Subscribed thread accumulation/maintenance

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I sometimes subscribe to threads that I don't reply to, usually because I want to read any follow-up from the OP. I noticed recently that my subscribed threads are in the very high triple digits. I'm sure that's not particularly impressive to the more veteran members, but I'm wondering if there's any reason to weed through the older ones? Are really old threads locked to replies after a certain number of years? And if so, has anyone gone through and unsubscribed from those just to make their subscribed thread list easier to skim? Has anyone accumulated a truly ridiculous number of subscriptions, and/or seen issues with subscribed thread?

[RunningBum]

I don't think old threads are locked, but at some point (6 months?) there's a message that you're replying to an old thread, do you really want to do that? But sometimes they do pop up again.

I don't subscribe to threads. I use the New Posts way of seeing what's new, and I see a little arrow for posts I've commented on. If I haven't commented but am still interested, I usually remember the thread title. It doesn't work as well when someone puts a meaningless title like "What do you think of this?" which gives no clue of the topic, but most threads are titled well.

[Alan]

Old threads do not automatically get closed and there is no limit to the number of threads you are subscribed to so no need to spend time un-subscribing to old threads.

[ShokWaveRider]

I like to keep mine manageable and do bother to trim them down occasionally. Personal choice I guess.

[cathy63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum I don't think old threads are locked, but at some point (6 months?) there's a message that you're replying to an old thread, do you really want to do that? But sometimes they do pop up again. I don't subscribe to threads. I use the New Posts way of seeing what's new, and I see a little arrow for posts I've commented on. If I haven't commented but am still interested, I usually remember the thread title. It doesn't work as well when someone puts a meaningless title like "What do you think of this?" which gives no clue of the topic, but most threads are titled well.

On the New Posts lists, there's a little blue checkbox to the right of the title if you've subscribed to the thread. So if there's one I want to keep reading, but don't yet have anything to say about it, I use the Thread Tools menu to subscribe. Then when I'm reading down the New Posts list, I click into any one that has the checkbox rather than just the ones that have the arrows indicating I've made a comment.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider I like to keep mine manageable and do bother to trim them down occasionally. Personal choice I guess.

I understand.

I just looked and I have 130 pages of subscribed threads and since I know of no benefit to trimming them down then I don’t bother.

With my PMs, which do have a limit, then I do trim those down from time to time.

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider I like to keep mine manageable and do bother to trim them down occasionally. Personal choice I guess.

Right, I was thinking about this, but I think if threads don't get automatically locked after a time, I'd want to know if an old thread of interest was resurrected -- although in that situation, my chances of unsubscribing are probably a little higher than with any other (more timely) reply!

[target2019]

I try to keep it to 10 pages. Go to last page and delete those subscriptions. Repeat as required.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I just looked and I have 130 pages of subscribed threads and since I know of no benefit to trimming them down then I don’t bother.

I, too, had to look. I have 102 pages -- 3,057 subscriptions. I can think of much more enjoyable things to do with my time rather than get involved in that particular exercise..

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd I, too, had to look. I have 102 pages -- 3,057 subscriptions. I can think of much more enjoyable things to do with my time rather than get involved in that particular exercise..

-> Empty Current Folder

Or keep them just in case...

[Nemo2]

I didn't comment, because I don't want to subscribe to this thread.

[W2R]

Subscribed Threads is something that just isn't on my radar, for some reason.

I just checked and I have 0 subscribed threads. Somehow, when I first joined the forum I must have set it up so that I don't automatically subscribe to threads.

[target2019]

old threads to be worn, not read.

[Aerides]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cosmic Avenger Right, I was thinking about this, but I think if threads don't get automatically locked after a time, I'd want to know if an old thread of interest was resurrected -- although in that situation, my chances of unsubscribing are probably a little higher than with any other (more timely) reply!

8/10 if an old thread is resurrected it's a spammer

1/10 it's some strange necro-bump where a new thread would be a better idea

1/10 it's "oh hey it's me thought I'd give an update after 6 years!"

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides 8/10 if an old thread is resurrected it's a spammer 1/10 it's some strange necro-bump where a new thread would be a better idea 1/10 it's "oh hey it's me thought I'd give an update after 6 years!"

Yep, those numbers check out!

Although seriously, I think I've seen maybe one or two spam posts, so thank you, mods, for being so diligent!

Anyway, the last one is why I'm probably not deleting any old subscriptions, because the rest are easy to ignore. The updates are definitely ones I'd want to see!

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I finally found a good reason to unsubscribe! Those long threads that were closed and restarted for 2021 (thanks, mod team!), if I was subscribed to the old one, I subscribed to the new one and unsubbed from the old one!

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I understand. I just looked and I have 130 pages of subscribed threads and since I know of no benefit to trimming them down then I don’t bother. With my PMs, which do have a limit, then I do trim those down from time to time.

I didn’t know or care but I looked too. 146 pages, 4372 threads. I wonder if the OP is getting emails every time there’s activity on subscribed threads? That would drive me crazy, I changed to no email notifications for subscribed threads years ago. Same with other forums I’m on, I’d be buried in emails, unnecessarily IMO.

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack I didn’t know or care but I looked too. 146 pages, 4372 threads. I wonder if the OP is getting emails every time there’s activity on subscribed threads? That would drive me crazy, I opted out of that years ago.

Yep, I get emails for every subscribed thread, although I only have about 1/6 of yours. However, most of them are old threads with no posts for many months or years, which was kind of the crux of my dilemma. But I've decided to leave those, as if I get tired of a thread I do very rarely unsubscribe, but most of the time the posts are at least entertaining if not informative!