A discussion topic -- Should one post everything combined in one thread or have multiple threads?

[jeffgamer]

Hi, all! I thought this would be an interesting and enlightening discussion, so I'm starting a thread on it. Please keep all comments respectful and focused on a dialogue, as this is about a sharing of opinions and thoughts, and different people may have different-but-still-respectable views.

 

The situation: the week of 2/22, I posted a combined-auction-of-mine thread...but the week of 2/15 I posted three (and had to repost one when something went wrong with one of my auctions). On the 2/22 thread, CPUWiz wrote the following:

 

>> Please stop spamming this forum with individual posts, combine them into one with the relevant information please.

 

As I just noted, that week I had only posted one thread for that week's auctions (and mentioned what was still up on eBay), so the post he responded to actually followed what he was requesting and DID combine them into one. However, the previous week (the week of February 15), I HAD put up more than one. I did so that week because there were several titles that were high rarities, from different systems, that I thought people would want to know about specifically...people open up a thread not just because the title says "I posted a bunch of stuff!" but often because the title says something they are particularly interested in (such as the Vectrex shoe lace tags someone else put up or the out-of-print homebrews I put up), and I thought they warranted a different thread.

 

CPUWiz does bring up an interesting question, though. Where is the line dividing spam and "other"? This thread is specifically for listings of interesting auctions...putting up threads for interesting auctions would definitely be spam in non-sale threads, but in this one that's the whole reason for its existence, and I would imagine that thread titles that specifically mention specific items of interest would be of preference to at SOME of the visitors of this thread...while others obviously see more than one thread as spam.

 

Suppose I (or anyone else) puts up for auction, in one week, five super-rare Vectrex titles...five super-rare Colecovision titles...five super-rare Bally titles...five super-rare Atari 2600 titles...and so on for another five systems.  Should that person combine all of the items into a generic post saying, again, "Lots of rare stuff for a bunch of systems"?  Or should that person put up one post for the Vectrex items, one for the Colecovision items, etc, so Atari Age members who are only into, say, Colecovision, know there are things in that listing for them and open up that one only?

 

And if someone is listing new rarities every week, is it appropriate and of interest to the community to post each week the new stuff...or is that crossing some line regarding the purpose of this thread? Is it spam or is it welcome information?

 

As I'm currently just at the starting stage of a year-or-more-long process of posting, every week, an increasingly large number of items for dozens of systems, I'd be curious to see if there's a consensus on how people on this thread would prefer posts to be placed, or if there are varying viewpoints on the subject. 

 

So...let's have an exchange of ideas!  Discuss!!

Edited March 5 by jeffgamer
testing title change

[+bfstats]

Since I have both bought and sold on the Marketplace Forum over many years, I’ve found specific threads about specific products to be most effective. Using your example, I suggest separating your auction posts by system. Rather than a “Lots of rare stuff” title, provide separate posts for Vectrex, Colecovision, etc., each with its own specific title. That way you are targeting equally specific audiences, and those potential buyers who may be looking for ONE needn’t bother looking through ALL to find their items of interest.

[Shawn]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:53 AM, jeffgamer said:

 

 

As I just noted, that week I had only posted one thread for that week's auctions (and mentioned what was still up on eBay)

 

Having ten threads on the first page is a VERY selfish thing to do. It takes away from other users having fair exposure to there postings. This isn't the jeffgamer auction forum, or "user xyz" auction forum, it's the AtariAge auction forum where all users should be given equal access and exposure. What you are doing takes that away from all other users for yourself. For a very long time the different area's of the marketplace where limited to one thread per user and one bump every 24 hrs. 

[jeffgamer]

28 minutes ago, Shawn said:

 

Having ten threads on the first page is a VERY selfish thing to do. It takes away from other users having fair exposure to there postings. This isn't the jeffgamer auction forum, or "user xyz" auction forum, it's the AtariAge auction forum where all users should be given equal access and exposure. What you are doing takes that away from all other users for yourself. For a very long time the different area's of the marketplace where limited to one thread per user and one bump every 24 hrs. 

Hi, Shawn,

 

So to make sure I understand your perspective...your opinion would be that if I (or anyone, but we'll stick with me for the moment) were to post one thread on, say, March 1 mentioning 20 rarities up for auction, that then I should not be posting another thread -- ever again? -- on the Marketplace even if, two weeks later, I have 20 different rarities?  

 

Are you saying I should have one thread entitled something like "JeffGamer's weekly rarity auctions", then update it when I add new items, which will thereby "bump" it? (I haven't been actively using the "bump" option...hadn't even really thought about it.)  And if this IS what you are suggestion, I have a question on that -- is it possible to modify the title of a thread on a weekly basis?  For example, "JeffGamer's Weekly eBay auctions -- 3/5/24 update -- 2600 Grandma PacMan, Vectrex VForVendetta, Odyssey2 Nutella Invaders, lots more!", and then, rather than list a new thread the following week, change the title of the same thread during the following week to "JeffGamer's Weekly eBay auctions -- 3/12/24 update -- Intellivision Cookie Monster, Fairchild ChildOfTheFair, Bally Pickleball, lots more!".  Is that possible?  (note that none of those titles were real...just having fun making up new game titles!)

