Thanks, Sam. Hmm.. not so sure UI mockups are needed, unless you are talking about having an option that shows up everywhere to prevent bumps on a case by case basis.
For me, I would be mostly satisfied if the following never bumped topics. If this disrupts others, maybe this could be an admin site setting?
- changing the title or category/tag via the edit pencil next to the topic title
- any topic admin wrench actions
- editing old posts that are no longer editable by users themselves
- assigning and whisper replies (not sure if this already bumps topics)
In addition, it would be helpful for admins and moderators to be able to see a “Do not update timestamp” option when editing posts. It could sit to the right of the SAVE/REPLY and cancel buttons below the composer. I realize this is sensitive so enabling this feature for moderators could also be enabled/disabled via an admin setting.