The following editing comment - inserted in another thread - does explain better why this thread was closed and then re-opened. Or does it?

I can't see any reason why it should have been closed. The "close thread" link is in a location where a volunteer could click it accidentally and not notice, so it may have been closed inadvertantly. Whatever the case, I don't think it should have been closed. I reopened the thread.
-Joe Offer-

Perhaps if the whole ability of anonymous volunteer fellow posters to impose closure upon entire threads - were now removed - such 'accidents' could be avoided in future? And as it would appear that there is no adverse affect on the technical running of our forum by keeping all threads open - perhaps this course would be better one?

Now that this thread has been re-opened - I don't suppose there is any chance that this thread with a TECH prefix it can also be removed from the BS?