Locked Threads

[Nordic Viking]

Spark,

Could we please have a rule that states: whoever locks a thread, should write a line why the thread was locked.

 

[STR]

I don't see why its necessary unless a moderator does locks a thread someone else started but even then its usually obvious why it was locked. If the platinum member that paid for that level of membership locks his own thread that is an option he paid for and he or she is entitled to use it without necessarily having to explain it to anyone. If they just want to list it out of a feeling for giving a reason thats fine but I don't think it should be a rule. Just my opinion though.

STR

 

[Cougar Allen]

It's not just a question of why, there can also be confusion about who did it. Last night the original poster locked a thread just after I happened to post in it, and I get swamped with mail this morning asking why the heck did I lock that thread.

(Then I couldn't find any record of how it got locked so I figured it must have been the Net Demons and unlocked it ... eventually I found out the person who started the thread did it, so I told him he's welcome to lock it again if he wants but please post so people understand who did it....)

The software allows a (Gold or above) member who starts a thread to close it for convenience in the Exchange, so after a knife is sold the thread can be closed to let everybody know that. Starting an argument in the discussion forums and locking the thread when you find you're losing is a troll move.... Locking a thread in the discussion forums may not always be a bad idea but it sure is prone to abuse. Unfortunately the software can't enable it in the Exchange without enabling it in the discussion forums too. So far it hasn't been abused much.

 

[Cougar Allen]

P.S. re making a rule about it, it happens so seldom people wouldn't have much opportunity to find out there's a rule by seeing it enforced. The longer the FAQ gets the less likely it is to be read....

 

[STR]

P.S. re making a rule about it, it happens so seldom people wouldn't have much opportunity to find out there's a rule by seeing it enforced. The longer the FAQ gets the less likely it is to be read....

Agreed. Generally speaking Nordic Viking if you see a thread locked and it was started by a platinum member then it is probably the OP platinum member that locked his own thread and it would be best to email or pm them to ask if they didn't list why. Out of courtesy to the mods so they are not swamped with questions or so they are not actually accused of locking the thread it is nice to see reasons by whoever locked it but the more rules made the more likely they are to be broken by simply not keeping up with all of them.

STR

 

[Nordic Viking]

OK, then this is a polite request to all thread lockers to write a quick line indicating that you have locked the thread. If you are a moderator please expand this to include why it was locked. That way we can skip the laborious task of try to find out why it was locked. Spam and Sales threads might be obvious, others aren't.

 

[Cougar Allen]

I would like to think all the moderators understand about that but who knows ... there are a lot of moderators here....

 

[hardheart]

That way we can skip the laborious task of try to find out why it was locked.

why would we want to know, the mod staff and a paying thread starter are the only ones who lock threads. If it's a matter of figuring out if rules were broken, I look for yellow and red.

 

[Nordic Viking]

Why would I want to know? I like to know with one glance why a thread was locked without having to use Holmesian deduction and clue spotting.

 

[STR]

I can understand that because I'm a "why" person also. But as Cougar said its so infrequent that its not worth covering much.

However with that said, I don't think its fair to call it troll like behavior when a platinum member utilizes one of the options that came with the package he paid for no matter what forum that tool is utilized in. Forgive me but I just noticed this. If that is the case when its utilized in some forums it needs to be stated somewhere so they know that it is preferred they only use the close thread option in the exchange forums and its the first time I've heard of this. I know of no troll rule book being posted. Giving people the option to use a tool and then penalizing them for using it or labeling them for how they use that option that came with the package they paid their hard earned money for is a trap IMO and not good for seeing that package renewed when the time comes. In other words it is bad for business. But again its just my opinion.

STR

 

[Cougar Allen]

That's life -- features get used and they get abused too. Where editing is allowed trolls post something controversial and then edit it. Where closing a thread you started is allowed trolls post something controversial and then close the thread before people can respond. Those features are there for other purposes, but trolls use them for their own purposes.

STR might be confusing this general discussion with a specific thread that was closed recently, that I mentioned finding confusing above. That isn't the one that prompted Nordic Viking's question; his question was prompted by another thread in another forum.

Once again, it's not just Platinum Members who can lock a thread they started. That feature is currently enabled for all Gold Members and above so they can close a thread in the Exchange after a knife is sold. That is making things work better in the Exchange.

Hardheart, if the members didn't take any interest in what was going on in a forum, what the moderators were doing and why they're doing it, what kind of forum would that be? Would it be a forum at all?

 

[Mike G]

I would like to think all the moderators understand about that but who knows ... there are a lot of moderators here....

I understand, and if I lock a thread, I usually post just before I lock it, and the last time, I wrote a short explanation.

In short, I agree with NV, and will continue to do as I stated above.

 

[hardheart]

Hardheart, if the members didn't take any interest in what was going on in a forum, what the moderators were doing and why they're doing it, what kind of forum would that be? Would it be a forum at all?

I just wonder what the reason for the interest is. I don't particularly care why a thread was closed unless I want to start a similar one. Then I look for notices of infractions. If there aren't any, I chalk it up to the TC deciding to shut it down. It's pretty obvious when thread drift or flaming/trolling are the culprits. If it isn't blatant, and the TC didn't get dinged for a rule I might not know about, then I move on to other threads. I really don't recall seeing threads that were shut down by mods that didn't have an explanation of such.