[wp-forums] Closing down threads regarding old versions of WP

[electricfeet at libero.it]

I agree that "me too"s are not helpful. But sometimes, "I tried that solution 
and need to tweak it slightly" can be helpful, because (a) others might want a 
similar tweak; (b) the solution no longer works because the theme or WordPress 
has been updated and someone wants to know what the new solution is; or (c) the 
problem really is very similar. In cases (b) and (c), the existing thread may 
contain information that gives significant context for the new problem--and 
would otherwise need to be repeated by the poster and re-assimilated by the 
volunteers who are answering.

As someone who responds on a specific theme, I can say that I am happy to 
respond to threads that meet (a)-(c) above, even if the thread is old. The 
context that the old thread provides can be very useful and save time. But I 
ask people to open new threads where the new post is clearly unrelated to the 
original.

Whatever timescale is chosen, it's important that you are then consistent. 
That is, if you choose to close automatically after 1 year, then it's not 
reasonable to close posts simply because 9 months have passed or the WP version 
is different. That's just a recipe for irritating people.