Where do the topics go?

I think there’s an effort to rationalize the topic set and standardize it. So someone out there is making decisions about what is needed and what isn’t. I think if it isn’t on the approved list, it disappears, but I never check on mine, so I don’t know for sure.

If there is an approved list, it should be published.

@wundayatta Anything that comes up in the auto-complete when adding topics is on the approved list. Anything that has to be added manually is subject to review. No need for a published list.

So how are decisions made when they’re reviewed? And why would ‘foraging’ not be approved?

That I do not know. We’ll have to wait for a topic editor or someone else who understands how that works.

I eat them.

Apparently there are strict guidelines for topics. I have no idea what those guidelines are.

All new topics, including legetimate English words that make sense and pertain directly to the question, are sent to me – for there is a lack of enough moderators here.

I choose ‘em as I see fit. It’s based on how I feel at that particular moment, and whether the OP has pissed me off recently.

They then either join the elite group known as “topics” – or are eaten by @erichw1504 – because he likes to eat his words now and then.

Official answer: I have no idea why “foraging” wouldn’t be a legitimate topic. I don’t see it on any list, including disabled topics, so this isn’t making any sense to me. Can you link me to the question you used it as a topic on? That way I can view any topic editing that was done to the question. Now I’m really interested to know where that one went.

As for why topics get removed/disabled in the first place, that varies. Sometimes, as in the case of “mods”, they basically get merged into the usual word for the topic (in this case, “moderator”.) It can also happen due to a misspelling, because it’s a joke topic, it’s too long (like a whole sentence), or is so esoteric that it isn’t common enough.

I am a topic editor and there are some basic rules we follow to try and enhance search capabilities. If you tell me the question you are referring to, I can look at it and reverse what was done if it indeed seems to have been a mistake in removing the topic.

It was this question that had the foraging topic. If I remember correctly, I noticed that it disappeared almost immediately after posting.

Looks like it is already back.

@JLeslie It’s not there for me. That’s weird.

@incendiary_dan Oh, you know what it is beige for me, let me check on something. I’ll get back to you.

@JLeslie – It’s there, it’s just greyed out (because it’s disabled) and visible only to Topic Editors. I have no idea why it’s disabled.

Edited to add: I see you’re checking on this already. Mea culpa. :)

I don’t know why that’s disabled, or why it didn’t appear in a search (disabled topics usually show up for topic editors). FWIW, I re-enabled it as a topic. Feel free to use it again! :)

@augustlan Why aren’t joke topics allowed anymore? They’re what make topics fun.

@bobbinhood We were working on improving the question matching algorithm, and topics became even more important for that reason. Apparently, things that aren’t really ‘real’ topics throw it off. Obviously, that’s all on hold at the moment, and some joke topics slip through anyway. I liked them, too, but I do understand why it had to change.

@augustlan Thanks for the explanation. One of the things I love about this place is that you guys don’t mind explaining the why of things.

@bobbinhood Anytime. :)