# DrMatrix, Why'd You Close My Thread? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 9, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397 "2003-10-09T02:12:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/1 "2003-10-09T02:12:01Z")
In response to the closing of this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=4076597#post4076597](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=4076597#post4076597) ``` I would only like to ask, (very nicely), why was my thread closed? If it was the fear of my doing this, I think that in my OP, it had already been established about twice, that I would NOT do this, since I was anticipating this kind of response. ``` > [@](#): > > Please be advised that I neither am planning on doing this nor have I already done this.::ahem::…AGAIN, THIS IS PURELY HYPOTHETICAL! ``` My apologies if I have annoyed you with this (or the original) thread, I never intended to. ``` Thank you, Topaz ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/2 "2003-10-09T02:41:11Z")
That looks like what **Manhattan** used to call an “asked and answered” question. Enough people had chimed in saying that your actions were not justified, and on top of that the moderator may have just felt uncomfortable about this type of hypothetical question floating around in GQ. The thread kind of looks like you’re fishing for some smartass to come along and tell you that your behaviour would be justified. Next thing you know, you’re at the Homoe Depot buying duct tape and a staple gun. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/3 "2003-10-09T02:45:33Z")
If you’re only asking for clarification as to why your thread was closed, and not actually _complaining_ about the closure – why not just email **DrMatrix** and discuss this that way, **Topaz**? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/4 "2003-10-09T02:53:32Z")
**Ice Wolf** , I’ve seen similar questions to yours asked about other threads and I have a theory: Since the thread closing was publicly posted, an explanation that’s publicly seen is asked for. I could be way off, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/5 "2003-10-09T03:09:20Z")
Yeah, could be, **NoClueBoy**. I just thought that, rather than put up a thread over here, like waving an arm in the air and yoo-hooing **DrMatrix** on the off-chance he sees this, wouldn’t an email have been more direct? Unless **Topaz** _did_ intend for this to be a public statement anyway … ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/6 "2003-10-09T03:23:55Z")
It never occurred to be a good choice for me to E-Mail him. I saw it as sort of being a bit…“WHY DID YOU CLOSE MY THREAD?!” angry, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/7 "2003-10-09T04:11:55Z")
I bet it’s got something to do with the fact that SDMB operates at a loss and they don’t want to get messed up in legal disputes. You may have said that you weren’t going to do it and that it was purely hypothetical, but if some troll popped in and said that you would be justified, some lurker could take that as truth and do it. They could later say they saw it on SDMB and thought it was legal. Then we all lose. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/8 "2003-10-09T04:43:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > That looks like what **Manhattan** used to call an “asked and answered” question. Enough people had chimed in saying that your actions were not justified, and on top of that the moderator may have just felt uncomfortable about this type of hypothetical question floating around in GQ. The thread kind of looks like you’re fishing for some smartass to come along and tell you that your behaviour would be justified. Next thing you know, you’re at the Homoe Depot buying duct tape and a staple gun. That’s pretty much why I closed it. You were asking if illegal actions would be justified. The answer to “Are you legally justified?” (No) was already given. Anything more would be opinions and treading on possibly advocating illegal actions. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/9 "2003-10-11T02:10:39Z")
Ah, thank you, **DrMatrix**. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/10 "2003-10-11T02:32:18Z")
Your thread did have an interesting element. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the “giving someone the finger” emoticon reply. I didn’t realize it was possible to do this. ie… -\_-; ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/11 "2003-10-11T02:49:09Z")
I don’t get that out of it at all, **astro**. If I had to guess, I’d say it was intended to convey narrowed eyes/non-amusement. One more reason I remain a big fan of language. ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/12 "2003-10-11T02:53:27Z")
That wasn’t a middle finger, it’s a smiley for The Anime/Manga Sweatdrop. ^\_^; ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/13 "2003-10-11T03:10:23Z")
So maybe it could be either, and the _mods would never know_, even if you used it in a more polite forum. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/14 "2003-10-11T03:46:47Z")
Middle finger? I’m sorry, but what drugs do you have to smoke/suck/swallow/inject/inhale to see a middle finger in that? ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/15 "2003-10-11T03:54:33Z")
Huh? It appears to be a picture of a native Indian to me – hey, let’s do ink-blot tests! Sorry. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/16 "2003-10-11T04:51:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Middle finger? I’m sorry, but what drugs do you have to smoke/suck/swallow/inject/inhale to see a middle finger in that? \*\* ARE YOU BLIND!!! Don’t you see it. It’s right there!!!.. wheeze… must get more laudanum… but where, at this time of night!!! -_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-;-_-; Damn… now it’s just wallpaper… or an ice skater… an ice skater giving you the FINGER!!! ---
**Author:** ![sunrise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@sunrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunrise)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/17 "2003-10-11T15:46:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar \* > \*\*but if some troll popped in and said that you would be justified, some lurker could take that as truth \*\* What is a troll? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/18 "2003-10-11T15:57:31Z")
I always pictured a middle finger as being “iilii” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/19 "2003-10-11T16:14:32Z")
…l… ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397/20 "2003-10-11T16:20:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sunrise \* > \*\*What is a troll? \*\* Those guys who club stuff with clubs and are all trollish and tall and fugly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drmatrix-whyd-you-close-my-thread/206397.md?page=2)