# Do you read closed threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2004, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116 "2004-12-16T07:24:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/1 "2004-12-16T07:24:49Z")
I have noticed that when I see a thread that was closed, I always open it, even if I normally would not have opened it if it wasn’t locked. Am I the only person that does this? Do I need to go get profesional help? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/2 "2004-12-16T07:28:40Z")
> [@Hirka T'Bawa](#): > > I have noticed that when I see a thread that was closed, I always open it, even if I normally would not have opened it if it wasn’t locked. Am I the only person that does this? No, I do it all the time > [@](#): > > Do I need to go get profesional help? Possibly. Tell us about your father. ---
**Author:** ![Kkrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Kkrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kkrose)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/3 "2004-12-16T07:30:25Z")
I always open closed threads no matter what the topic was or whether I would have even made a second glance at it before. I have to know why they were closed. So if you need professional help then so do I. Of course, that wouldn’t be the first time the idea has been suggested to me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/4 "2004-12-16T08:26:32Z")
Same for me. I always read them because the locking piques my curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/5 "2004-12-16T08:30:21Z")
Probably around 30% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/6 "2004-12-16T11:23:21Z")
I usually read closed threads unless I can tell that they were closed because it was a “zombie” thread. I’d like NOT to get banned, so I’d like to find out what can cause a thread to be closed. BTW, I’ve only had one thread closed. It was a pit thread bashing Ronald Reagan as president. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/7 "2004-12-16T11:52:03Z")
It depends what the topic is. If it looks interesting and/or is many pages long, then I will check it out. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/8 "2004-12-16T12:04:23Z")
I’ve read some closed threads, but only if the thread title were something that would have interested me, had it not been closed; or if the thread was closed because of the action of a Doper whom I’ve noticed before on the board, and I want to either: find out what that cool person might have done to get a thread closed; or see what the straw was that broke the camel’s back for an annoying poster who’d finally got itself banned. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/9 "2004-12-16T14:21:43Z")
Yep, I confess, I almost always check to see why a thread was closed. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/10 "2004-12-16T14:33:44Z")
I’m guilty of this, too. I thought it was just me. There’s just some “car accident slow-down-to-see” mentality that kicks in. Now watch as this one gets locked. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/11 "2004-12-16T14:40:34Z")
It is probably the one thing guaranteed to make me open a thread. Of course, I always feel vaguely disappointed if it’s just for being in the wrong forum, or something. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/12 "2004-12-16T14:41:53Z")
If it’s not obvious why it was closed from the title I usually open it to see why it was shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/13 "2004-12-16T14:49:10Z")
Depends on length. If it’s pages long, no (partly because by the time I’ve finished one page, my login has timed out). Shorter ones I generally will, just for curiosity’s sake. Who pissed off what mod today? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/14 "2004-12-16T15:10:05Z")
I check them out because there’s always the chance of an amusing meltdown in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/15 "2004-12-16T16:05:40Z")
Heck yes, I open them; I’ll click on them before a thread that looks interesting to me due to the title. If they’re not a duplicate post or accidental zombie-ified thread, then they’re almost certainly guaranteed to be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/16 "2004-12-16T16:31:44Z")
It is the one thing that absolutely draws me in every time. ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/17 "2004-12-17T04:27:23Z")
I suspected I wasn’t the only one… Like **Revtim** , I usually open them when the reason for closing isn’t readily apparent. I recall seeing one of those _de_-motivational posters that said something like “If you can’t be a shining beacon of success, at least know that you will serve as a warning to others.” and I think that that also inspires me to check them out. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/18 "2004-12-17T04:38:13Z")
I’m guilty too. I always open them, sometimes the first thing I do in the morning is check the pit for locked threads. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/19 "2004-12-17T05:04:55Z")
If I know it’s somebody who is in an ongoing spectacular flameout elsewhere on the Board, it’s often a very amusing whining or ‘goodbye cruel world!’ rant. If it’s a decent or sane poster I wonder what the heck THEY could have done to get CLOSED. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116/20 "2004-12-17T05:25:44Z")
Yep, me too. I also check out the post history of banned posters, probably for the same reason. Just don’t ask me what that reason is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-read-closed-threads/280116.md?page=2)