The Show Place

Been thinking of this a bit, so I'll fill you all in on some details, then pose a couple of questions.
I have a hidden archive forum. It's sole purpose is to provide a place for old threads that are no longer in use. This keeps the forum smaller, easier to navigate, and increases the time it takes you to load the forum. (miniscule amount as this forum is quite small)
The idea was to place old threads in the archive for 3 months. After which, if no one requested it's return, the thread would be deleted. I've moved several threads to the archive forum over the past year, but, as of yet, haven't removed them. I started the cleanup in preperation for the big upgrade to the next major version of the forum program. To do that upgrade, I would have to make the forum as small as possible. I've decided that I'm not going to make that upgrade as most people don't like major change. The forum software we are using now is secure enough for our needs. (plus, the only way a person can register is if Anne or I approve them).
Now, I have to decide wether or not to keep the archive forum, and if I do, do I keep it hidden? or do I make it visable and lock the threads? or??
Anyway, here's your chance to make your voice heard, and to help me make a decision that directly affects you.
Thanks for reading.
Mike -->aka: trucker2000

For whatever reason the poll won't take my vote.

Small and managable is good IMO. But would there be a way to warn people: ie: Post notices maybe in ANNOUNCEMENTS when you want to discontinue a topic so folks can start a new string with the same thoughts in the old topic. Or a criteria pertaining to a specific length of time with no or minimal entries or even a max number of entries before archive occurs?

Don't mind me, I'm just thinking out loud.

I can't vote, either.

My preference would be to toss it, and keep the threads in the forum, but I understand the reasons that is not the optimal solution.

Barring that, I would say make it visible, so users can browse the archived threads to decide if there are any they'd like to keep around. Sometimes you completely forget about an old thread until something makes you search for it. Being able to browse them for a short time would keep useful older threads from slipping through the cracks.

BTW, I recently searched for an old thread about a movie project called (I think) "The O.Z.", a take on the Wizard of Oz, with (again, I think) Brandy in the lead. The recent announcement of Sci-Fi's "Tin Man" project sounded an awful lot like it, so I searched for the O.Z. thread and couldn't find it? Is it archived, perhaps?

I can't see why you all can't vote. The poll doesn't appear to be locked.

There don't appear to be any controls for voting. Clicking on any of that stuff up there has no effect.

My Options, by the way:

HTML is OFF
BBCode is ON
Smilies are ON

Aha, I just found this at the bottom right of my screen:

You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You can edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

:preach:
Ok, you can all vote now. Sheesh, I thought this forum was open to everyone registered. Sorry about that.

So you're saying you learned all you know about running elections from a local politician??

Xjmt wrote:So you're saying you learned all you know about running elections from a local politician??

And as proof, I still can't vote.

It still says I cannot vote in polls, either.

Xjmt wrote:

Xjmt wrote:So you're saying you learned all you know about running elections from a local politician??

And as proof, I still can't vote.

I surrender.

Ok, I have gone thru and looked at ALL the forum permissions. (sheesh what a screwed up mess that was) and have fixed them. All of them. If'n you caint vote now, I'm gonna Pull out my rifle and shoot the program.

Brian, according to the permissions as they were set, you should have been able to vote. I'm looking into that mess now.

Now I can vote.

Now I, too, can vote but I forgot the question.

Gee with all the response (votes) you've received (4 at last count) I guess WE rule this forum!!

I go along with what Xjmt said (I know, surprised me, too. )

Small and managable is good IMO. But would there be a way to warn people: ie: Post notices maybe in ANNOUNCEMENTS when you want to discontinue a topic so folks can start a new string with the same thoughts in the old topic. Or a criteria pertaining to a specific length of time with no or minimal entries or even a max number of entries before archive occurs?

I think we both need a drink after that revelation. :preach: