Polite question to the mods.

[Arminius]

Dear Mods,

Why is there a post limit on some threads? Surely some are valuable enough to just run and run?

The recent one about 'last words' springs to mind.

Respectfully yours,

Arminius

[Indyan]

I have the same question 

And why do they get cut in the middle of nowhere?     

[Infern0]

The threads get devalued haha

[fred6]

The threads get devalued haha

Then if you start a new one, they are SPLIT,

[Skip]

We keep threads short so that members will read them.  On long threads, few members read anything past the first 3 pages and we have considered locking treads even earlier.  Currently treads are locked around 7 pages.

We have many evergreen threads.  Here are few examples:

https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?board=8.0;sort=views;desc

https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?board=36.0;sort=views;desc

Once a thread goes evergreen, it is subject to pruning - removal of redundant or tangential information - like the process used with Wikipedia.  These are very readable long threads.  Here is an example of 600 posts over a 7 year period pruned down to the best of the best posts:

https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?topic=61684.0

These get phenomenal readership - tis one is well over 50,000 views.

Asking general board questions is best done here:  https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?board=3.0;sort=views;desc

Asking specific questions (e.g., about a thread for example) is best done here:  https://bpdfamily.com/resolve

And the site policies above are listed here: https://bpdfamily.com/content/terms-service

Any questions, thoughts, comments, suggestions?

[Arminius]

I understand the answer, but I'm bit sire the rationale is correct.

If a thread generates a LOT of interest in a short space of time, then it's likely to attract readers. I read the whole 7 pages of a recent one, and I'm sure many others did.

Threads fill up for a reason, and that's usually because they are relevant .

Just my two cents.

[Skip]

If that was true, the we would see a lot of locked threads with really high readership - right?

Here is the data:  https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?board=8.0;sort=views;desc

We do a lot of data analysis and readership analysis.  Generally fast growing threads are interesting in the day and to mostly to the interaction of the participants - they discover something together.  The mega-popular threads are content driven.

[Arminius]

Conclusively answered! Thank you.

[fred6]

Thanks to you Skip and to all the people involved with this site. With all the "HURT" here, sometimes we overlook the people behind the the scenes. I would like to say thank you for the service that you provide. You have provided us with a life support system . Honestly, I am honored to be a part of this community. I owe every member here. Thanks guys!

[Hawk Ridge]

Agreed about the kudos and thanks for the humor that preceded it.  Refreshing after all the hard stuff we talk about to just have a tongue in cheek laugh!  Thank you :-)