Forgive me if this has already been suggested - this idea would eliminate some of that...
In other forums I visit that are using vBulletin the software searches for "similar topics"... When you enter a thread title the system will search for similar threads which have already been posted. A box appears with a list (if any found) of topics that are similar.
This should cut down on redundant topics which would be very valuable in my forums. As a user I like the feature because I actually do visit some of those recommended topics and commonly find what I was looking for.
Just an idea.
