# Another "Why Was This Thread Closed?" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 18, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810 "2008-04-18T00:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/1 "2008-04-18T00:26:52Z")
And I’m not really pitting anyone but questioning the guidelines. Nevertheless I have to take it here. The thread I refer to is [this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=463960) Two of the contributors at #14 and #17 made what I consider valid arguments (whether you agree with the points doesn’t really matter in this thread). However, they were more or less told to pull their heads in and go to the pit. And this is where I think the guidelines stink. As was pointed out the instructions state “The BBQ Pit: If you gotta flame, do it here. This is the place for all complaints and other discussion regarding administration of the SDMB.” “Complaints \*and other discussion \* regarding administration of the board”? That one sentence requires anything- even complimentary - pertaining to the administration to be put in the Pit. It gives administration the excuse to close any thread which mentions administration if it is posted on another board. This carte blanche has been misused in my view. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/2 "2008-04-18T03:34:22Z")
Well, frankly, if we disallowed only negative discussion in ATMB, we’d get a lot of flack for it. It’s fairer to apply it to everyone, and doesn’t give the appearance that we want to suppress dissent. For real discussion, the **Pit** is the appropriate venue. This way, the several someones who wish to denounce anything positive about this board can do so. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/3 "2008-04-18T03:55:26Z")
[QUOTE=Cicero] Two of the contributors at #14 and #17 made what I consider valid arguments (whether you agree with the points doesn’t really matter in this thread). However, they were more or less told to pull their heads in and go to the pit. [/QUOTE] From post #14: [QUOTE=Ellis Dee] shows how staggeringly stupid the administration is to begin with. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Ellis Dee] And really, does even a single poster believe that one is coming? For real? This will most likely turn out to be yet another promise of “great new things to come” that was made and never followed through on. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Ellis Dee] The fact that they haven’t is pathetic. What’s the idea, exactly? Keep the membership smaller? Yeah, real geniuses running this place. [/QUOTE] These of course were the comments that merited the instruction to take it to the Pit and got the thread locked. If **Ellis Dee** had attacked another poster in a similar way in some other forum, of course he would have been instructed the same way. Post #17 really had nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/4 "2008-04-18T07:13:54Z")
How about a sticky for all the ‘Why was this thread closed?’ threads ? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/5 "2008-04-18T08:48:38Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] How about a sticky for all the ‘Why was this thread closed?’ threads ? [/QUOTE] [Here’s one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384745) ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/6 "2008-04-18T10:45:29Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] [Here’s one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384745) [/QUOTE] I meant an ongoing thread where people just post ‘Why was this thread closed?’ ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/7 "2008-04-18T14:10:48Z")
The administration most emphatically doesn’t want such threads. From my link : > [@](#): > > If you have a question about a thread or poster who “disappeared,” please DO NOT post an inquiry. In probably 95% of such cases, the thread (or poster) that vanished was an attention-seeker – a spammer , sock, or troll. They’re out for any attention, even negative attention, and we don’t want to give it to them. They disappear, as do their posts. And as do posts about them. > > So, if you have a question about such, please email a moderator. DO NOT post your question. DO NOT give these folks any publicity, acknowledgement, or recognition. Almost all of the time when a thread is closed, and it was not a sock or a spammer, a reason is given by the mod who closes it. You can always e-mail a moderator and ask why. Or start a thread in the BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/8 "2008-04-18T18:14:58Z")
I’m not sure “disappeared” and “closed” are really synonymous here. But I agree that such threads belong in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-was-this-thread-closed/445810/9 "2008-04-19T10:13:10Z")
So, why close the thread? If it’s so Pit-worthy, why not move it to the Pit?