Should i reply several unanswered old topics individually on same subject?

Hi all,
Recently, while i was searching topics about importing .dem files, i realised most of the questions/issues are unsolved, partly answered or misinformed. And reviving all of those old topics one by one didn’t sound good to me. (My concern is flooding the ‘timeline’ as you might guess.)
So what should i do in this kind of situation? Should i create a new topic that shows my workflow and cover some of those issues without referring? Or should i reply those old topics individually (and maybe give link to the topic i’ll create)?

Here are the old topics i came across

USGS DEM file crashes Sketch Up 2015
Import Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Exporting Terrain DEM data from Sketchup Pro
Sketchup crashing when importing DEM data
How do I import and overlay a jpg on a Googlearth dem

My opinion? I’d recommend a single new post referencing the same list of posts you included (and collapsed! Bravo!) above.

I’d recommend the title be something like “Partial Solution to .dem file problems”. Since you will have linked back to the original posts, each of the original posts will have a link to your new post.

This avoids “flooding” peoples timeline with multiple similar posts.

Also, if it were me, I’d “Track” the original posts. That way, should someone come across them and add something like “I’ve got the same problem” or “Anyone found a solution” - at that point, you’ll be alerted (since it will be in your "unread list if you track, or you’ll be emailed if you watch) so you can reply pointing to your new topic as, perhaps, a more appropriate place to discuss instead of in a long dormant topic.

Just my thoughts …

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One drawback to the above is that your new topic will automatically “close” after 3 months! See:

[details=Click arrow to see/hide links]"This topic will automatically close in 3 months."
https://forums.sketchup.com/t/this-topic-will-automatically-close-in-3-months-new-issue-wikis/44061[/details]

Given the small amount of activity on the posts you mentioned, and since you will be, in effect, resurrecting posts created before this <sarcasm> feature </sarcasm> was activated on our forum. I wouldn’t complain if you choose to make a substantive reply to one of the other posts (and treat the rest of them the same way I suggested) instead of creating a new topic that will close after 3 months.

Or. simply reply to one of them and if the original posters are still around and interested they will see the answer you give, along with anyone else who searches correctly.

Sounds like a tutorial that belongs in the Tutorials category.

It should have appropriate tags, and linking to the original posts is a good idea.
I would pick the best (most popular old post) that is also closest to the question that your tutorial answers, and then use the “Reply in linked topic” feature when opening the new thread. (At bottom of thread > Chain Link button > “+ Topic” button).

Then in the first post of your tutorial, you can copy and paste the same collapsed list with the caption:
With reference to these old topics (click to expand) …or similar.


I personally don’t see this as a problem.

Basically what I do is read the New threads that interest me, or I can most likely help with, and then just click the “:heavy_check_mark: Dismiss New” button at the bottom of the New topic list.

The people that think of revived threads as “noise” are fixating on the Latest topic list, which I have always believed, and said in the past, is the wrong list to use as the default “landing page.” (I had politicked for the Categories page as a better one.)

If a very old or very long thread keeps popping up to the top (of say the Latest,) a reader can set to ignore that thread via a control at the bottom left of it’s topic page.

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Yea, either / or. It’s a multiparadigm forum system.

I will admit, a few days ago, I found the answer to 3 threads, which itself (a simple quote from the Discourse Meta forum,) did not deserve it’s own topic thread. So I went ahead and posted near the same small post in all 3 to hopefully answer their open questions and close out their discussions.

So to me, it is more important to answer (or give a solution to) any open thread, than to add clutter by forcing members to open new threads on the same issue or subject.

I feel the guideline that reads “Don’t cross-post the same thing in multiple topics.”, is a bit miswritten.
It should say “Don’t cross-post the same question in multiple topics.”
(With a sub-rule: First search the forum for existing answers, and then start a new topic if your questions has not been answered.)

This rule is aimed at users who post technical problems, or modeling questions in multiple semi-related existing threads, which wind up soliciting multiple answers, or repeated advice. Basically it makes more work for staff and sages.

Obviously there is a unspoken exception, and that is it’s okay to post the same short answer (or advice pointing at the common answer elsewhere in forum or help center,) … as users tend to ask the same (or similar) questions because the great majority of new forum members do not take the time to search the forum, and even less take the time to read the guidelines.

Thanks everyone for the tips & infos!

Oh, i didn’t know simple copy pasting gives :link: link under those original posts. So i can assume whoever searched and ended up on those topics will see my links, that’s cool (and i’ll also track them in case of ‘revival’)

I see it has slightly different url (?u=filibis at the end), does this have any difference than simple copy pasting from browser?

So i think i’m going to make a mix here; replying some of those briefly and making a tutorial-like content seperately.


Cheers! :beers:

That is a attribute that the system uses to give your account the “click credit” when people follow it.
Earn certain kinds of “share” (internal) and “link” (external) badges for certain numbers of clicks.

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