# For how long are posts stored in the database? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-are-posts-stored-in-the-database/332033 "2005-11-21T04:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-are-posts-stored-in-the-database/332033/1 "2005-11-21T04:47:20Z")
I have a post count of 940, but my posting archives can only let me see the last 750 posts. So how long are posts stored in the archives? Does this apply to other boards using the same software too? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-are-posts-stored-in-the-database/332033/2 "2005-11-21T06:26:45Z")
Forever and ever and ever. Amen. Search results are limited to 750, Cecil’s IQ. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-are-posts-stored-in-the-database/332033/3 "2005-11-21T16:49:31Z")
What he said. It’s probably a big reason why we don’t have as much capacity as we do and why search is so boggy; it has to sift through a lot to extract the desired data. Archiving is being investigated. I believe if we could take the bulk of the content and archive it – where it is available in read only format, searchable, etc., but a step removed from the actual board – speed and capacity would skyrocket and everyone would be happy. It’s not an automatic function in vB, so we’re looking for a workaround that wouldn’t involve untold man-hours by the tech department. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-are-posts-stored-in-the-database/332033/4 "2005-11-21T20:42:17Z")
To see your earliest posts, sort your results by ascending posting date.