Change "bump" rule in FS/FT

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
10,473
81
101
Anyone else find this rule to be utterly retarded? For those of you who don't know what a bump is, its when you post "up" or "bump" to a thread to get it to the top so everyone sees it. It is NOT bumping a thread to post a valid response to a valid question someone has about something you are selling even if it moves that post to the top of the forum.

Evidently the rule is to send a private message to someone who asks a question about your item if it is less than 4 hours after your last post. If multiple people have the same question, I have to send multiple private messages to people with the same response.

I'm sure there are other draconian FS/FT rules I'm breaking, probably even posting this here is a violation of a rule, but I'd like someone who has even the slightest common sense and some authority to make the change to review this rule and put it back to how it was. No bumping should not mean you cannot reply to a valid question in under 4 hours.

Maybe I'm in the minority, who knows, but this really really irks me when I get a warning notice from gillbot letting me know my email address is not visible and then again for a bump rule that has changed.

My email address was visible before as I've bought and sold several items on the FS/FT forum. If it changed, it was due to something at anandtech changing it, not me. Second ding, a bump rule that changed that really isn't even a bump at all.
 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
10,473
81
101
I think its a dumb rule, not in the spirit of the fs/ft forum when you can't directly reply to a post without violating said rule, and as such, I won't be using it. I'll take my items to craigslist.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
778
126
You can always edit the OP with the info that people are asking you for that you left out.

I think you're just ticked because of Gilbot (rightly) doing his job. I used to get dinged for email all the time because after I buy or sell, I would take the email out of my profile. It's no biggie, it's just a warning.

But, it's not fair to other sellers that a thread gets bumped up and their gets bumped down because someone is answering questions or adding info. There are people that would purposely leave info out of their for sale threads to get people to ask questions to bump the thread.

As it stands, it's a fair rule.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
You can always edit the OP with the info that people are asking you for that you left out.

I think you're just ticked because of Gilbot (rightly) doing his job. I used to get dinged for email all the time because after I buy or sell, I would take the email out of my profile. It's no biggie, it's just a warning.

But, it's not fair to other sellers that a thread gets bumped up and their gets bumped down because someone is answering questions or adding info. There are people that would purposely leave info out of their for sale threads to get people to ask questions to bump the thread.

As it stands, it's a fair rule.


Bingo. I see people do this all the time just in the normal forums.
 

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
It wouldn't be an issue if people didn't abuse it and use "answering questions" as an excuse to constantly bump their threads. One bad apple.....

Feel free to use other avenues though if you feel you are too restricted here.
 

esquared

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 8, 2000
25,122
6,220
146
Regardless of what you may think, answering questions does "bump" your thread to the top.

It doesn't matter what your intentions might be. You could very well be answering questions to posts but the bottom line is your thread was pushed to the top unfairly while all the other people are patiently waiting their turns to be on the top.

There are three ways to do this.

1) Wait your minimum 4 hours and post
2) PM the member with the answer
3) edit your original post

This rule is not going to change.
 

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,357
3
81
I know a lot of other forums that have a for sale / trade subsection only allow 24 hours between bumps, and that includes answering questions. So 4 hours is pretty good
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
778
126
I know a lot of other forums that have a for sale / trade subsection only allow 24 hours between bumps, and that includes answering questions. So 4 hours is pretty good
On another forum I am on, they do the 24 hour bump. If you bump it before the 24 hours, they either delete your post, which moves the thread back to the correct place as sorted by time stamp. Or they just lock the thread.
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
5
81
I think its a dumb rule, not in the spirit of the fs/ft forum when you can't directly reply to a post without violating said rule, and as such, I won't be using it. I'll take my items to craigslist.

If someone has to ask questions in FS/FT, you need a better post.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
whatever you mods do...please don't change FS/FT here. It works perfectly the way it is.

This is the one and only spot left that I can buy and sell with confidence of not getting ripped off. Sure maybe some of the rules are strict but I'll take having to jump over a few hurdles over dealing with Craigslist spammers and Ebay scammers.
 

SickBeast

Lifer
Jul 21, 2000
14,377
19
81
You can't just allow everyone to bump their threads incessantly. It will be nuts in there. Everyone will bump their thread every 5 minutes and crash the AT server. Oh noes!
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
778
126
You can't just allow everyone to bump their threads incessantly. It will be nuts in there. Everyone will bump their thread every 5 minutes and crash the AT server. Oh noes!
Maybe if you have nothing to add to the discussion you can keep in in OT?
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,741
456
126
editing your OP, and then saying you updated your OP in next bump should work just fine
 

waitman

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2002
3,758
0
71
I agree. I think the 4 hour rule needs to stay. I have seen people answer multiple questions and make updates every few minutes so the post stays at the top. It isn't fair to those that follow the rules which are clearly written out (that a lot of people don't bother to read) and end up getting a message from a mod because they have done something against said rules.
 

mastertech01

Moderator Emeritus Elite Member
Nov 13, 1999
11,875
282
126
Other forums use a 24 hour rule possibly because their forum doesnt send your post 28 pages deep in 4 hours.. Its a damned express train here. If you bumped every 4 hours there your post would never leave the first 1/4 page.

On another forum I visit the forum default view is not the last post, so bumping wont help you.
 
Last edited:

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
Other forums use a 24 hour rule possibly because their forum doesnt send your post 28 pages deep in 4 hours.. Its a damned express train here. If you bumped every 4 hours there your post would never leave the first 1/4 page.

On another forum I visit the forum default view is not the last post, so bumping wont help you.



I remember you from "the (g)olden days" of the FS/FT forums, glad to see you are back here and posting. :thumbsup:
 

Tegeril

Platinum Member
Apr 2, 2003
2,906
5
81
whatever you mods do...please don't change FS/FT here. It works perfectly the way it is.

This is the one and only spot left that I can buy and sell with confidence of not getting ripped off. Sure maybe some of the rules are strict but I'll take having to jump over a few hurdles over dealing with Craigslist spammers and Ebay scammers.

This. Very much this. Don't touch it, it works fine.