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A new rule has been implemented to prevent Google from indexing threads with zero replies, aiming to enhance the quality of content shown in search results. A list of 500 such threads, primarily homework help requests, has been compiled, and community members are encouraged to respond to these threads to make them indexable again. Concerns were raised about the age of many threads, with suggestions to delete those older than a year without responses to focus on more relevant content. The discussion also touched on the potential for using tags to improve thread categorization and indexing. Overall, the initiative seeks to boost engagement and attract new members by revitalizing older threads with helpful replies.
  • #51
Did someone do a silent delete of my message?
 
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  • #52
Vanadium 50 said:
Did someone do a silent delete of my message?
Message where?
 
  • #53
Yup.
 
  • #54
Had some threads and numbers. Nothing deletable.
 
  • #55
Greg Bernhardt said:
I set a filter to only show unmarked
OK, I did a "filter by value" and it got rid of the checked ones. I had been hesitant to do filtering because it didn't say what it was filtering ON and I didn't know if I would mess up the spreadsheet.
 
  • #56
vanhees71 said:
Well, if the question is interesting, why not answering a decade-old thread?

Another question: How is it with the Homework Section? I guess for this purpose we should give simply the solution and not try to guide the long-gone OP to an own one, right?
I don't know if it will lead people to believe PF is not " With It", or that their questions will not receive a prompt answer.
 
  • #57
WWGD said:
I don't know if it will lead people to believe PF is not " With It", or that their questions will not receive a prompt answer.
I wrote e.g.
Let's see, so that once and forever not everybody has to redo the exercise.
as a justification. I apparently have a follower since I received an answer to my post. So even that old one created traffic.

And do not underestimate how many people actually read those old threads. I frequently receive likes to posts I do not even remember!
 
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  • #58
Vanadium 50 said:
I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

Is that what you want, Greg?

Really?
Where's Winston Smith when you need him?
 
  • #59
Vanadium 50 said:
I've seen people respond to a thread with a request for more information - on a 15 year old thread where the Op has been gone for 10 years.

vanhees71 said:
Well, if the question is interesting, why not answering a decade-old thread?
This seems reasonable, assuming that the question is interesting and we're not talking about a homework thread.
phinds said:
I interpreted Greg's request as being that we should answer the posts as if they were posted today. Asking for more info emphasizes that requirement for new members, even if it does seem a silly way to answer a decade old post to an OP who is long gone.
Regarding decade-old (and older) homework threads, if the OP showed no attempt, IMO we should just delete the post rather than waste our time trying to add something meaningful to them.
 
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  • #60
Last edited:
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  • #61
Astronuc said:
One of the oldest unanswered posts/threads on PF.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/.8053
Oct 30, 2003

Edit/update - kuruman responded to it, so I checked it.
Greg is handling this from the completely wrong end of it. 2003? I mean 2003? This should be worth a lot more ...

1656881697108.png
 
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  • #62
fresh_42 said:
Greg is handling this from the completely wrong end of it. 2003? I mean 2003? This should be worth a lot more ...

View attachment 303717
Don't like it. I want my wine fresh!* And quit it with your fish. You never bothered to cook it. Whether you call it Shushi or not.

*Trademarked?
 
  • #63
WWGD said:
Don't like it. I want my wine fresh!*

*Trademarked?
Yes. It's called Beaujolais primeur, or here, without french marketing tricks: Federweißer.
 
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  • #64
WWGD said:
Whether you call it Shushi or not.
Shushi? That's a new one...
 
  • #66
Greg Bernhardt said:
Down to 373!
WHAT? ##373!\approx 8.7215543626222997721190458639175412663839048968050669901074... × 10^{798}##
 
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  • #67
fresh_42 said:
Yes. It's called Beaujolais primeur
In the Pays de Gex we called it Beaujolais Nouveau.

Or Chateau de Plonk.

Comment dit-on 'swill' en français?

It's just nasty.
 
  • #68
Vanadium 50 said:
In the Pays de Gex we called it Beaujolais Nouveau.

Or Chateau de Plonk.

Comment dit-on 'swill' en français?

It's just nasty.
La bibine ou pipi de chat. I assume cat pee is universal.
 
  • #69
Mark44 said:
Shushi? That's a new one...
They brought me some fish, and it was raw!
 
  • #71
fresh_42 said:
I assume cat pee is universal.
Please! Have some class!

It's 'cat whiz'.
 
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  • #72
I noticed many advisors and homework helpers reply to those threads like they expecting some kind of reply from the OP, but I think 99% probability is that the OP won't reply.

So I think when we reply to those threads we should give strong hints towards their solution if not revealing part or whole of the solution.
 
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  • #73
WWGD said:
They brought me some fish, and it was raw!
Oh shush, you.
Then I shush myself.
Oh shush, I.
 
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  • #75
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  • #77
  • #78
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  • #79
How about adding another column to the spreadsheet for us to check for broken links, incomplete information, etc. so we can flag questions for the moderators to review/delete?

