Thread-lock policy change?

[Guest prescience]

Has there been a policy change whereby threads are locked as a matter of course?

 

I'm all for keeping threads on-topic but not for stifling debate/banter. The line seems to me to have shifted quite a bit recently?

[Jacko]

Has there been a policy change whereby threads are locked as a matter of course?

 

I'm all for keeping threads on-topic but not for stifling debate/banter. The line seems to me to have shifted quite a bit recently?

 

Dorian,

 

There has been no official policy change, if there was then we would be telling you all about it.

 

Its probably more about us trying to stop threads degenerating in worthless (or time consuming) threads, or to ensure that those threads pose as much value as they can in the future. But this can just be done by moderating the thread and deleting all the crap!

 

Also in some cases, locking stops old threads getting dragged back up months (and in some cases year or older)....

 

But sure it will be discussed, if it seems like this is a major change......

[Sarnie]

Glad you posted this as i was about to.......

 

Seem to be a hitler style zero tolerence policy going on

 

Numerous thread have been locked at the merest hint of a conclusion. What if the OP has further problems......do they have to start a new thread? What about people searching the forum finding a thread and then wanting to add to it? The best example of this is the bubbling rays thread, numerous people have found that thread and added their experiences to it but how could they if it was locked?

 

I blame Rumpole (Digsy)

[M13KYF]

hardly thing you could add more to a wiper blade thread which was solved very quickly. The reason why I locked it is to prevent the spam thread that you were begining sarnie.

[Sarnie]

hardly thing you could add more to a wiper blade thread which was solved very quickly. The reason why I locked it is to prevent the spam thread that you were begining sarnie.

 

It would of been locked regardless of my post once Digsy saw it

 

The point is, what if the OP or anyone else, has something to add to that topic? A new thread is started and then immediately locked with a link to the original one?

[Chesterfield]

I think its just our concious efforts to try and prevent rubbish being posted. Im sure we all agree the banter makes things fun, and we certainly wouldnt want to prevent the banter and chat from taking place.

 

Though there have been numerous examples of threads where they have deteriorated to such an extent they border on drivel. I believe the general policy on for sale items etc is to lock the topics after the item is sold or removed from sale etc, and on other threads, once they have reached a natural conclusion, perhaps they should be locked?

 

Ongoing issues that people suffer from perhaps shouldnt be locked, but if the additions to the topic for some time are pointless, then there is often little option, (other than to remove the offending indivisual posts, but then we get cries of censorship).

 

We have tried several methods of trying to remove the unnecessary (very off topic or ott) posts from threads, daily chat, chat rooms etc, but none seem to work. Preventing threads from becoming a mess in the forst place is just one more option that can be used, and clearly this appears to raise eyebrows too.

[Beavis]

Think i have locked one topic and that was one i started about my brothers Ferrari. I only locked it because the seller on ebay had changed the vehicle details. I am certainly not aware of any policy change or was i ever made aware of one in the first place when i became a mod.

 

Certainly not happy with the Hitler style zero tolerance remark.

[Chesterfield]

hardly thing you could add more to a wiper blade thread which was solved very quickly. The reason why I locked it is to prevent the spam thread that you were begining sarnie.

 

It would of been locked regardless of my post once Digsy saw it

 

The point is, what if the OP or anyone else, has something to add to that topic? A new thread is started and then immediately locked with a link to the original one?

 

So lets say the threads are left open - what do we do with the innevitable spam that gets posted on the unlocked/dormant topic?

[Kev946]

Did anyone see "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" the other night? Follow up to Desperado I believe...El Mariachi..

[nixy]

I know I'm a bit guilty of being a bit too chatty at times but I don't mind being locked when I am. I do get the point about new people wanting to post a further query in an old thread though as well.

[rmmackfc]

Did anyone see "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" the other night? Follow up to Desperado I believe...El Mariachi..

 

PMSL

[Removed]

them all, I kept telling them, solves all the problems in one go

 

for socialising there's facebook/myspace and REAL LIFE....

[Chesterfield]

There has to be some banter allowed, thread locking is only used to prevent deterioration of topics because of a minority of people who just seem to have less self control than others.

[rickya]

Right, Lock it

 

ps there is always facebook & myspace etc for talking crap, as Val said. If you feel like you need to discuss an old topic that has been locked you can always start a new one about it again .

[Jacko]

Right, Lock it

 

ps there is always facebook & myspace etc for talking crap, as Val said. If you feel like you need to discuss an old topic that has been locked you can always start a new one about it again .

