Closed 'for sale' threads

Yvonne G

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I've been sending individual PM's or emails to those who recently put up 'for sale' threads, but I figured a thread about it will save me some time:

We've adopted a new practice in order to keep conversations off of the 'for sale' threads. When a new ad is put up in the 'for sale' section, a moderator will close the thread. If the seller wants to make a change to the ad, you will have to contact a moderator to make the change for you, or to open the thread so you can make the change.

Anyone who has questions about the ad will have to contact the seller either through email or private message. (So, sellers, be sure you have those features activated)
 

T33's Torts

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Now, pardon my asking, but why is communication on the thread a forbidden thing? :huh:
 

Yvonne G

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Keeping conversations off the For Sale threads allows the ad to be more visible. A prospective buyer doesn't have to read through a bunch of posts to be sure that nothing about the ad has been changed. Just keeps it cleaner and easier for buyers to see what's for sale. Then when the "sold" post goes up, it's right there to be seen, and not interspersed among conversation posts.
 

Levi the Leopard

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I think this is a smart move. I was kinda tired of seeing a post made on nearly every for sale thread saying "just a reminder, no posting..." ;)

Closing the thread will now keep the ad cleaner even from the "reminder" posts.

Thanks mods for all you do :D
 

N2TORTS

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Will said:
So to bump (with or without new content) we will need to contact a moderator as well?
Smart Will… I was thinking the same thing ~ and for the person selling the item it’s a no ~win , because the ad itself gets buried in old threads. Much like a * normal thread * that’s a very well versed and informative one, that if no replies in a short time ( depends how busy the room is) gets buried.
 

sibi

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Some post "for sale" after hours when there aren't any mods. Comments are sometimes posted because there's no mod to stop them. How do you fix that? The next morning?
 

Jacqui

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Sorry not seeing that it will be a huge problem for the seller. He would make his/her request for the thread to be opened and it would be opened until he or her has completed the post, then a Mod would come back and close it at some point. So your only adding a simple PM to the Mods.
 

sibi

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So, for sale threads can't be opened now unless a mod approves it? This would fix those threads listed at night. Brilliant!
 

DixieParadise

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Really folks! I use the sale forum to buy. I do not feel that scrolling down looking for an ad I had read earlier is a bad thing. It allows me to see things that I might have missed. I have never had a problem getting what I wanted from the old method and I too was tired of seeing the additional post warning that no comments were allowed. I am with Yvonne on this one.
 

Jacqui

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sibi said:
So, for sale threads can't be opened now unless a mod approves it? This would fix those threads listed at night. Brilliant!

No, unless Josh makes the entire section closed without approval (like the Vendor Review section) this is what can happen... at any time a seller, like SuzzyPSnowflake can come in and place an ad to sell her seven stunning sarasota sassbanded tortoises. If no Mod is on to close it, it will remain open until one does close it. Thus somebody like member TacoTasty might come in and say, "Cute!". That of course would be deleted once a Mod saw it, as they are clsoing the thread. So at this point in our story, ModMeanie has come along and closed the thread and deleted all extra comment posts. Member Chickenclambake comes along and tries to post, his post will be blocked. Now SuzzyPSnowflake wants to let us know that she has now sold all but two of these stunning tortoises and is also dropping the price on them. She must PM a Mod to open her thread, so she can make this new announcement. Mod Totallycrazy will respond and open the thread leaving it for SuzzyPSnowflake to do what she needs to in her thread. It will then be closed again, once she is done.
 

T33's Torts

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Re: RE: Closed 'for sale' threads

Yvonne G said:
Keeping conversations off the For Sale threads allows the ad to be more visible. A prospective buyer doesn't have to read through a bunch of posts to be sure that nothing about the ad has been changed. Just keeps it cleaner and easier for buyers to see what's for sale. Then when the "sold" post goes up, it's right there to be seen, and not interspersed among conversation posts.

Oooooh!
 

wellington

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Just to be clear on why this is something we are doing. Because members, new and old won't read the rules and not post on the for sale threads. So we (mods) have to delete the post that doesn't belong, post our reminder that everyone is sick of, and I am sick of posting, then in some instances, pm the member that made the post, letting them know it was deleted. If only rules were followed, ugh
 

TommyZ

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Im wondering, but not sure if it is cost efficient or feasible. Is there not some way to have a computer tech write some code where, in the for sale section only, when a person creates a thread, the system automatically just closes it? Also, can there be a way to just have the system automatically allow only the original poster to comment and ammend the ad?

I get where youre coming from, so not debating the issue. Just, from a practicality standpoint, it seems arduous to make the mods have to "baby sit" the for sale threads. You all do alot, I just feel you and your resources can be better well spent. I almost flunked my SQL course, so im by no means an expert, but from my previous exp as a forum mod, there must be some way to have these actions be automated. Work smarter, not harder.
 

wellington

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There probably is a way. It probably would have been worth it in the beginning, when the forum was first started or at any time Josh does some up grading. But, to go back and now have it implemented I would think would not be free or cheap. Besides, closing them isn't a problem. Having to keep track of them, to keep the thread clean of postings that don't belong is the problem. What I would like to see, is that new members can not post on a thread or start a thread, until the rules have been read. That would help a lot for all the rules that are broken.
 

Sulcata_Sandy

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I just posted an ad, I'm going to place a reminder in my iPhone to follow up on my add. I don't think it should be anyone's responsibility accept my own. [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][GROWING HEART]
 

ForestExotics

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For sale closed? Really? Not a good Idea. I look at that section almost everyday. Trying to stop people from posting on a sellers post will never happen. That would be like completely stopping spam or drugs in America. Just delete the comment postings.


wellington said:
There probably is a way. It probably would have been worth it in the beginning, when the forum was first started or at any time Josh does some up grading. But, to go back and now have it implemented I would think would not be free or cheap. Besides, closing them isn't a problem. Having to keep track of them, to keep the thread clean of postings that don't belong is the problem. What I would like to see, is that new members can not post on a thread or start a thread, until the rules have been read. That would help a lot for all the rules that are broken.

Many people don't read the rules. That's not going to work.


I would have left it open. Then applied some type of fix not just shut it down then look for a fix.
 

ForestExotics

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You might as well close the Adoptions area too people are just going to run and post there.
 
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