Separate sold items from active ads in Classifieds

Gearhead

Just wondering: would there be a way to separate the ads for sold or no longer for sale items from the active ones in Classifieds? This would obviously save the GASsing forum member some disappointments when a craved item is offered but has been sold already (not that this ever happens to yours truly, I never buy anything from around here :? ).

AlanRatcliffe

It's not possible with the current system. At some point we may integrate a proper classified system that can automatically expire ads. At the moment the best we can do is to ask folk to mark clearly (preferably in the first post's title) when their item has been sold.

PeteM

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: At the moment the best we can do is to ask folk to mark clearly (preferably in the first post's title) when their item has been sold.

A bit difficult I would have thought since a lot of classified post are from one-time visitors never to return - sold or not sold.

Bob-Dubery

It should be possible to write a script that will clear out all posts more than a set number of days old. So it deletes all posts and replies there to after, say, 90 days. Then that can be coupled with a "sticky" that advises would be sellers to repost within 90 days if the item is not sold and they wish to continue advertising it.

Gearhead

I'm not too concerned with very old posts as chances are I have seen it, assuming the thread has been posted in more than one time. I would just prefer to have an overview of what is for sale without having to delve through whole threads. Plus, I suspect the occasional visitor might do so even more.

Bob-Dubery

Sure. But purging off posts after a period of time reduces the amount of posts you have to delve through.

Even if there were a feature allowing the poster to delete his ad when the goods are sold you'd still have to rely on them to use this facility. In my experience cron jobs are more reliable than people - though they are also less flexible.