Closing thread at OPs request

Canis Lupus

It's not a big deal and doesn't happen often but there are times when someone starts a thread, the OP themselves don't like how it goes for whatever reason and requests the thread closed. Mod comes along and boom that's the end of that.

I know it seems to be the done thing but I don't see why an OP, just because they created a thread gets some overpowering right to decide when the conversation is finished. This is just an example, I appreciate it had gone off topic but plenty of people were involved and it was a seemingly lively chat https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057838935&page=4

Of course you can also say, start your own thread regarding whatever topic was being talked about but surely we can just leave an original thread open. If it's going wildly off topic a mod can nudge it back on track.

Tokyo

Different forums have different policies on closing threads at the OP's request - in Personal Issues for example, it's standard practice, fro very understandable reasons. But yes, as a rule, when a poster starts a thread, for better or worse, he or she has to live by their words.

Did you speak to any of the forum mods about what the forum policy might be? There may also be other reasons why they decided that the thread be closed.

Canis Lupus

mike_ie wrote: »

Different forums have different policies on closing threads at the OP's request - in Personal Issues for example, it's standard practice, fro very understandable reasons. But yes, as a rule, when a poster starts a thread, for better or worse, he or she has to live by their words.

Did you speak to any of the forum mods about what the forum policy might be? There may also be other reasons why they decided that the thread be closed.

Ach no, I'm not that bothered by it that I'd be PMing mods although here I am in Feedback.... I understand PI just other times when I see the OP requesting it done and that's that. I'd just prefer a thread to take its own course and finish organically rather than when the OP decides times up.

Just a thought I'm throwing out there.

Tokyo

Not at all - feedback is definitely appreciated

For what it's worth, I generally agree with what you say - threads should be left open to either continue discussion, or to die out, unless there are reasons to shut the thread down. That being said, I have learned from my own time modding that there can sometimes be reasons to close a thread, that may not be apparent to someone on the outside looking in. I'll make the forum mods aware of this feedback thread though.

Tokyo

I had a chat with one of the forum mods, who also agrees that threads shouldn't necessarily be closed just because the OP requests it. However, I also took a read through the thread, and while I agree that it was a lively chat in terms of there being a constant back and forth, I think it's fair to say that it had also gone wildly off topic, and in my experience, to a place where no nudging was going to pull it back from.

The point of discussion could have been an interesting one, however, rather than being a discussion, the thread was more one poster with a, shall we say, less than mainstream view of how rape occurs, with multiple people trying to counter his points of view. In the words of the local moderator, they could have "possibly split off the thread to something like a 'Christian views on rape' thread" but didn't think that many Christian posters would appreciate the association with the views posted on the thread. I tend to agree, the discussion was going round in circles, and I see that thread going in only one direction - posters getting frustrated, crossing the line, and getting carded or worse.

But you are right, although there is a certain amount of latitude depending on the forum, site wide policy is not to simply close threads at the OP's request, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Canis Lupus

mike_ie wrote: »

I had a chat with one of the forum mods, who also agrees that threads shouldn't necessarily be closed just because the OP requests it. However, I also took a read through the thread, and while I agree that it was a lively chat in terms of there being a constant back and forth, I think it's fair to say that it had also gone wildly off topic, and in my experience, to a place where no nudging was going to pull it back from.

The point of discussion could have been an interesting one, however, rather than being a discussion, the thread was more one poster with a, shall we say, less than mainstream view of how rape occurs, with multiple people trying to counter his points of view. In the words of the local moderator, they could have "possibly split off the thread to something like a 'Christian views on rape' thread" but didn't think that many Christian posters would appreciate the association with the views posted on the thread. I tend to agree, the discussion was going round in circles, and I see that thread going in only one direction - posters getting frustrated, crossing the line, and getting carded or worse.

But you are right, although there is a certain amount of latitude depending on the forum, site wide policy is not to simply close threads at the OP's request, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

I was just using it as one example. I've seen it a few times recently in different areas and like I said it's not a super big deal but it's always a bit annoying to see it happen. I was more just voicing the point rather than necessarily wanting to get into a big conversation about it.