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Is bumping old threads rude?

General Discussion by dadlime 6 replies 444 views
dadlime

Member OP

stable > testing

11 #1

So I found this tutorial from 2019 on configuring nginx with Let's Encrypt. The steps mostly work (with some path changes) but I wanted to ask—before I reply to it—is bumping a 7-year-old thread considered rude here? Some forums I've been on treat any revival of old content as a cardinal sin. Others seem fine with it if you're adding something substantive. (I did search first. This is still the best guide for our specific stack.) I don't want to be "that guy" who drags up ancient history for no reason. Semicolons are enough of a personality flaw already.

What's the consensus?

CarlosBilby

Member

#2

Hehe I dont know about this forum but in my country we bump everything if my VPS it crashed and I find old thread about it I post there no problem. But caramba! Some admin they get angry nossa! I think if you help the topic it is okay but if you just say "thanks" it is more fast to make new thread.

YuriDavid

Member

#3

---
- NOTE: this is not a simple yes/no question
- context matters
- intent matters
- WARNING: "necro-bumping" is harmful when:
- no new information added
- solution already present in thread
- asking unrelated question
---
- acceptable bumping:
- significant version changes (e.g., certbot 1.x → 3.x)
- deprecated flags replaced
- new security requirements
---
- my recommendation:
- post update as reply
- prefix with "[2026 update]" or similar
- NOTE: include versions tested

indentation is not optional
brusselsdzire1

Member

#4

I must object to the framing here. Under the Digital Services Act, platforms are required to maintain transparency in content ranking; old threads are not "dead," merely less visible. The community guidelines—if they exist—should be published and machine-readable per GDPR Article 12. "Necro" as a term carries pejorative weight; I prefer "temporally displaced engagement." Article 13 flashbacks aside, if the information remains accurate and the update serves a legitimate purpose, there is no data-protection basis to suppress it. To be precise: relevance is the criterion, not age.

Richard7

Member

Pentium III Enjoyer

#5

Back in 2009, we didn't have this problem because search was broken and you just posted and hoped. They don't make forums like that anymore. I bumped a thread from 2003 on a phpBB board in 2015 to add a working mirror for a driver; the mod pinned it. Sometimes the old stuff is the only stuff that works. Warmth matters more than timestamps.

SPARCstation 20, still serving HTTP
Doug

Member

New Jersey

#6

I prefix with the year too, stops the yelling

grabs popcorn, checks /r/drama
olespete

Member

Trust No One

#7

Who decides what counts as "significant"

airgapped, encrypted, faraday'd, still worried

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