Whether to split the thread 'Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)'

[mjr]

The original title of this thread was 'Travelling with a touring bike on a train in the uk' - it was changed on page 22 when a new member's thread/post was merged into the thread. If you wish to discuss this further, I suggest you do so in Using the Forum here - viewtopic.php?t=160176.

Is there a point? Are the mods willing to even entertain the possibility that the merge tool should not be used (not least because it is broken and mangles the 'post read' statuses), or are complaints being sent here to a ghetto to die?

See viewtopic.php?t=159252. There seemed to be no strong clear consensus then.

Well of course not, as it's in a low-participation ghetto and the only moderator in that discussion seems to be pushing one side hard rather than looking to build a consensus.

Here's how I'd summarise the last positions expressed by the seven participants who did so:
PH: against merging except if two threads on the same topic are live at the same time;
mjr: against merging because it resets "read" statuses (favours locking with a link if mods feel they must) although I do also agree with jimlewis that it mangles the continuity too (because the imperfect quote tool discourages quoting if using a mobile device, so we often have replies that are to the previous message without quoting it, which get turned into non-sequiturs by merges);
Jdsk: favours merging in general, asked why not but didn't reply to it mangling reading statuses;
Psamathe: asked if subject editing and lock-and-link would work better, pointed to another ghetto thread about subjects and then snowstormed by a mod so heavily that he fled the discussion;
Paulatic: inclined not to merge because of how searches work;
slowster: favours merging to avoid offending the opening posters of previous threads on the same topic (have any ever taken such offence?);
jimlewis: against merging because it jumbles the discussion continuity.

I suspect most people ain't gonna care enough to post about this, especially when someone with a special colour username posts such volume, but even so, it was 4-2 broadly against merging in general.

[slowster]

I didn't pursue it, I wasn't requesting a split, I was suggesting a more pro active monitoring of thread titles and , wishful thinking, that threads other than in the Tea Shop, be kept roughly on topic. Simon pointed out how useful info was getting buried and IMO that's inevitable with such wide ranging, almost generic, thread titles.

'Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)' is fairly exceptional in being a thread on a very broad subject with a lot of useful information about numerous different operators/countries. As regards highlighting that the title was too broad and predicting that it would likely result in an unwieldy thread that made it difficult to find information, I think members (especially those who had good knowledge of the subject matter) were better placed to recognise that and make that point than moderators. I personally have negligible experience of travelling with a bike on a train.

As for threads staying on topic vs thread drift vs derailment, you are welcome to advocate for the Forum Guidelines
to be revised to include a rule on the issue, but there was no strong clear consensus when the matter was previously discussed here - viewtopic.php?t=159969.

[mjr]

As for threads staying on topic vs thread drift vs derailment, you are welcome to advocate for the Forum Guidelines
to be revised to include a rule on the issue, but there was no strong clear consensus when the matter was previously discussed here - viewtopic.php?t=159969.

Or you could say that discussion has only one person against including a rule. Is that the meaning of "no strong clear consensus" being used here?