# Recommended Threads are Old and Outdated **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [November 17, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925 "2025-11-17T14:11:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/1 "2025-11-17T14:11:12Z")
When i get to the bottom of a thread, there are a group of recommended threads to read. These used to be timely - current, active threads that are either related to the thread i just read, or maybe somehow algorithmically derived to pique my interest. That’s no longer the case - the recommended threads are now only related to the thread i just read, and nearly always extremely old (i.e. 15 years old). Is there a setting i need to adjust? ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/2 "2025-11-17T14:13:39Z")
At the bottom you can have suggested or related, move it to suggested. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/3 "2025-11-17T14:47:32Z")
I’ve noticed tbe same thing. And the same remedy. It does seem though that “related” is now strongly biased to show the oldest related threads, not recent related threads. I think that is a recent change. With our deep back-catalog, that’s IMO a misfeature. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/4 "2025-11-17T14:51:38Z")
“Related” is at least topical. I don’t know anything about its temporality. If related topics are old because the topic hasn’t been discussed in years, that’s not Discourse’s fault. “Suggested” is just recent topics, with no topical relationship to thr currently-viewed topic. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/5 "2025-11-17T16:36:26Z")
I don’t think I’ve seen anything under “Related” that was less than 15 years old in quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/6 "2025-11-17T17:07:31Z")
The “Related” feature is an AI plugin they (Discourse) added a couple years ago: [Discourse AI - Related topics - Site Management - Discourse Meta](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-ai-related-topics/281807) It does seem like an oversight that there isn’t a way to limit it to more recently active posts. Probably most Discourse forums aren’t as old as ours. Maybe drop a comment there and ask them to add it…? ---
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/7 "2025-11-17T18:46:57Z")
I noticed same thing as OP— recommended at bottom are at least 20 yrs old now, up until a week or so ago they were more recent. Note: I am always logged out (unless writing something, obv.) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/8 "2025-11-17T21:05:52Z")
> [@DaveUnknown](#): > > up until a week or so ago they were more recent. I’ve been experiencing this (old related threads) for much longer, months if not years. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/9 "2025-11-18T01:01:52Z")
Ha! That’s pretty funny. I just went to check this week’s NFL thread. We have them every week, and have for years, so there are plenty of recent related threads it could offer. The five related threads for this week’s NFL thread are from 2005, 2007, 2002, 2000 and 2002. Forgive me for mixing my sports metaphors, but swing and a miss. (Mine defaults to Suggested, which are all current. I had never seen the Related option before.) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommended-threads-are-old-and-outdated/1024925/10 "2025-11-18T01:10:50Z")
Heh. As I finished reading the last post in this thread, I clicked on ‘Related’. The results were one thread from 2020, one from 2005, and two from 2001. Doubtful if I’ll peruse any of those, although it might be interesting.