Breaking news threads are often bumped weeks or months after the event with an update. But it can be disconcerting to see something like “active shooter in ____” only to realize after clicking through that it happened last year and someone is posting about the result of the trial.
So how about adding a date to the title of breaking news threads, like I did as an example on this thread? I know we as posters will constantly forget, so we’d probably be somewhat dependent on mods to edit the titles (I’m looking at you, @What_Exit). Worth the little bit of effort?
I like this idea. Seconded.
I wouldn’t mind a date on every thread title, but that would have to be auto-generated by the software, not to put too big a burden on the mods.
It is a good idea and it would be very helpful. But as I read MPSIMS almost the least of the forums, I’m not likely to catch many of the misses. I’m not sure if any other current mod is odd enough to take this on.
When flagged, I’ll happily append the date to the titles, but I can’t say I would go looking.
I tag the Game Room & Café Society and have some basic tools set up to help with any new threads in those forums. I mod GD, P&E, IMHO, Café Society and Thread Games. I check every ATMB, Moderation and Site Feedback thread. I scan the Pit & FQ to some degree.
So MPSIMS and QZ are basically the ones I don’t really read much at all. That is unlikely to change. Though I am all over the main Ukraine Invasion thread. I’m probably a little overly obsessed with that one.
Thirded. I think it would help if we started flagging breaking news threads so people would pick up on the idea. Or have one of the MPSIMS mods put up a sticky for a bit.
Of you hover over the time since the last post listed under activity you will be shown the date and time of both the first and most recent post to the thread.
It depends what device you’re using to read. All the features aren’t available on my Kindle (which is what I’m using right now).
Not a bad idea.
But dates can be ambiguous. First, a story can happen on different dates according to time zone, and secondly because of American month/day format vs day/month format in the rest of the world.
So, for the avoidance of ambiguity, the date format should be YYYY-MM-DD in UTC
So yours would be 2022-04-29
(You actually posted within a minute of midnight UTC, it might have been the 28th or the 29th)
Maybe it should include the time as well.
April 29, 2022 is clear to all.
The reason for this suggestion in a Breaking News thread is to give an idea when the item was “breaking news,” i.e., today, last week, last year. No need to pinpoint the time of day. Keep it simple.
Of course, the OP can get as specific as they want to in the thread title.
Capital idea.
Agree that the time is unnecessary.
mmm
Also, it’s hard to hover without a mouse/mouse function.
I’ve added the date to a few breaking news stories in MPSIMS.
I’m happy to report, it doesn’t bump the thread.
Though the OP will most likely be notified.
I used this format: {2022-04-27}
I can add dates, although it would help if folks report threads that need it. I like YYYY-MM-DD format, and i think the time local to whoever posted (or wherever the event is) is ideal, and realistically, if I’m adding dates, it’s probably usually going to be USA ET.
Also, do we have a tag for “breaking news” threads. If we don’t, let’s start adding one. We have special rules for them, we may as well make it obvious which threads they are.
Each time I add tags to additional forums, I ask permission first of the Mods.
I think you just really need the other MPSIMS mods to agree.
So @engineer_comp_geek, @loach @AspenGlow are the other 3.
Adding the tag is very easy. Something like breaking-news. Renaming is pretty simple and so I’ll add the tag now.
It is added to a single thread for now as a sample and test. Clicking breaking-news will take you to all threads with the tag.
I’ve added tags before. Huh, surprised you never noticed. I don’t find it especially easy to search for tagged stuff, but i was thinking of it more as a reminder that this is a breaking news thread than as something people would even want to search for, honestly.
I’m going to be honest, getting curly brackets on my phone is a nuisance, and i mostly post on my phone. It’s just going to be YYYY-MM-DD if I’m doing this.
That should be find.
On Galaxies, [2022-12 ] or (2022-12-12) seems pretty easy, but {2022} is significantly more work and prone to errors.
Thank you, mods, for the quick acceptance of the idea of dates.
I’m less enthused about using the breaking news tag, though. Some of the threads last long enough to be superseded by other breaking news on the same subject. Some are old and get resurrected and so would be totally misleading. Dates are much better for the purpose.
Thanks, mods. @Peter_Morris, good suggestion on the date format.