Locking Threads
Hawkeye
Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Revisited</div> <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=46585' target='_blank'>Locked Threads</a>
Now I'm sure you'll all appreciate the irony of this thread being closed. The reason I bring it back up was because nothing was actually accomplished discussing this thread. The reason why? The thread was locked. I realize this will probably be locked, but not if I make my point to the moderators of this forum that there is no logical reason why to lock it. The point of this thread is to discuss the reason why threads are locked. It would be rather inconclusive to lock an unresolved thread regarding locked threads.
So I bring this back to your attentions. I hope the moderators are open enough to speak their minds on why they lock threads. Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing the moderators. I would like to get to the bottom of things.
First and foremost, I want to ask why repeated threads are locked. Granted, the majority of repeated threads are from people who failed to search for previous threads. However, what if a change in 2.0 allowed for reason for something to be repeated. The mods, only doing their jobs, would lock the thread without questioning it, when in fact it could have be a legitimate reason to mention it once again.
Thoughts? Ideas? Please only post if you have something intelligible to say. This isn't a thread for the idiots. Please make sure what you say is with complete respect.
Now I'm sure you'll all appreciate the irony of this thread being closed. The reason I bring it back up was because nothing was actually accomplished discussing this thread. The reason why? The thread was locked. I realize this will probably be locked, but not if I make my point to the moderators of this forum that there is no logical reason why to lock it. The point of this thread is to discuss the reason why threads are locked. It would be rather inconclusive to lock an unresolved thread regarding locked threads.
So I bring this back to your attentions. I hope the moderators are open enough to speak their minds on why they lock threads. Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing the moderators. I would like to get to the bottom of things.
First and foremost, I want to ask why repeated threads are locked. Granted, the majority of repeated threads are from people who failed to search for previous threads. However, what if a change in 2.0 allowed for reason for something to be repeated. The mods, only doing their jobs, would lock the thread without questioning it, when in fact it could have be a legitimate reason to mention it once again.
Thoughts? Ideas? Please only post if you have something intelligible to say. This isn't a thread for the idiots. Please make sure what you say is with complete respect.
Comments
Since the NS community is really huge , we need more mods. That way they will be monitoring the forums 24/7 and most will have the time to edit at least a few posts before locking a thread.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Remember what happened in Minority Report. (spoiler warning) The techs were trained to erase the flashback imagery they saw and inadvertantly covered up a brand new murder. Don't let that happen here!
Since the NS community is really huge , we need more mods. That way they will be monitoring the forums 24/7 and most will have the time to edit at least a few posts before locking a thread. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You make a good point, Stak and I'm fairly sure the extent a moderator goes through to see if a thread needs locking is "search keyword: <enter thread topic here>." If anything comes up, the new thread is toast. It really should be a little more indepth than that. Supposing this was correct, at an exaggerated point in the future, there will be absolutely no threads that won't be locked since everything has been talked about. This probably isn't in the near future, but even so, it is already starting.
If someone thinks there's a resource problem in 2.0 and there wasn't in 1.0, well it shouldn't be canceled out by the 1.0 thread about a resource problem since it is a recent problem (and possibly different solution scenarios to consider).
There will always be people to make rather stupid comments and get the thread locked. There always are. Why does the discussion have to pay for a few incompetent idiots?
*cough*
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I want cookies and milk<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
*cough*
JUST HOW **** ING MANY TOPIC ON NVIDIA vs ATI THERE ARE!
I say this in bold because it was insane!
When a topic like balance has been brought up umpteen times, there really is nothing left to talk about.
These threads become spam threads where the topic stays on for only 1 page.
I HOPE that a mod locks any thread that just brings up the same point again and again, due to lack of search button.
*Hovering scorpians
:/
this is the kind of replies that lead to a lock...
IMO most of the locked topics deserved to be locked, but the given example of the funny pics topic that got locked because of one guy is... frustrating. Of course the mods can't spend their whole time deleting useless replies but when the thread is huge (like the exaple) I really think that they should have spent more time on it.