Alternatively we could just reply by asking for more information. It's kind of frustrating to open a question, decide that it can't really be answered, and then leave it there for someone else to do the same thing.
 
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  • #80
DaveE said:
How about adding another column to the spreadsheet for us to check for broken links, incomplete information, etc. so we can flag questions for the moderators to review/delete?

Alternatively we could just reply by asking for more information. It's kind of frustrating to open a question, decide that it can't really be answered, and then leave it there for someone else to do the same thing.
How about simply clicking on "report" and saying why it should be deleted?
 
  • #81
fresh_42 said:
How about simply clicking on "report" and saying why it should be deleted?
Yeah, I've done that on a couple of them.
 
  • #82
fresh_42 said:
How about simply clicking on "report" and saying why it should be deleted?
Oops, I didn't see that. You just can't get good help these days, LOL.

nevermind-rosananadana.gif
 
  • #83
phinds said:
Yeah, I've done that on a couple of them.
And I deleted them. (Except one, IIRC. I merged one with an existing longer discussion.)
 
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  • #84
The actual number of remaining threads is smaller, there are many answers where threads haven't been checked in the document.

Should we move questions that need specialized knowledge to a second sheet and sort by topic? Otherwise multiple people might open the same thread only to realize they can't help there. That's not an issue for e.g. simple mechanics questions, but if you need to be familiar with a specific software or something like that it would save some time.
 
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  • #85
mfb said:
The actual number of remaining threads is smaller, there are many answers where threads haven't been checked in the document.
I checked them whenever I saw one.
mfb said:
Should we move questions that need specialized knowledge to a second sheet and sort by topic? Otherwise multiple people might open the same thread only to realize they can't help there. That's not an issue for e.g. simple mechanics questions, but if you need to be familiar with a specific software or something like that it would save some time.
Good idea. Matlab alone has had 34 entries.
 
  • #86
Down to near 200!

mfb said:
Should we move questions that need specialized knowledge to a second sheet and sort by topic?

I added another column where we can include the topic if the reviewer is not feeling confident answering and thinks someone with a certain skill is required.

google sheets link
 
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  • #87
Greg Bernhardt said:
Down to near 200!
I added another column where we can include the topic if the reviewer is not feeling confident answering and thinks someone with a certain skill is required.

google sheets link
I added all 31 MATLAB subjects. I have no knowledge in the field but I saw that @jedishrfu answered one with a specific video. Maybe he knows a video course, or youtube channel that answers all, or at least many of them.
 
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  • #88
fresh_42 said:
I added all 31 MATLAB subjects. I have no knowledge in the field but I saw that @jedishrfu answered one with a specific video. Maybe he knows a video course, or youtube channel that answers all, or at least many of them.
I can reach out to @kreil who is a MATLAB expert
 
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  • #89
You can point a lot of them to the mathworks website. I routinely find answers there.

There is also the rosettacode.org website with some more general tasks solved in a variety of languages including matlab.
 
  • #90
Did the links get misaligned with the titles on the google sheet?
 
  • #91
TeethWhitener said:
Did the links get misaligned with the titles on the google sheet?
It's even worse: it is not a constant shift. Someone sorted along the "subjects" column without sorting all of it.
 
  • #92
fresh_42 said:
It's even worse: it is not a constant shift. Someone sorted along the "subjects" column without sorting all of it.
Sorry, I think it was me. I restored the version from this morning (9:17 AM Pacific) where everything was aligned, so if you marked any threads as done after that time, you may need to mark it again.
 
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  • #94
Astronuc said:
Any takers on this one? :oldbiggrin:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/what-is-the-coulomb-gauge.763088/

If you know who wrote it, please let us know so we can attribute a writer. Apparently, the post is an entry is from our old Library feature. I miss that feature.

And another Library entry: What is susceptibility?
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/what-is-susceptibility.763178/

Did some of this material get put into an Insight article?
I'm trying to figure how to relate these two to other threads/posts. The subjects definitely show up in other threads/posts, and as old Library entries or FAQs, they are essentially stand-alone posts.

Any ideas?
 
  • #95
You could review the related threads from the list below the post and comment on which thread is most relevant.
 
  • #96
Down to 141, maybe all the easy ones are taken care of? @kreil will look at the MATLAB threads hopefully this weekend. For the two FAQ library threads, maybe there is a concept or explanation that someone can expand on, or are they pretty well perfect? Thanks again all!

Google sheets link
 
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  • #97
Greg Bernhardt said:
For the two FAQ library threads, maybe there is a concept or explanation that someone can expand on, or are they pretty well perfect?
I simply added a comment with the recommendation link to an existing Insight article each.
 
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  • #98
fresh_42 said:
I simply added a comment with the recommendation link to an existing Insight article each.
That may actually spark some replies from the community too just with the bump
 
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  • #100
fresh_42 said:
I simply added a comment with the recommendation link to an existing Insight article each.
That's what I had in mind.
 

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