 

YEs and look, here's an idea...... you could start a new one and "link/paste" the old URL in!

 

What does it matter anyway, no one uses the bloody search button anyway!

[Digsy]

hardly thing you could add more to a wiper blade thread which was solved very quickly. The reason why I locked it is to prevent the spam thread that you were begining sarnie.

 

It would of been locked regardless of my post once Digsy saw it

 

The point is, what if the OP or anyone else, has something to add to that topic? A new thread is started and then immediately locked with a link to the original one?

 

If the OP or indeed someone else with good reason wants the topic re-opened they only have to send us a PM. We don't bite you know! (Well not unless Nixy asks us nicely... )

[Tere]

Yeah, I wanted to add more valuable information to an existing technical thread but it was locked. Little do folks know that the "case" was not actually closed on the issue, despite what the moderator may have thought. In this particular case, there was no good reason to lock the thread from a thread decorum perspective.

 

Personally, I'd suggest a little loosening on the thread locking -- you never know when it might be beneficial to resurect an old thread to add new information to it.

[neo]

Tere, what's the thread you want unlocking, we'll see what we can do

[Digsy]

Tere, what's the thread you want unlocking, we'll see what we can do

 

+1 Let me know which thread and I'll unlock.

[Sarnie]

Yeah, I wanted to add more valuable information to an existing technical thread but it was locked. Little do folks know that the "case" was not actually closed on the issue, despite what the moderator may have thought. In this particular case, there was no good reason to lock the thread from a thread decorum perspective.

 

Personally, I'd suggest a little loosening on the thread locking -- you never know when it might be beneficial to resurect an old thread to add new information to it.

 

I rest my case

[Tere]

It was a while back, so I'll have to see if I can find it. At the time, I thought about starting a new thread, but it was more valuable to have the context of the original thread to build on.

[GC350z]

Question is asked. Accurate answer is given. Lock thread. I’ve no problem with that when the subject matter is quite specific.

 

Here’s a possible solution. Place another button which appears beside the locked button (normally fast reply) saying request unlock or something like that. This then opens a pm to the mod’s where the user can state the reason for the request.

 

This could leaves the mod’s with the ability to lock threads that initially contained valuable information to other users but are rapidly turning into post whore drivel territory. No offence.

 

Guy

[Guest prescience]

I don't really see many instances where locking is beneficial; one though would be where the thread has resorted to personal insults.

 

In general, I think that moderators should moderate and if there is blatant PWing on a topic there are at least 2 options:

- split the thread; after all no-one has to read the split thread if they don't want to as it continues to its natural conclusion in turdsville

- the moderator can be proactive in another way than locking, by simply asking the PWing protagonists via PM to please desist; blatant continuation on the thread and other threads can be dealt with offline with the individual concerned.

 

Simply locking when a question appears to have been answered is IMO hardly ever justified, because (as noted above) it is a judgement call that it has been answered and that there are no related issues which some other member might usefully want to post on the subject. If the question is succinct and the answer is clear, there is nothing stopping a mod creating a standalone FAQ from it - if it has not been answered before and might be useful to others

 

[Ebized]

I don't really see many instances where locking is beneficial; one though would be where the thread has resorted to personal insults.

 

In general, I think that moderators should moderate and if there is blatant PWing on a topic there are at least 2 options:

- split the thread; after all no-one has to read the split thread if they don't want to as it continues to its natural conclusion in turdsville

- the moderator can be proactive in another way than locking, by simply asking the PWing protagonists via PM to please desist; blatant continuation on the thread and other threads can be dealt with offline with the individual concerned.

 

Simply locking when a question appears to have been answered is IMO hardly ever justified, because (as noted above) it is a judgement call that it has been answered and that there are no related issues which some other member might usefully want to post on the subject. If the question is succinct and the answer is clear, there is nothing stopping a mod creating a standalone FAQ from it - if it has not been answered before and might be useful to others

 

 

Merit in what Prescience says there, who has obviously been around a while to make and see a vast range of postings.

[Tere]

Here's the thread -- In this case, it might appear solved, BUT what caused the light, and could it be an indicator of possible future problems? So in reality, the thread had no conclusion, aside from turning the MIL off. We never got to the root cause of the TPS code or possible ramifications.

 

Just so happens I have a lot of info on the subject and the TPS. In this case, the light could come back on at increasing frequency, and the engine could go into safe mode or not even run. Under certain conditions the TPS has a very high failure rate.

 

http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9545