We get our informations about 'broken' threads from two sources: The reports filed by the button below each post, and our own browsing. We're not string-searching for threads to be moderated, we find them by checking through the boards like any of you. This means that we actually read through the threads we lock.
The reason for a lock is always stated in its last post - with the exception of lock-complaint-threads, which are often closed commentlessly. There's multiple reasons, usually a violation against one of the forum rules, that can lead to locks. We will not start editing huge threads in every case, but 'Post your Pic' shows that there's cases in which we do. The 'funny pictures' thread that was mentioned was locked because of the anti-spam rule.
As for repeated topics, they are left open if a situation has obviously changed (for example balance posts after patch releases). In 95% of all cases, they aren't, however, and repeating a discussion in multiple threads does not only clutter the forums, but also spread interesting insights over multiple topics, thus effectively diluding what one could describe as 'discussion qualities'.
I hope this clears a few points up.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->About redundant threads... isn't there a "merge thread" mod ability on the IPB forums ? Mod makes a quicksearch , finds the oldest thread , checks the relevance , and agglutinates posts with an note between the former thread<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Nice in theory, but threads 'grow': They start out withz a general points, people start making assumptions, and start discussions that lead into details. One can't just copy - paste two grown threads together.
The purpose of locking a thread is to keep it from leading off into some unrelated topic, right?
So shouldn't this be the only time a thread is locked?
Why are there other rules?
Why was the last post locked? Uh, I dunno, maybe because it violated rules*? And that several moderators stated what rules were being violated? Don't have the attention span to read through the whole thread and find that out? Tough. Try the search function or some Ritalin.
*Don't know the rules? Well gee, you Agree to them when you signed up here. Well golly, I wonder who's fault it is when you don't know the rules? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
9 posts. wow. </sarcasm>
Multiple Windows -
-=] we are reading your posts in one window, and in the other... the rules you you agree to every time you see this blue background of our forums.
open up those rules, as you begin to post, and you'll auto-correct yourself ALOT more than you think you needed to.
Why was the last post locked? Uh, I dunno, maybe because it violated rules*? And that several moderators stated what rules were being violated? Don't have the attention span to read through the whole thread and find that out? Tough. Try the search function or some Ritalin.
*Don't know the rules? Well gee, you Agree to them when you signed up here. Well golly, I wonder who's fault it is when you don't know the rules? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Who are you talking to Iden? Me? You're taking this a bit too personally, I think. If you want to talk about a violation of rules...
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- If you're telling people that their idea is not good, tell them what is bad about it so people know. Makes more sense than "your idea sucks", and makes you sound like an intellegent being.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=31545' target='_blank'>Replying Guidelines</a>
<!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
See, people make mistakes all the time. If I agree to take Ridilin, you have to agree to take an anger management class.
Okay, back to the topic. Every thread has their fair share of idiotic posts, right? So when some guy says something like "I want milk and cookies" and a moderator sees this, does this mean the discussion for the rest of the contributers has to suffer?
No, we won't lock a thread for a single stupid comment, that's what we edit for, but as soon as we've got more than three people feeding that troll, the topic goes southwards. There's a point at which a thread can barely be repaired anymore - once that is crossed, we start locking.
Or having new things to contribute to an existing idea. I can either make a new thread, or rez an old dead one and hope people eventually find my reply. Now, which am I going to do? Gaurantee my idea gets read, or just hope it does?
And in case everyone's wondering, I deleted the posts from this one down to Hawkeye's in this little argument.</span>
They get locked because of people that flame and 'feed the troll'. Moderators <b>do</b> use the edit button--but if there's a tad too many, it'll lead to a lock.
i have also seen alot of locked topics with no clear reason why they were locked. I dont read every single topic that has been posted every day and i dont think many ppl do. although when some good discussion is posted one day and u see it and thing of replying but its closed is annoying just cos u missed the same topic which was posted a few weeks ago. I dont see any harm whats so ever in repeating topics. it doesnt keep the forum tidy closing them cos u just get ppl repeating the same thing cos it was closed. look at all the "locking threads" threads because past ones have been closed.