Thread migration facility?

Moderators

Here's an idea I had. I've got a feeling I might have mentioned it somewhere before, but if I did a quick search didn't find it. My apologies, therefore, if this is an old issue.

I see many threads getting closed or deleted because they'd fit better on Dogfight than on the HAMB. It is indeed important to keep the HAMB focused, and I appreciate that it is often a tough call. The pity is that tempers flare around these incidents, words are spoken in haste, and people get themselves banned, though often they've contributed a lot up to that point.

At the same time I'm sure you'd like to see more traffic on Dogfight than there is now. I know there is a link at the bottom of every page on the HAMB but, speaking only for myself, I tend to forget it's there. In fact I tend to forget that Dogfight is there. I don't think it's only me, but I do get the sense that whatever happens on the HAMB will be seen by a lot more people than what happens on Dogfight. Which is another pity.

Now, if there were a way to make something closed/deleted on the HAMB as easy as possible to re-post on Dogfight, especially for the not-very-computer-literate or the uncertain newbie, that might be a good thing. Of course I don't mean all the closed/deleted threads, just the ones you spent some time deciding about, and where you might already direct the poster to Dogfight; in fact not even all of those, but only the ones you feel are almost on topic but not quite. I just get the impression that many of those OPs just don't take your advice, perhaps because they think it'll be more difficult than it is.

And you don't want to do transfers like that yourselves, because you don't want people to post stuff just anywhere, knowing that you will put it where it belongs. That would put an undue strain on your work-load.

I'm no computer wiz, but I'm sure it's possible to have something like a link, PMed to the OP, clicking on which will migrate the thread to Dogfight automatically. It should be possible for the software to check if there is an existing Dogfight account for the OP and, if not, take the OP to the registration page with everything filled in and only asking for a password. Subsequent HAMB posters who don't have Dogfight accounts would appear as "Guest", perhaps. At the same time a HAMB subject appears "MIGRATED TO DOGFIGHT: Cool diesel Camaro build thread" or whatever, among the normal thread titles; but clicking on it takes you to Dogfight. Perhaps there could be the option to exclude migrated threads from the list display. This is just off the top of my head.

The key thing, I think, is to put some Dogfight content under HAMBers' noses, so that they (we) become more aware of it.

Something to look at, perhaps?