Well after quite a bit of programming work, I think we are ready to open up the archives to allow all old threads to become active again. But this software change was a major change and totally restructures how the Discuss-o-Mat handles the threads and its database. Please be on the lookout for anything strange happening as I'm sure there will be some bugs associated with this major change. I hope that are the bugs are not major and I can get them fix fast, but that is not always the case.
If you are an upgraded member you will be able to scroll backwards through the index list and see all of the old threads, back to thread number 1! Please see the image below for the new scrolling links on the index pages of any specific forum for upgraded members. This should be very fun to able to continue using some of these old threads as well as alleviate concerns of less important threads pushing more important threads off the index list too soon.
If you are not an upgraded member you can use the Forum Archives in the same manner as in the past and reply to old threads as well, you just don't have the shiny new fancy index page features.
My only concern is the Super Forum and here is why. The Super forum used to be the catch-all and off-topic forum. It no longer is that way and truly off-topic posts are only allowed to be posted by Upgraded Members in the As the Tub Turns and Dirty Laundry Forums. So I probably should close all Super Forum threads created before a certain time, but there are some great old on topic threads such as small appliances and ranges that I really don't want to close so I don't have any idea how to handle this yet. It would be great if I could go through the list and move any off topic thread out of the Super Forum and into As the Tub Turns or Dirty Laundry, but there are nearly 18,000 Super Forum threads and that task would be way too time consuming. As I notice them I will move them.
So with that said he is what I ask:
#1 If you see a thread that doesn't belong in the Super Forum anymore and it is brought back to the top of the index via a reply, please mark it as offensive so I will be sure to see it and then I can move it to the correct forum.
#2 If there is a thread that you would like to resurrect and it is an off topic subject, please email me and ask me to move it before you reply to it. Once its in the correct forum you can then reply to it and bring it back to the top.
#3 I don't want to let any thread get too long, so I will close any thread that is loading too slow because it has so many replies. If I do that I will open a part #2 of that particular thread.
Thanks everyone, enjoy the new feature! Please be on the lookout for bugs!
If you are an upgraded member you will be able to scroll backwards through the index list and see all of the old threads, back to thread number 1! Please see the image below for the new scrolling links on the index pages of any specific forum for upgraded members. This should be very fun to able to continue using some of these old threads as well as alleviate concerns of less important threads pushing more important threads off the index list too soon.
If you are not an upgraded member you can use the Forum Archives in the same manner as in the past and reply to old threads as well, you just don't have the shiny new fancy index page features.
My only concern is the Super Forum and here is why. The Super forum used to be the catch-all and off-topic forum. It no longer is that way and truly off-topic posts are only allowed to be posted by Upgraded Members in the As the Tub Turns and Dirty Laundry Forums. So I probably should close all Super Forum threads created before a certain time, but there are some great old on topic threads such as small appliances and ranges that I really don't want to close so I don't have any idea how to handle this yet. It would be great if I could go through the list and move any off topic thread out of the Super Forum and into As the Tub Turns or Dirty Laundry, but there are nearly 18,000 Super Forum threads and that task would be way too time consuming. As I notice them I will move them.
So with that said he is what I ask:
#1 If you see a thread that doesn't belong in the Super Forum anymore and it is brought back to the top of the index via a reply, please mark it as offensive so I will be sure to see it and then I can move it to the correct forum.
#2 If there is a thread that you would like to resurrect and it is an off topic subject, please email me and ask me to move it before you reply to it. Once its in the correct forum you can then reply to it and bring it back to the top.
#3 I don't want to let any thread get too long, so I will close any thread that is loading too slow because it has so many replies. If I do that I will open a part #2 of that particular thread.
Thanks everyone, enjoy the new feature! Please be on the lookout for bugs!
Change is as good as a holiday - even better one is coming up. 
