merging two threads

[Gordon]

in the Continental N gauge sub board we have two overlapping threads which duplicate subject almost 90%.

Is it possible to merge the two?

[njee20]

NOOOOOO! You'll then have two threads that make no sense because posts from the two will be spliced together. If it's that much of a problem kill one.

[railsquid]

Technically it's possible, which threads?

[njee20]

The Kato RhB and Modelling Swiss in 1:150, but they're both huge, it'll ruin both IMO. Lock one of them if people really object to both existing.

[emjaybee]

I've no interest in either of these threads, but a note of caution.

If merging is done early on with small threads, it can work. But, having been caught up in a pickle of a thread merge a while back, and it was two small threads merged with the best intentions, it was a nightmare resulting in an incomprehensible mess. A MOD kindly unpicked it again, but it took him some time.

Two threads of that size will be impossible to unpick and leave a garbled, undecipherable thread which will die.

Pick one or the other if you want my advice.

Be careful what you wish for!

[daffy]

No. Please don't merge these threads.

The resultant child will be a right complicated mess, and any future entries to it will be across a very wide spectrum of subjects, which, though related, will most certainly mean a lack of easily followed and digested conversations.

At present there is some overlap (I would disagree with the percentages so far espoused) but one thread deals well with its titled subject, the "Kato Rhaetische Bahn series" of models.
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=28322.0

Inevitably it has expanded to include just about anything related to modelling the Rhaetische Bahn, and I see nothing wrong in that. But perhaps it is time the thread title was modified to reflect that, something like "Swiss Rhaetische Bahn (RhB) - modelling and models".

The other thread "Modelling Swiss narrow gauge in 1:150th scale " was begun in 2018 after the "Kato..." thread became a confusion of conversations and was locked. It was an attempt by a Mod to end that confusion, and at the time was a fair idea, where discussions could take place of matters other than Kato RhB. In this it has been successful, and now includes discussions and info about a whole range of other Swiss narrow gauge items, including other model manufacturers, comparisons between models and prototypes, and all manner of interesting bits and pieces. To now lump all those non-Kato themes into the Kato thread would, I feel, be a wrong move.

[railsquid]

Yup, seems like a bad idea, now we know what the threads in question are. If it was just a case of a recent thread with a few posts which overlapped with an established thread, no problem, but without claiming to be familiar with either of these, sounds like daffy's suggestion of renaming the Kato one seems sensible?

[Gordon]

Yup, seems like a bad idea, now we know what the threads in question are. If it was just a case of a recent thread with a few posts which overlapped with an established thread, no problem, but without claiming to be familiar with either of these, sounds like daffy's suggestion of renaming the Kato one seems sensible?

Understood re the technical aspects - thanks

The trouble is that renaming the Kato one (the one I started in 2015) would result in a very similar title to the 'Swiss in 1:150' thread. I try my level best to restrict my own posts about Kato issues to my original thread, but then I've been doing the Swiss 1:150 thing since Kato first announced their Glacier Express - I full understand that it is never easy to remember any 'policy' when contributing on a wide ranging subject.

One very useful pointer is  to note that a newcomer to the scene in the last few days had posted on one thread but had not noticed the other thread equally relevant to their comment, until I pointed out its existence

Possible options:

add a word to 'my' thread to underline the 'Kato only' notion
Stop the Kato one and live with me and others reposting stuff on the 'Swiss in 1:150' thread
Reword both with a nod to each other in the titles

The only way round would be for a moderator to cover just that thread (not technically possible I assume) and move non-Kato items to the other one

[Gordon]

The trouble is that renaming the Kato one (the one I started in 2015) would result in a very similar title to the 'Swiss in 1:150' thread.

I see that - even whilst I was typing - this has now happened - how confusing...

[daffy]

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do this, but what RG has now done, renaming the Kato thread title to encompass all the RhB related items makes a fair stab at it.

It is now up to those of us who have been using both threads to be more diligent and selective when it comes to posting on either of these threads. There is no need for duplication on both to 'catch' all possible readers, as it were, as this will only serve to confuse what should now be straightforward.

Of course there will always be those newcomers who will not necessarily post in the 'right' thread, or who may start a new thread that should be posted to one of these two. But to prevent that would be impossible in any situation, as we know.

And it will be inevitable that some Kato/RhB post will appear in the other thread, or vice versa, to maintain flow in a specific post exchange. An example would be a comparison between items on an MOB line with RhB equivalents. But these should be minor, and no different to what happens in other sub-Forums.

Let us give it time and see what happens.

[njee20]

I agree with Mike. Don't move any content, or do anything that will destroy the continuity of a thread. No need to cross post. There are dozens of threads where information could be posted, so the odd bit being somewhere different is immaterial!