A little clarification on what necroposting is.
Considering the large amounts of reported posts and minimoding we've had for necroposting lately, I'd like to clarify what is, at the very least, my opinion on what necroposting is. A lot of what is being reported isn't really necessary, and from what I understand the other admin/mods mostly agree, though they can feel free to chime in.
What is necroposting?
Necroposting is bumping up an outdated topic to the top of the forums with a post that has no new relevant information to add.
Whenever you want to report a post for necroposting or scold someone for necroposting, compare it to that statement first. I'll even make a checklist.
1. Has it been over a month since the last post on this topic?
2. Is this a topic which there is very little room for expansion on the subject? (ie. can the topic be discussed further? Is it a discussion that just dropped off without being resolved?)
3. Does the post have nothing relevant to add to the topic?
4. Is it on a forum that has extremely little activity (such as Moves/Items)? (This one is less set in stone, but when a new member sees a topic third down from the top, they may not realize they are necroposting even if it has been over a month)
5. Is the topic stickied?
If the answer is YES to all of 1-3, then yes, it is a necropost. If the answer is YES to 4, then it does not deserve moderation, since the topic was likely already at the top of the forum. If the answer is YES to 5, it is not a necropost. It is not possible to necropost on a stickied topic. This is why the topic is stickied in the first place, to keep it there for reference, and if not locked, for comment.
Why is necroposting bad?
The main reason necroposting is bad is because it clutters the recent parts of the forum with outdated topics which are not relevant anymore. On forums with activity such as Topaz's, this reason is almost obsolete, since unless someone necroposts several topics to the top, so much of our activity is centred on the recent topics that they will soon be bumped up to the top regardless. So, I consider necroposting one of the lowest offenses you can commit. To be honest, I'm glad when someone new is excited about something and comments about how much they like it, even if the decision is already over.
So please, give newer members a chance. There's so little harm in necroposting that even in most genuine cases there's really not that much disciplinary action to take. Most necroposters will only necropost one or two topics before moving on, which will quickly be moved over again in favour of more recent ones. They do not deserve to be treated in the same way as trolls and spammers.
