Locking threads

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I've noticed threads being locked for no obvious reason (obvious to me at least). In other forums I've posted to, usually the lock is for a blatant violation of forum rules. But here some seem arbitrarily locked. I think it would be helpful for an admin to post a reason for locking the thread.

Note this is not a complaint about admins locking threads. It happens. It needs to happen. This is just a suggestion that if implemented might help create more clarity.

I've noticed this recently, too. The mod or admin who locks it should at least post in the thread after locking it to state why it was done.

Point taken. I'll endeavour to state the reason why I lock any threads as the final post in those threads.

There may still be the occasional circumstance though when it isn't appropriate as there may be complicating factors such as bannings and malicious troll activity taking place which the members aren't aware of - e.g. sock-puppets bumping their old threads and faking conversations with themselves or trying to troll other members into replying to deliberately provocative statements. Sometimes a thread is locked because it has run its course in terms of viable discourse. i.e. the original topic of the thread has degenerated into a slanging match and everyone is repeating the same points over and over again.

A further complication at the moment is that some of the moderator tools are broken, which is limiting some of the courses of action previously taken. Where I've previously been able to split threads into good and bad posts that isn't an option at the moment so I have to take more drastic action or none at all.

No worries.

Better you than me. I think a few turns at moderating would push me into a meltdown.

TallyMan, while it is true that you stated your reason for banning my thread, I feel that it should not have been locked, or to say that it should have been locked sooner, as Alex people continued to grumble and attack the idea, perhaps trying to sway Alex's decision, I/We defended both, it gained support--and then you locked it.

In my opinion, your stated reason--is not level toward both sides of the argument. You appear to have judged the GLBT sub-forum adversaries as not being motivated by prejudice, and yet they gave no valid reason for wanting the sub-forum not to exist other than there were already other forums,, which instead create the precedence for creating another.

I am just a guest here who made a suggestion, but the suggestion I made drew hostility and cold indifference, the kind that I recognize as prejudice because I am transgendered, and have been a transsexual support group co-facilitator with years of experience. People in the act of being prejudice may say it is anything else but what they feel.

As an admin, you may have noticed that the sub-forums dealing co-morbidity were not well received. Perhaps I could understand if Wrongplanet did not want that same controversy again, but Wrongplanet made that sub-forum because it was the right thing to do, not because all ASD people have those issues, but those who do have other issues will need someone who understands, and the few ASD people who are GLBT people are no different in that regard.

In the larger scheme of things, I am not sure if I should have suggested the GLBT forum, but I did. I don't know if Alex should have agreed to make it, but he did.

As I have written both you and Alex, Wrongplanet was helped a lot of people, and for that reason I have been fairly patient. For weeks I tried to stay away so I did not pressure Wrongplanet about the sub-forum unless people attacked it, but now, I say that 2 months are a long time to wait when a little effort might save peoples' lives!

In my study of human communication, I have learned that actions as well as inaction in this case can speak louder than words do. With the GLBT discussion forum thread locked, people attacking an idea that might save lives, and still no forum, and a zinger of an thread-closing argument by you, I do not feel good about the collective answer Wrongplanet.net gave to my question, but action can change that.

Last edited by BrendaEM on 24 Nov 2010, 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

@BrendaEM. Only Alex can add a new forum. He did say in that thread that he would do so, but didn't say when. As Alex is the site owner it is up to him. I can only guess that he will add it when the new version of WrongPlanet comes online. The thread was locked because it was stuck in a loop. Everyone had expressed their opinion several times and it was degenerating into a slanging match and accusations and counter accusations of homophobia. In other words the thread had run its productive course and it needed locking before it degenerated further and became simply a place to trade insults.

Moderators don't read every post in every thread. There are too many. Moderators only read a small fraction of the posts made on the site. We largely rely on members to report threads to us that need our attention. Sometimes a thread can rumble on for days or even weeks without it being noticed that it should have been locked long ago.

What you really need is action; and as I said, only Alex can do that. Neither I nor any of the other moderators can give you what you want.

But why can't we know about that?

I had no idea that went on here.

In the case of threads degenerating into a slanging match it is customary to add a post stating why a thread is locked - unless it is blatantly obvious that site rules are being broken or there is an ongoing flame war.

Sometimes locking is associated with ongoing troll attacks. Then no information is posted that feeds the troll. Sometimes a really nasty troll comes along and bumps some threads trying to restart a war they were once involved in and maybe banned for, or to attack or subtly belittle a member they dislike - such trolls are sometimes banned and back again, banned and back again, banned and back again. Sometimes it is almost like a war behind the scenes. It isn't appropriate to give the members a blow by blow account of what is happening in such cases - it would only feed the trolls sense of achievement by being talked about. Similarly with stalkers. They can come back many times with a different username and bump threads making superficially innocent remarks to or "give advice" to the member they are stalking. If we spot such activity the posts are removed and the threads often locked without explanation - simply to remove the target from the stalker and to prevent "old wounds" being reopened again and again. I've seen innocent members effectively used as pawns and drawn into talking about forgotten issues brought to the foreground again by trolls and stalkers. Such threads are quietly locked or in extreme cases removed entirely.

Get used to it. I love how autistic people are supose to fit a "mold" "frame" or set boundries online.
My sugjestion is to find a website online that will put up with anything

Oh there out there

I joined a couple of those myself in the past but gave up on them because they were trolled to death. They seemed to operate on the principle of "survival of the fittest" with the loudest and most obnoxious members driving away the quieter ones. Such sites are great if you just want to trade childish insults with other members all day long. It's a free world - whatever floats your boat.