The Guide to Archiving

Since there seems to be some confusion over what to archive and what not, I thought it would be a good idea to create a guide thread to save on wasted time for both mods and us admin. There is nothing worse than a confused mod spending his/her time archiving lots of threads, only to have them put back due to an error on their part.

This is a basic guide, if you have any questions, ask in here.





RULES

• ALWAYS close the threads you are archiving!
  
• ALWAYS follow the 1 month rule/3 month rule. (3 month rule for RPs Only)
  
• ALWAYS PM the thread creator before archiving to let them know you are doing so!
  
• NEVER deviate from the rules stated.
  
• NEVER archive anything from any Creaking Zone section.
  
• NEVER archive Staff Zone topics.
  
• NEVER re-archive something an admin has reinstated.
  
• When in doubt, PM an Admin!
  

What to Archive

• Old Intro Threads - Any intro threads past 1 month old must be archived. (NOTE: NEVER LEAVE THE WELCOME WAGON EMPTY! Always leave at least 1 or two threads, or it looks very empty and uninviting.)
  
• Old discussions in General Chat and it's chat related sub-forums. (But, make sure they ARE dead. Here at AWOC we like to let people have their say. So, don't archive it if you think there's still some juice in it!)
  
• Comments and suggestions in Suggestions, Questions and Comments.
  
• Old Current Events threads.
  
• Old single art threads. This means any art threads that AREN'T a collection. (IE: 'Look at this pic!' and NOT 'Suchandsuches Art Collection'.)
  
• Worn out RPs/Ended RPs, their character creation threads, discussion threads and sign up threads. If an RP has ended and has been for over 3 months, archive it. (Archive everything. Sign up thread, Character Creation Thread and Discussion thread.) Do NOT archive after 1 month.
  
• 100% dead Journal threads, but ONLY if they are dead! (NOTE: Use the RP 3 month rule with Journals.)
  

What NOT to Archive

• Anything in any Creaking Zone section. This is spam for a reason and many members like to have fun. We let them dig up old topics there, since none of them make much sense anyway. Plus members put forum games in there too. NEVER delete forum games!
  
• Anything from any official AWOC section. (IE: Store related topics in AWOC Requests and AWOC Tech Support.)
  
• Anything from Auntie Axel, or Guides.
  
• Anything question in Suggestions, Questions and Comments. This section will work as a separate FAQ base. Any questions posed will be answered and will stay there for others to check in case they wish to ask the same thing. This will save time and effort and will also prevent people asking the same things over and over.
  
• Anything from the Writing section. (Unless it's spam, in which case delete it, don't archive it!)
  
• Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT archive anything from the Notice Board.
  
• Events, or Guides topics.
  
• Thoth's Acandemy topics.
  
• Photography.
  
• Anything from the Staff Room. (NEVER Archive these topics.)
  

Archiving FAQ


[Q] - How long to I wait to archive something?
[A] - Wait 1 month with intro threads, 3 months with RP threads and anything else, use your judgement.

[Q] - Something is getting out of hand in the Creaking Zone, can I archive it to stop it?
[A] - No. Move it to the mature Creaking Zone, or alternatively close it if it's too out of hand. Any closed Creaking Zone threads are to run by the Intro Thread time line should it ever occur. (1 Month)

[Q] - This game thread hasn't been posted in in ages, can I archive it?
[A] - NO. If it's in the Creaking Zone and is NOT closed, NEVER archive it.

[Q] - This RP has been quiet for a long time, but it hasn't ended. Should I archive it?
[A] - Contact the creator first. Make sure to give them 1 month to reply, after which close the thread, don't archive it straight away. Give it another month for the archiving rule, THEN archive it. (But, always be ready to re-open it should the person return.)

[Q] - I just archived something, but I noticed it came back, what happened?
[A] - This would mean that it was incorrectly archived. An administrator will have reinstated the topic.

[Q] - Someone posted an art thread with one picture, but then posted another after, do I still archive it?
[A] - No, this would mean it has turned into a collection thread. If they should post another separate thread after, merge the two, unless a specific topic is present.

[Q] - Am I allowed to grant archive requests? (IE: A member asked me to archive their thread, do I?)
[A] - So long as the thread is dead, sure. Make sure no one else is discussing the topic a hand, as a lot of members like to do it out of spite if they are losing an argument, for example. You can never be to careful.

[Q] - Someone posted something in the Suggestions, Questions and Comments section, can I archive it?
[A] - So long as it's not a Question, yes. But, follow the 1 month rule.

[Q] - This thread looks dead anyway even though 1 month hasn't passed. Can I archive it anyway?
[A] - No. Follow the rules.

[Q] - A thread got archived and the thread creator complained, do I reinstate it?
[A] - Use your judgement on that. If you think the thread still has juice in it, go for it. If not, decline and tell them to make a new thread if they really want to.

[Q] - I accidentally forgot to close an archive thread and someone replied to it, what do I do?
[A] - Close the thread and delete their post, informing them via PM that you did so and why you deleted it.