The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #84141   Message #1552399
Posted By: The Shambles
29-Aug-05 - 04:06 PM
Thread Name: Tech: Closing threads?
Subject: RE: Tech: Closing threads?
Well as poor Susan's thread http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84039&messages=2   was closed - by an anonymous volunteer fellow poster it is at least equal treatment for Joe Offer to impose closure upon the other one. http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84160&messages=21

This editing action is also equally problematic. However it may be dressed-up - the fear of these threads becoming popular on our forum – is the reason why our known and our anonymous volunteer fellow posters imposed closure upon them. Which does seem a rather strange concept now - as the whole point of our forum is to encourage posted discussion. And a thread's or indeed a forum's success is usually measured by the number of contributions it receives.

In my view - there is never any need for editing action to be imposed on our forum - like in these cases - on matters of only of taste or fear of threads becoming popular. As what threads to open and what posts to respond to - are still matters of our forum's member's personal tastes – should these really now be subject to the tastes of any other individual fellow posters – especially anonymous ones.

And as there is no technical advantage to the smooth running of the site – by leaving all threads open for any further contributions – perhaps they can all be left open - from now on and editing action only imposed in cases of abusive and racist posts etc?

Under these circumstances – is it not really a bit over-the-top – for posters to have to request permission from a fellow poster in PRIVATE – to enable a thread to be re-opened – for an additional PUBLIC contribution to be made on our forum? The only thing that has caused this - is the closing of the thread in the first place. Is the tail now wagging the dog?

If all posters were now to be encouraged - by example - to try to resist the temptation to post publicly - only to pass their personal judgement upon any fellow poster. And were encouraged - by example - not to post and request that any imposition to be imposed upon the contributions of others – and our our volunteer fellow posters did not insist on firing the first shots at our forum - there is real danger that peace could well break out.