 

My intention is and has been NOT to spam the Marketplace. You may not know but, while I have not been particularly active on the AA forums for several years, I used to be a more active presence here and I have great love for the AtariAge website. I with complete honesty am telling you that I've been under the belief that announcing what I'm selling here would be received with enthusiasm...the whole point of the Marketplace threads is to announce cool auctions of interest to the community, and I love opening up threads with interesting items (like that Computer Space one!). There were around 12 different people posting on the Marketplace in total in January, 8 in February...I didn't think that my putting up a weekly post or two (which has been my developing intent) would be selfishly hogging the bandwidth or pushing other people off the screen, I thought it would be increasing the mild-to-moderate activity on the board with things that I believe the classic video game community will want to see (and, of course, getting the word out to those people who will most likely want what I have to offer). You are right, though, that if there are NOT many people posting on the Marketplace (like I said, there were only 7 others in all of February), then even if I were to put only 2 posts up each week, without lots of other posters that will make my name come up in the majority of the visible threads.

 

I AM trying to figure out the best way to go about it all. If there's a consensus on the "best ways" for me to be letting ya'll know what I put up for auction while simultaneously not going overboard or crossing lines of etiquette, I am all ears! That's why I started this thread! 😃

 

 

[Tanooki]

I'd be inclined to look if you had a weekly personal catch-all my auctions listings you mentioned.  You I think can continue to update the original topics title, if not, do something generic and note to check (X post) for updates.  That way it's easy to view, see what went/stayed/added and that's that.  Spamming 1/2 the page with singular lists is cause for being ignored.

[jeffgamer]

6 hours ago, Tanooki said:

...You I think can continue to update the original topics title...

I just experimented a minute ago and, yes, if the originator of a thread edits the original post, he/she can also edit the title.  I just tested it on this current thread by changing the colon in the title to a double-dash.  So I think I'll do that from here on out: One thread, edited every week or two, with an updated title that will sometimes highlight the best new additions. While I personally would go the route bfstats preferred...a different thread for each system...I totally get how it could feel overpowering to have multiple auction-announcement threads by the same person.

[jeffgamer]

Another question for the crew: Is it possible for a thread-starter to delete some of his old no-longer-relevant threads? I was looking to see if I could do that with a couple of my threads...clear the "clutter", so to speak...but couldn't find a way to do so. If it's not possible, I'll edit one of my earlier threads for my future update-announcements rather than start yet another one, but it still would be cool if I could consolidate or winnow them down, if there's a way to do so.

[Tanooki]

1 hour ago, jeffgamer said:

Another question for the crew: Is it possible for a thread-starter to delete some of his old no-longer-relevant threads? I was looking to see if I could do that with a couple of my threads...clear the "clutter", so to speak...but couldn't find a way to do so. If it's not possible, I'll edit one of my earlier threads for my future update-announcements rather than start yet another one, but it still would be cool if I could consolidate or winnow them down, if there's a way to do so.

No long term, yes shorter term if you pay up to subscribe, otherwise I think you have like 10-15minutes before you're blocked.  It stinks, but I get it.

[Shawn]

On 3/4/2024 at 9:45 PM, jeffgamer said:

Another question for the crew: Is it possible for a thread-starter to delete some of his old no-longer-relevant threads? I was looking to see if I could do that with a couple of my threads...clear the "clutter", so to speak...but couldn't find a way to do so. If it's not possible, I'll edit one of my earlier threads for my future update-announcements rather than start yet another one, but it still would be cool if I could consolidate or winnow them down, if there's a way to do so.

 

Ask a moderator, I'm sure they will delete them for you.

[jeffgamer]

Okay...I just modified one of my earlier mid-February threads with a new title...and I deleted the content of the first post and changed it to reflect my newest auctions.  I won't be adding new threads for future announcements, will just modify that one thread...and I was thinking I should just keep modifying the first post in that thread rather than add a new post every week.  I didn't remember that people could "follow" a thread until I noticed it this evening, so I'm imagining people interested in the updates will follow the thread.

 

However, I'm not sure how the system works, so I am unsure whether people who get notifications of new threads sent to their emails or phones also get notifications when a thread they aren't "following" gets updated...?  In order for Marketplace fans to know about the recurringly-modified thread, should I have instead started a new "permanent home" thread rather than modifying the old one from mid-February?  (I didn't want to repeat the faux pas of adding yet another thread, but I'm wondering if there was a downside to modifying the old one instead.

 

And if I am modifying the first post, will that "bump" the thread as Shawn mentioned earlier...or should I be instead making it a new post in the same thread every week or two in order to get that "bump"?

 

And if there's any other recommendations you all might have so I can best let the community know about the things I'll be selling while also making sure to do so in a way that will both serve and respect the standards everyone expects, I am all ears!!  (well, that's not entirely true...I have other facial features as well, but at the moment, the "all ears" part is the one I'm focusing upon, HA!). 👂👂👂👂

 

Thanks, all!  And, again, I apologize for starting off crossing a couple of lines of etiquette!  

 

[Dopy25]

11 hours ago, jeffgamer said:

And if I am modifying the first post, will that "bump" the thread as Shawn mentioned earlier...or should I be instead making it a new post in the same thread every week or two in order to get that "bump"?

Editing a post, body or title, does not bump it. Comments do.