Raised this on another thread but really needs its own otherwise that will go off topic

But, how about the ability for moderators/admin to merge similar threads together.

I have seen this on a few other forums and message boards accross the internet. It works really well and helps prevent so many duplicate/similar threads cropping up, therefore keeping the forums and its threads much tidier.

So if and when duplicates do pop up then it wont be such a problem as it can just be tagged on to an existing thread.

Thoughts?

Would have to be used very carefully (I have seen it misued something rotten on some forums!) but would certainly be good, especially in the case of leaving threads etc.

Well I have great faith in you spinner

How would merging work? would all the comments not get messed up and out of order then?

iv never seen it done so im curious

Well from what I've seen of it, it just tags on to the end of the existing thread, take the "issue with the site" thread and "is the site playing up?" thread, they are discussing exactly the same topic.

So as the "is the site playing up" thread was the original and has most posts, that should remain, and the "issue with the site" posts should just be added on to the end of that thread.

That would make the forums less of a mess IMO as it would prevent duplicate threads taking up most of the first page.

Plus it would be easier for Nick if he is planning on checking feedback on an idea, as it will all be in one place, not scattered about the forum.

Nick and whoever else in fact

so its basically just sticking the second thread on at the bottom of the original?

would be less messy alright since all the ideas would be in the one place.

would it not be kinda still a bit messy though from a readability point of view? or would the tagged posts stay at the end always after new posts have been added after the merge?

To be honest with you, I dunno I just seen it done a few times and other than the word "merged" on the top of the thread, you wouldn't know it was two seperate threads, so I don't know how they do it.

When merging threads, put all the posts in time order.

Posts from a different thread get a different colour border around the post.

Blue stays with the original, red for the first thread merged with the original and yellow for the second and so on and so forth.

would that not throw the "conversation" out of order?

To me it would...

Only if you're colour blind..

Edited at 17:34 Thu 24/09/09 (BST)

See now whats the point in that post.

Erm, to reply to i_am_deco's post by highlighting something in my previous post? >_>

There, is that up to your posting standards?

Is that what actually happens or is that your idea?

Not meaning to sound sarcastic, but have you seen any threads being merged yet?

That was just an idea of what could happen when threads are merged, if the option to is introduced.

Behave yourself.

I've seen them on a Liverpool forum I go on, and all that it says is (merged) like it does when a thread is capped/sticky. As I said it isn't very noticeable therefore, no I haven't noticed a merged thread. But I have seen them merged.

The reason I asked was because it didn't look like the technique the site I went on used. But then there is so many different ways of doing things online.

If I noticed where the thread was merged then it wouldn't be a good idea. The point is to make the forum look tidyer, not stick out like a sore thumb.

That Ok for you chief?

Merging threads would be a very useful feature, I had already suggested it in the past.

Usually merged threads just sort messages chronologically like any thread, but as long as the merged threads had the same topic, it's simply not noticeable after the merge.

Also, in case of a merge, it's actually better not to differentiate posts from both source threads, because the result we want is a single thread.

posts normally follow a sequence tho, i reply to blutchs post and it is here underneath it.

if there is hours between replies on a different thread of a similar topic then the replies will be all over the place on this thread if its merged into this one.

i cant really explain it well im sorry

I know what you mean, it would take a personal coversation out of sync.

The most important is that the posts are in chronological order. You can have posts between a post and its answer, the whole thread remains followable.
It happens frequently without merge as well, you just need someone to post something while you're typing your answer.