Possible vBulletin Feature Addition
 

Randy,

I have noticed that a lot of threads have squabbling in them over "using the search feature" and "read before you post" and I was wondering if there has been any thought put into using a plug-in to give vBulletin some added functionality.

What I am proposing is a tool that allows moderators to "link" a thread to past threads or a tool that searches automatically for other threads with similar keywords and makes the list available at the bottom of the thread.

Something like this would hopefully stop the squabbling and would make the search a little more intuitive. The point of a forum is to be ever changing and community based. The bashing of members for not doing a search is a little much, especially when the thread the person is referred to is three years old.

Just a programmer/consultant thinking out loud.

^ to this idea.

:td: to those who'll try to game it like Googlebombing. Someone will try to link Happy Birthday threads to "GWB sucks" threads in OMNI or something. We don't have useful features here on FT because of some twits in the userbase who feel the need to abuse them.

I just noticed this feature on the tivocommunity.

When I went to search for something, I got a pop up box (screen?) that showed me what it thought were similar topics and asked for me to check those before posting.

It didn't help me in that case, and I really wonder how much it will help here.

I, too, doubt that this is the answer to a long-standing problem. Solutions that have been tried (without much success) include:
1. Putting a FAQ sticky on the forum. The questions are asked anyway, and members get mad if another member responds with a link to the FAQ, saying that we should just answer the question rather than link the answer.
2. Putting a "READ THIS BEFORE POSTING" sticky on the forum. Nobody reads it before posting.
3. Putting a sticky linking a search tutorial on the forum. Nobody bothers.

The current search function is powerful and pretty intuitive. Anybody who really wants to spend a half an hour trying can figure out how to mine a ton of information with it.

I have seen a new thread started to ask a question that was answered in the first post of the first thread on the first page of a forum. The member obviously couldn't bother to read anything before posting it.

Many members are conditioned by automated-answer sites such as "ask Jeeves" to ask first, think later. It is only natural that more knowledgable members would resent being treated as servants, therein lie the "squabbles".

There are possible solutions, but none that I know of within FT as we know it today. Just my opinion, YMMV.

The newest version of vBulletin allows for "tagging" a thread which could solve the issue. ^

Are there any plans to upgrade?