"Meetups and Conventions"-board

[Timmy Fox]

I feel like the timer for threads getting auto-locked might need to be extended or possibly even removed from this board.

As it looks to me, any thread that hasn't been posted in for a month (or something like so) gets locked automatically. However, seeing as many conventions are truly relevant only for a couple times a year, the primary examples being right before they happen, when they open up for registrations, bookings etc. and when they start advertising themselves. The latter two of these examples happen several months up to as far as 6-8 months prior to the convention happening.

As the above would suggest, there can be lengthy periods between when the thread for a certain convention is made and when the discussion gets relevant once again for the same convention meaning that an existing thread for a convention can very well have gotten auto-locked well before the convention in question is even due to take place, requiring one to contact a moderator if they wish to have the thread unlocked for further discussion. This is something I've personally seen, including threads I've started myself, and I've even seen one example of a fresh thread being made for the same convention simply because the old one had been locked since several months back due to inactivity once it was getting closer to the date of that one convention.

Suggestion:
Please either extend the duration for which how long a thread in this board is allowed to be inactive before it is automatically locked; Alternatively remove the automatic locking of inactive threads entirely in this board.

In the case of the former, I would suggest a duration around 6 months may be fair as that this is the average time between when conventions first start to advertise their next iteration to when it actually happens. This means that a thread created right away when users are the most likely to start discussing who else may plan to attend a certain convention should remain open right up until when the convention occurs.

[WingedZephyr]

It was set to lock after 2 months of inactivity, but that's a fair suggestion.

Changed it to 6 months.

[Ventus Fall]

I saw this and forgot to respond
I mean, what I might say now wouldn't make much of a difference
But I agree with you, Timmy. In fact, a lot of conventions -if not most- actually already mention what the theme is for the convention next year. So arguably it can even be 12 months from the moment they start until when it happens.
Still, the 6 months duration will surely help!

[WingedZephyr]

Yeah I can see that as a possibility, but we'll start with the 6 months and see how it goes.

[Timmy Fox]

Yeah, whilst I could see even 12 months being useful I think 6 months might be enough mainly since there isn't enough activity as is that it'd make a big difference.

Most topics that pop up seem to happen a little closer to the next iteration being relevant, as explained (registration openings and such), as opposed to right after the previous iteration, after all.