# How did a guest close a thread? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 4, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847 "2009-09-04T11:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/1 "2009-09-04T11:48:50Z")
There is a thread in MPSIMS where each Doper was posting one line from the song [thread=530640]Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone[/thread]. I thought it was clever and funny, but it was closed. The thread was taking that lonesome train to copyright violation, so getting locked was not a surprise. What surprised me was that the Doper who closed the thread was “shantih” who is labeled as a “Guest”. Shantih is not listed as a moderator in any of the forums. Can guests close threads?? ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/2 "2009-09-04T11:55:20Z")
The most likely answer is that a mod just closed the thread without comment. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/3 "2009-09-04T11:56:20Z")
**Shantih** didn’t close the thread. He/she merely posted the last response before a mod locked it. There just hasn’t been a closing announcement made in the thread. Or what **Kal** said. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/4 "2009-09-04T12:03:51Z")
**Marley23** closed the thread, but did not provide a closing statement. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/5 "2009-09-04T12:06:53Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > **Shantih** didn’t close the thread. He/she merely posted the last response before a mod locked it. There just hasn’t been a closing announcement made in the thread. > > Or what **Kal** said. That does not fit with the final [post=11518862]post[/post] in the thread. It looks like **shantih** closed the thread, and meant to close the thread. Nothing against **shantih** , but if guests can close threads, what’s to stop anyone from closing threads wantonly? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/6 "2009-09-04T12:11:15Z")
There’s nothing in that post that states they closed the thread. Closing threads and posting are two independant actions. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/7 "2009-09-04T12:17:41Z")
I closed the thread. I didn’t think any comment was needed but I’ll add something. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/8 "2009-09-04T15:32:55Z")
Thanks for the info! I was confused, but ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/9 "2009-09-04T20:46:51Z")
OK, since this question has been answered, I’ll just go ahead and close the thread now. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/10 "2009-09-04T21:14:11Z")
Make sure you add a witty statement first. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/11 "2009-09-04T22:23:09Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > Thanks for the info! I was confused, but ignorance fought! We have _not_ been fighting confusion since 1973, however. Confusion: A state of being unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding. Ignorance: A lack of knowledge or education. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-guest-close-a-thread/508847/12 "2009-09-05T01:24:44Z")
As I have suggested many times, there should be a rule that when a thread is closed, there always is a post explaining why. What’s obvious to some, is not always obvious to all.