New Feature: Similar Topics When Creating a New Topic

[RadioRob]

Hey guys...  I've added a new feature for when you creating a new topic, the system will do a search as you're typing out the subject line for other similar threads to see if there is already a similar already covered.

A couple of notes about this: 

• This feature only looks at the SUBJECT line for comparison.  It's matching the terms in the subject you are typing to the topic subjects that already exist.  (It does not check inside the body of the message itself as that would take a LOT of resources.)
• The feature will suggest up to 5 results.  (I can reduce this if necessary.)
• The search will only look for topics posted in the last year.  (I can remove the restriction and let it search ANYTHING, but thought it might be more useful to only return semi recent results.)
• This is a "live mode" version of the Similar Content widget that shows on the side of individual topics.  It's been extended to show data as you're creating a post so that you don't think to yourself you wish you would have seen this other topic before starting a new one!

[mike carey]

@RadioRobis the purpose of this to alert the creator of a thread to another related thread or does it continue on and include links to those threads in the new thread that is being created. If the latter can you override its selections so only threads you think are relevant are displayed? (Although your last bullet point tends to suggest this capability is only a reference for you to see while you are creating the thread.)

It's not clear whether the 'last year' relates to when the tread was created or to when it had last had a post added. I would be inclined to have it set to include any active threads, so any that have had a new post in the last two years (IIRC). I can see some value in displaying older threads, but not all that much.

Whatever the details of how this works, it's a great idea.

[RadioRob]

9 minutes ago, mike carey said:

@RadioRobis the purpose of this to alert the creator of a thread to another related thread or does it continue on and include links to those threads in the new thread that is being created. If the latter can you override its selections so only threads you think are relevant are displayed? (Although your last bullet point tends to suggest this capability is only a reference for you to see while you are creating the thread.)

It's designed to let the creator know there are other threads of a similar subject and suggests them.  It's up to the author if they want to give up posting their new subject and click one of the existing ones OR they can simply finish their subject line and scroll back the suggestions to type their own message as normal.

When you start typing a new subject, it will look something like:

At the end of the 5 suggested potential posts would be:

Regarding the time frame...  it's the date of last activity.  So it would include any thread that has had replies within the last year.  (Remember, you replies are disabled already on threads older than 24 months...  so even if you open that thread, you could not reply to it.)

[mike carey]

1 minute ago, RadioRob said:

(Remember, you replies are disabled already on threads older than 24 months...  so even if you open that thread, you could not reply to it.)

Yes, I was aware of that. I should have been clearer, I regularly [but not necessarily frequently] see new threads that include a link to an older closed thread that is relevant to the new discussion being started. That tends to be done only by experienced members of the forum who remembered the old thread, and [importantly] knew how to find it. They will likely continue to do that. That's why I said it would be useful but marginally so.

[RadioRob]

1 hour ago, mike carey said:

Yes, I was aware of that. I should have been clearer, I regularly [but not necessarily frequently] see new threads that include a link to an older closed thread that is relevant to the new discussion being started. That tends to be done only by experienced members of the forum who remembered the old thread, and [importantly] knew how to find it. They will likely continue to do that. That's why I said it would be useful but marginally so.

I have turned off the 1 year restriction for now.  Let's see how it works out.  I might revisit it if people are confused about clicking an older auto locked topic and not being able to reply.