Questions about "Closed" topics

I don't think the post on table cloth clips is closed. I wondered why also so I went to look at it and also posted a reply on it.

That being said, sometimes it's obvious why a post is closed and other times it isn't - the reason for closing would be appreciated.

Bill

Forum Technical Support is the proper forum for this.

One table cloth clips was closed because it was a duplicate. Says so right there. I would have closed the one in Travel Trailers.. but oh well.

dcmac214 wrote:
Can only moderators close topic discussions?

Why would an innocuous topic be closed? Especially when it's a valid question or concern to the original poster. And often within 10-12 replies. The picnic table tablecloth clips topic comes to mind.

Is there a "rule" for moderators (or whoever?) that in closing a topic an explanation "Why" is given. Off the cuff I only recall one closing that offered an explanation.

I can say that for the most part, moderators or admins can close topics on this site. That doesn't always hold true on all websites though.

Sometimes, I'll come back to a topic that makes no sense and it becomes apparent that posts were deleted that did not meet forum guidelines. Sometimes it's obvious that "innocuous" threads were not so.

If there is a rule, I haven't seen it, I think it depends on the moderator. And sometimes the mods don't have time to post one. Keep in mind the mods/admins here aren't likely getting paid. In similar fashion I admin'd/modded several websites over the course of 7 years at a campground and haven't ever gotten paid either (not that I asked).

"Why would an innocuous topic be closed? Especially when it's a valid question or concern to the original poster."
Good question, and my thought is that it's all subjective. One Mod may like it the other may not. To some it's a power thing. Like when I was in the Army, one of my officers stood 5 foot 5, when he made captain (company commander) he made sure you knew it. He also drove the biggest truck on base, a F350 with a 12 inch lift. Don't let it phase you.

As said above, it's not closed. Only the double post is closed and it says why it was closed.

Most common reasons
Duplicate post,
Turns into a bickering contest,
Turns to personal attacks,
Goes completely off topic,
Posts become so repetitive there is nothing new being posted to that topic,
Several pages of post and OP never returns, or at least never responds

Sometimes they get closed due to multiple postings in different forums
Sometimes they get closed cause the posts go sideways
Sometimes they get closed cause MOD/ADMIN doesn't like subject (preventive strike)
Sometimes they get closed just because it is easier then dealing with the 'bad postings' (shotgun approach)
Sometimes they get closed due to inactivity (dead-man approach)
Sometimes they just get closed

99% of time 'No Reason' is posted
Some Mods/Admin will respond via question thru Private Message-----Some.

The picnic table tablecloth clips topic comes to mind

That was just a simple case of one forum member posting the same subject in 2 different forums. Forum rules clearly state you can't do that. Happens a lot with new members.

Mods just close one of them. I sure don't see a problem with that.

It's not subjective at all. I put the forum rule violated in the last post in the thread. Normally on a double post, I would close the most recent thread, but in this case they were posted simultaneously.

What you all don't see behind the curtain are the emails mods get from the "notify moderator" button. A member complains, I look to see what I can do and I do it.

There are some subjects that historically end up in the same bad place - like guns - and I'll do a "premptive strike" as Biscuit said. This saves me a lot of time.

To imply that moderators have an agenda in what posts get deleted and which threads get moderated more heavily than others is wrong and makes a thankless job even more so.

Only Admin and the moderators listed in the upper right of a sub-forum's topic index page can close a thread in that sub-forum.

Already posted in this thread are a good list of why threads are closed. If a reason is not obvious (and not posted in the thread) the only way to find out why a thread was closed is to ask the moderator(s) of the sub-forum. The moderator names listed for a sub-forums are links to their profile pages, which has a link to send them private messages.

Be aware, that a moderator may have deleted several posts (that you did not see) before the thread was closed. Closing a thread is a lot easier than "cleaning up" one.

While I was moderating, I tried to post a reason for closing a thread, unless it was obvious. When I first started, I would send a private message to the poster of a post that I deleted. Instead of seeing that as a courtesy, most saw that as an invitation to debate or, more likely, call me any obscene name that came to mind. I am sure the other moderators experienced the same. Except for new members, I quit sending notifications.

Tom