exclusively use mobile so if I'm missing something else me know. 

 

The classified sections are filled with "complete, sold, or no longer selling" posts. Is there a way to filter them or remove them from the search criteria? 

[Garufa]

I am not new to site and wonder how anyone can muddle through all the inane commentary that’s filled the classifieds.

Your best bet is to look at the most recent postings.  They will always be on top when browsing.

 

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Garufa

[TGO David]

12 hours ago, Warrig said:

So I'm new to the site and exclusively use mobile so if I'm missing something else me know. 

Welcome!  I don't use the mobile mode that often but I'll do so today and see what I can sort out on this.

 

12 hours ago, Warrig said:

The classified sections are filled with "complete, sold, or no longer selling" posts. Is there a way to filter them or remove them from the search criteria? 

Most folks use the Prefixes feature to indicate whether their items are for sale, for trade, if they are wanting to buy something, etc.  Prefixes are also automatically turned into "tags" by the software.

So long as they do that, you can search by the prefix or tag and see what's available.

We do ask people to edit their threads and mark the prefix as SOLD whenever they sell their items.  Some folks do this.  Others don't.  It's kind of annoying when they don't.  So long as people use the prefixes like they are supposed to, you can filter out the items that are sold.

 

I've hesitated to implement a feature where threads get auto-deleted after a certain number of days, but maybe I need to take another look at it.  Does 30-Days without a reply seem like a good number?   Of course, that means that people will need to come back and re-post their items for sale after the 30-day period, if they want to keep the listing alive.  But it would help keep the forum clean.

 

I'm open to suggestions from all of the members on this subject.

[Snaveba]

Is there a way to just auto-delete thread that have been sold, or closed, or maybe there is a specific Prefix the OP can add to the title of a thread in the Trading Post once the item has sold, or is no longer for sale, that will allow the thread to be automatically removed. 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Snaveba

[Warrig]

You're spot on, a 30 day no reply should trigger an auto delete unless the user bumps it. A bump feature in our profiles similar to armslist would also be good and keep the most active in the front.

 

Another option is to trigger an auto delete or auto archive when the seller marks as sold. What I notice is alot of users will put "sold" In the text portion instead of the tag area which makes it problematic for the coding. 

Thanks for being on top of it, little things like this keep the site alive and thriving.

[KahrMan]

I like having the old sold threads. They can be helpful on descriptions of certain firearms and what certain types of guns are selling for. 
 

Maybe there is an easy way to archive them but still be accessible. 

[bubbadavis]

I've actually made sales from old threads. I posted some reloading dies, etc. and completely forgot about it. Many months later, I get a DM. 

If it had been something high-value, or taking up too much garage space, I would have worked to sell the item sooner. 

Just like other forums on TGO, I tend to view them in chronological order unless I'm searching for something specific.

[Warrig]

3 hours ago, KahrMan said:

I like having the old sold threads. They can be helpful on descriptions of certain firearms and what certain types of guns are selling for. 
 

Maybe there is an easy way to archive them but still be accessible. 

This is a good point. Deleting may be excessive vs shifting to archives or the bottom of the que. That way available items stay in the front but reference material is available for specific search's 

[Snaveba]

I do see the benefit of reviewing old sales (if the OP does not delete the original post). Old for sale threads should stay If the item is not sold. 
 

An archive sounds cool as well. 

[Hozzie]

I would like to have the option to delete my for sale posts.  I usually remove any info in the listing anyway as I don’t like any more info about things I have or had out there anyway so wouldn’t help with future searches anyway. 

On the gun site I run we remove them after 4 weeks with no updates. Seems to work well for us but I can see both sides of it. 

[Warrig]

1 minute ago, Hozzie said:

I would like to have the option to delete my for sale posts.  I usually remove any info in the listing anyway as I don’t like any more info about things I have or had out there anyway so wouldn’t help with future searches anyway. 

On the gun site I run we remove them after 4 weeks with no updates. Seems to work well for us but I can see both sides of it. 

What site do you run?

 

[Hozzie]

It’s for Rimfire Benchrest.  Small and specialized compared to TGO.  RimfireAccuracy.com

Edited January 15, 2022 by Hozzie

[Jeb48]

Since I read the forum daily, chronologically, I have not seen a problem. Not that many new ads that I can't skim to see if there is anything interested added since the day before. When I first joined I did scan down to see if something interested might still be available but now I don't need to go beyond the new posts.

[broox]

The classifieds certainly look different now.

[TGO David]

Trying something new this morning with some automation to automatically lock threads.  I am changing the configuration slightly, so what you see posted by the automation in a few threads isn't entirely accurate.

It looks like the rules for this script are cumulative, meaning all conditions have to be true.  The more conditions I add to the filter, the less likely it is to work properly.

Right now, I have it set to auto-lock threads in the Trading Post forums if the author of the thread edits the first post in the thread and adds the tag "Ad Closed".

 

[broox]

You are always trying to make TGO better. It shows. Thanks

[TGO David]

1 minute ago, broox said:

You are always trying to make TGO better. It shows. Thanks

Thanks!  I appreciate it. 

 

[RED333]

WOW, 2 pages of "Ad Closed" after using the "Unread" link, fix? Mark the sales forum as read and that got rid of the "Ad Closed" posts. Thanks for all you do David. Still the best firearm forum on the interweb!

Edited January 16, 2022 by RED333
Because I can

[TGO David]

Yeah this is turning into a bit of a nightmare for anyone wanting to just catch up on new threads. I'm trying to fix it.

 

[Warrig]

Just now, TGO David said:

Yeah this is turning into a bit of a nightmare for anyone wanting to just catch up on new threads. I'm trying to fix it.

 

It's definitely alot cleaner, probably pure chaos but it better already

[TGO David]

Alright... I am letting the Auto-Lock feature run silently to catch up on the huge backlog of old posts.  I've also deleted every post made by the @TGO Staff account today.  That gets rid of a lot of the noise.

Once the Auto-Lock gets the backlog processed, I'll turn back on the feature that makes it reply to the thread saying when and why it was locked.

Progress is hard.  

[Hozzie]

9 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Yeah this is turning into a bit of a nightmare for anyone wanting to just catch up on new threads. I'm trying to fix it.

 

I just marked the site as read.  My feeds will fill back up in no time like nothing happened. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by Hozzie

[TGO David]

5 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

I just marked the site as read.  My feeds will fill back up in no time like nothing happened. 

No one else should have to do that the way it's running silently now.  It's just locking all of the old threads and we'll let it catch up.

[gregintenn]

Looks good from here, David!

[jpx2rk]

Whenever I visit the forum, I always use the "unread" feature, makes my life a bit easier than bouncing thru all the various forums.  I use this feature on all forums I frequent, so it's great for the daily visits.  

Yesterday I got a a couple three pages of the closed ad comments in the unread feature.  No biggie from my side, appreciate the work you guys do to keep this a good place to be.