More Mysterious Disappearing Threads

[Hit'nMiss]

Well the thread snatchers are apparently at it again.



Damm if I can find the thread that Rog025 had fathered regarding his rare-find door handles and lockset.
It had good photos and I cannot for the life in me imagine that it was grounds for a flame war etc.
So where is it and why did it go qway?

I had added a companion thread on a similar subject matter suggesting a Matrix for Door Handles, and other often changed AS parts.
Again nothing in it that was of the nature of flaming, although I think it may have had a few good-natured metaphors or some such included.
At last glance no one had insulted either of the Andy's nor questioned the bloodlines of any moderators nor even alluded to how far they stand above ground level.
It contained no vulgar words nor sexual innuendo and did not take a stand on Iraq, Abortion, Micheal Jackson, George Dubya, nor global cooling.

Actually if I may say so I thought it was a good thread and a good idea. But it too has mysteriously gone away.
I'll say it again, There is WAY TOO MUCH thread tampering going on around here, much without any logical cause.
So would some one please advise as to where and why these 2 threads went.?

Flicka

[eljay]

Yep, it's gone. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

[andoboba]

Rather than just saying "yup I did that" maybe we could find out why it was deleted!! I would like to still view that thread as well!! What is the up?

[fireflyinva]

BTW--I see he has those up for sale on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=50069
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=50069

$102.50 and $250 respectively at the time I'm posting--and there's still 7 days, 8 hours to go! Whomever won the other one here got a great deal!

Mary

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Uh...is this it?

Door handle

The 'search button' is a wonderful tool...

Shari

..except that I hit a roadblock when trying to view that thread. Here's the message I receive upon clicking:

47WeeWind, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

??????

[InsideOut]

Sorry...it was posted in the now closed Parts For Sale Forum. This forum was recently closed because the the classifieds section (tab at the top) is now the approprioate place to list items for sale. If it had been posted in the "Doors" forum it would not have been deleted...

I have moved it there now:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=16672

Shari

[eljay]

I just got thru on that link...off to try the other...and nope still can't view it.

[CanoeStream]

There was a thread called Repacking Wheel Bearings by member Buttercup that was asking for critique of step by step instructions they'd posted on their website. The thread was http://www.airforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=16440 . Click on this to see the same message 47WeeWind references above. I don't know why any reclassifying of a category would make the thread URL and thread number disappear.

Again there was nothing I saw that was controversial, commercial, etc. What gives?

Here was the website referenced: http://overlander.archnevada.com/index.php?repack . Is there any problem with this?

[InsideOut]

Again, it was wrongly placed in a forum that has since been archived. I've relocated it to the wheel & tire forum where it belongs.

Shari

[InsideOut]

It's really not a mystery...the two forums that were archived are:

'Airstream Parts' & 'Airstream Links' these have both been replaced with more robust & detailed sections under the tabs at the top of this page, 'Classifieds' & 'Links'

If something was inadvertantly placed in the old forums, that was better suited in a long-term repair-type forum, it got archived with the now obsolete parts & links forums which were intended for short-term or for date sensitive or ever changing links.

The mods do their best to keep up with relocating misplaced threads...but occaisionally a few slip through the cracks like the two mentioned here. That's why it is important for members to carefully consider their placement of new threads when starting them.

Shari

[Rog0525]

A lot of useful information got abandoned when the Parts forum was closed and deleted. That forum wasn't only about "parts for sale", there were numerous threads with questions, comments and discussion about various parts. Included among them was the lengthy "59 door handle" thread about the rarity and inavailabity of the obsolete L-77 Bargman door lock and handle. Many members contributed their thoughts and ideas in a collective effort to try to resolve the serious problem created by the obsolescence of that item. It was the most thorough discussion about the L-77 lock I've seen anywhere, although it has been discussed at length elsewhere on the internet.
The now dead link to that thread is: http://www.airforums.com/forum...ght=door+latch
One has to wonder how much other data was lost when the Parts forum was deleted.

When the "For Sale & Wanted" forumn was closed in favor of the new Classifieds section, a note was added to the heading, advising that "This forum is closed, no new posts are allowed. Please use the classified ad system for these features." The 747 threads that were contained therein, however, were saved for viewing.
IMHO, it would have been wise to save the Parts forum threads, misplaced or not.
If the threads are archived, does that mean they are saved but not available for viewing by the membership?

