# Can an OP request to close thread? How? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 20, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272 "2015-10-20T20:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/1 "2015-10-20T20:06:09Z")
I started [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=772027&page=6) over in GD. At some point, I decided I’d prefer that the thread be closed. I sent PMs to 2 mods of GD, and another message clicking on the “notify” icon in that thread, right around where I posted that I was going to request that it be closed. I received absolutely no response, and the thread remains open. I realize that OPs certainly have nothing like a right to have a thread closed. I thought, however, that such requests were at least considered. Thought in the past I had seen threads that were closed “at the request of the OP.” Am I misremembering? If an OP is able to request closure of a thread, how is that to be accomplished? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/2 "2015-10-20T20:21:02Z")
I’ve been kind of rough on the GD mods lately, I know. I agree entirely with the decision to leave this thread open, and indeed am a bit confused why you think they’d consider closing a thread that’s active and full of some good information mixed into the noise. You left the thread, of course, although I hope you’ll consider reading it even if you’re not willing to respond. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/3 "2015-10-20T20:33:02Z")
I guess I’m not so bothered about any “decision” to keep the thread open. Just surprised there was no indication anywhere - either in the thread or IRT my notices/requests, that a decision was made. I see no reason to believe that any decision was made other than to ignore my request. Which I guess is fine too. I’m sure they have plenty to do. I guess I just thought an extremely brief response to what I thought were politely phrased and not entirely out-of-line inquiries would have been consistent with the tone generally desired around here. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/4 "2015-10-20T21:02:56Z")
Well, I recall getting that message and deciding to do nothing about it. But sending a reply can be problematic. What if I decide to leave it open, let you know, and then Tom closes it? Or the reverse. Either way it can be confusing. You did the right thing alerting us via the ‘Report a Post’ button. It’s not the first time an OP has requested a thread be closed. But it’s not a common thing for such a request to be acted on. Generally, threads take on a life of their own after being launched. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/5 "2015-10-20T21:06:49Z")
Thanks for the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/6 "2015-10-20T21:12:13Z")
And many take on a second or even a third life after you _think_ they’re dead! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/7 "2015-10-20T21:29:06Z")
Which can ALSO be subject to a Report. Not always, but often a old zombie thread will see someone alerting us about its resurrection. Sometimes it’s closed, sometimes it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/8 "2015-10-21T02:17:44Z")
I will sometimes fullfill a request to close a thread by the OP under specific and understandable circumstances, for example, if an issue gets resolved or no longer applies or if they made some sort of mistake in posting it… …but a lot of times requests to have a thread closed is secretly just because they want to escape the conversation or replies that they’re getting. Sometimes posters want to control the direction their thread goes in and if it turns on them, or they don’t like the types of replies they’re getting, or if there’s a hijack that starts/continues, or they don’t want to continue getting criticism over something, I won’t allow them the escape of closing the thread down. Basically, if the reason boils down to “I don’t like the replies/how the thread is going”, I will either ignore or deny the request. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-op-request-to-close-thread-how/735272/9 "2015-10-21T16:17:59Z")
Also, it’s the nature of message board threads that often, even after the original topic is resolved, some new topic springs out of it that is interesting and also worthy of discussion.