Closing threads at OP requests. Agree or disagree?

[Maleficent13]

That's when you walk away and let everyone carry on. If you (generic you) started a conversation in real life and it went astray, what would you do? Would you tell everyone to stop talking about it or would you simply walk away. Even if you did ask everyone to stop, they probably wouldn't anyway, so off you go. It's really no different to me whether its real life or a message board.

I would like to answer this. I had one thread (the only one) closed once because a poster called my DH an idiot (btw, the post wasn't even about my DH...it was about something I had done). If I had started a conversation IRL, and someone felt the need to call my husband an idiot, I would CERTAINLY tell that person to shut the **** up and end the conversation (and probably only narrowly refrain from smacking them upside the head).

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I can't tell a poster to shut the **** up without being banned. So closing that thread shut them up instead.

 

[RadioNate]

Yes, but it's possible that somebody else could have benefited from the advice that was still being given.

I see your point but the thread in question was VERY specific and did require some considerable effort on the part of responders. Could others possibly glean some useful information, maybe, but it would have been very minimal.

Like I said really just wanted to prevent people from putting in the effort when I was really the only one interested in their findings. I think I also explained by reasoning on the thread rather than just PMing a moderator and running away.

So that's one thread in several years.

I do think people can get too willy nilly with closing threads when they don't like the responses they are being given.

So again, I don't think the option should be removed completely but I also think you need more of a reason than a thread has changed direction or initiated further discussion that you didn't intend.

 

[bicker]

The specific name-calling message should have been excised from the thread.

 

[phorsenuf]

I would like to answer this. I had one thread (the only one) closed once because a poster called my DH an idiot (btw, the post wasn't even about my DH...it was about something I had done). If I had started a conversation IRL, and someone felt the need to call my husband an idiot, I would CERTAINLY tell that person to shut the **** up and end the conversation (and probably only narrowly refrain from smacking them upside the head).

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I can't tell a poster to shut the **** up without being banned. So closing that thread shut them up instead.

Well that certainly falls under personal attacks and should be closed. I'm not referring to those types of posts.

 

[RadioNate]

That's when you walk away and let everyone carry on. If you (generic you) started a conversation in real life and it went astray, what would you do? Would you tell everyone to stop talking about it or would you simply walk away. Even if you did ask everyone to stop, they probably wouldn't anyway, so off you go. It's really no different to me whether its real life or a message board.

Right but how many times to we see the OP walk away and then people start complaining that the OP left. Look at the thread you referenced. The op dissapeared and then there was a bunch of 'where'd the op go' posts.

 

[Maleficent13]

Maybe it's me, but if I am correct the mods are volunteers and actually do have lives. It is much more time effective to simply close a thread than it is to peruse it for all potentially offensive posts. In a multiple page thread, it would take a lot of time.

I guess I have nothing more to add, except that as to the OP, I think closing a thread is fine.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I totally agree with you!!!

I think that they should only be closed when there are obvious violations of board policies and even then I think that the offending posts should be removed and the thread left open whenever possible.

I agree. I find that some threads go in a direction I don't want to so I stop reading and unsubsribe. This is very easy.

BTW - Don't post personal vents if you only want sympathy and nothing else.

 

[DVC Sadie]

And yes, I'm careful what I type into urban dictionary, especially when my kids are in the room!

Yeah, I understand. I was just kidding ya. Well lets hear it for"" buffoonery'''. This is now my new favorite word!! Love it.

 

[bicker]

It is much more time effective to simply close a thread than it is to peruse it for all potentially offensive posts.

The OP is a red herring in terms of offensive posts, because anyone can complain about offensive posts, not just the OP. And yes, when the issue is offensive posts, the moderator does have to review the specific message(s) themselves. Ask them: They actual do. They don't just close threads because some random user complains. My point is that any exception to that, for the OP specifically, isn't the best way of handling such situations.

The red triangle sends the moderator notification including a link to the offensive message.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Can I start this thread:

Please flame me. Make up whatever you want about me and discuss.


Then when you say something that I don't like, WHAMO I will shut it down!!!!

 

[Maleficent13]

I am tired of arguing...I gave my opinion, which is what the OP asked for.

Really, if you expand this, this is one of the very reasons I think OPs ask for threads to be closed. It's not that they are offended...they just get weary.

 

[phorsenuf]

Mal- I don't think anyone is arguing per se. People are just expressing their opinions. Did I miss something?

 

[anut4disney]

That's when you walk away and let everyone carry on. If you (generic you) started a conversation in real life and it went astray, what would you do? Would you tell everyone to stop talking about it or would you simply walk away. Even if you did ask everyone to stop, they probably wouldn't anyway, so off you go. It's really no different to me whether its real life or a message board.

In real life I would just walk away yes, but on the message board if it is my post then I do have control. If I was asking an opinion or advice then it would be silly for me to close the thread but it wasn't like that. It was just supposed to be a feel good story. Instead some people (they also were very nice and apologized for doing it) took it to another level and the being nasty to each other begain.

Since I started the thread and it made me feel like I had started the arguments I requested it to be closed. People could still read it and if they wanted they could pm me and tell me I was a jerk but they couldn't be ugly to each other. So I guess in the long run I did it to make me feel better.

 

[Chicago526]

Nah, I say if the OP bit off more than they could chew, they should be able to have the thread closed. Sometimes ideas don't come across in writing the way we think they will, and no matter how much to try to explain, it just doesn't come out right. It's bound to happen to anyone that posts regularly eventually.

 

[TCPluto]

A Here's a good example. A very interesting thread has been closed (I"m sure at OP's request) but I don't think it should have. There were no personal attacks or anything, just alot of questioning to get facts straight and an understanding. I think this is an example of letting a thread run its course.

Truthfully I found the whole thing fascinating and I'm bummed its closed. It made for some interesting reading.

So, in this case do you agree or disagree it should have been closed at OP's request

**MODS** I'm not questioning your actions, just curious of opinions.

Wow, did you ever have a premonition. I thought you started this thread today after the shop lifting thread got closed, but this was started yesterday.

That OP seemed to have witnessed the "perfect Disney crime" last fall posted abouth it then, and then was shocked when they appeared to try and duplicate that same "perfect crime", as detailed in a recent thread that was closed this morning.

The harshest critism that was ever laid was to say that they used poor judgement. Why was it closed?

 

[Tigger_Magic]

It was closed at the OP's request.