[Hit'nMiss]

Originally Posted by Rog0525

A lot of useful information got abandoned when the Parts forum was closed and deleted. That forum wasn't only about "parts for sale", there were numerous threads with questions, comments and discussion about various parts. Included among them was the lengthy "59 door handle" thread about the rarity and inavailabity of the obsolete L-77 Bargman door lock and handle. Many members contributed their thoughts and ideas in a collective effort to try to resolve the serious problem created by the obsolescence of that item. It was the most thorough discussion about the L-77 lock I've seen anywhere, although it has been discussed at length elsewhere on the internet.
The now dead link to that thread is: http://www.airforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11497&highlight=door+latch
One has to wonder how much other data was lost when the Parts forum was deleted.

When the "For Sale & Wanted" forumn was closed in favor of the new Classifieds section, a note was added to the heading, advising that "This forum is closed, no new posts are allowed. Please use the classified ad system for these features." The 747 threads that were contained therein, however, were saved for viewing.
IMHO, it would have been wise to save the Parts forum threads, misplaced or not.
If the threads are archived, does that mean they are saved but not available for viewing by the membership?

Well said Rog.
I was beginning to think I was only one to see a SERIOUS problem here.

Originally Posted by InsideOut

It's really not a mystery...the two forums that were archived are:

'Airstream Parts' & 'Airstream Links' these have both been replaced with more robust & detailed sections under the tabs at the top of this page, 'Classifieds' & 'Links'

If something was inadvertantly placed in the old forums, that was better suited in a long-term repair-type forum, it got archived with the now obsolete parts & links forums which were intended for short-term or for date sensitive or ever changing links.

The mods do their best to keep up with relocating misplaced threads...but occaisionally a few slip through the cracks like the two mentioned here. That's why it is important for members to carefully consider their placement of new threads when starting them.

Shari

I couldn't disagree more with this excuse.
What in the world is going on that knowledge on these forums needs to be "archived" out of reach of the General Membership? Obviously you (moderators) have access to the "Archived" data, or you couldn't have gone back and retrieved and moved the handle thread.
I would be willing to bet that the MATRIX NEEDED thread that I started was placed (by me) in the "Forum Support & How To's" section. But there was nothing about the thread that could become obsolete. Even if I put it in the wrong subforum.
Is there any reason that you did not retrieve and move that thread?



When did this purging of "OBSOLETE" information undertaking begin? Is there suddenly a Bandwidth Waste problem that we should know about?
Who is qualified to know what is obsolete? Isnt the success of this whole Forum because many of us have decided to salvage from obsolescence these old aluminum beauties?

There are (or used to be) many threads about past rallies and get togethers. I agree these are technically passe but they are not at all OBSOLETE. I have referred back to them for various reasons.
One members trash can become another's treasure. This pertains to information as well as to tangible items.

Please LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. I suspect too many cooks in the kitchen. They always spoil the STEW.

[Rog0525]

I do not agree with the terms "thread snatchers", "thread tampering" and "excuse". I don't see any dark conspiracy here and I'm certain that the forum changes were implemented in an effort to improve this site for all of us.
I'm simply suggesting that if the Parts forum had been closed in the same fashion as the For Sale & Wanted forum, perhaps some important threads would not have been deleted, mods like Shari would not have to deal with complaints about missing threads and the Google spider wouldn't be spinning out dead links to airstreamforums.com.

[InsideOut]

At least you understand that we are volunteers without agendas, or malice or intent to sabotage threads.

This forum is a sponge of the mods free time, you would be amazed at what a mess it would be in if we were to "LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE"! None of us are paid, or get anything from it other than the satisfaction of keeping this wonderful community alive. If we "LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE" it will go by the way of the Comodore Computer, which was great in it's day! Change happens, you either go with the flow or get left behind.

Shari

[Andy R]

Hey, a lot of this has to do with the actions I made. I need to do a better job in communicating with everyone (mods and admins included). I think you are right the old forums should be restored (locked from new posts) so important discussions can be moved out of the forums. Then at some point when most of the quality posts have been pruned out we can archive it.

I plan to do a better job communicating and delegating some of the things I have been a slacker with to more of the admins and moderators (and other volunteers that want to help).