# How do mods move threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 3, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663 "2001-12-03T18:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/1 "2001-12-03T18:25:29Z")
Does the moderator that the thread is in move it out, or does the moderator that the thread is moved to move it in? WHat if the other guy doesn’t want it and moves it back? Is there some heavenly email stuff that goes on to decide who takes the thread, like auto insurance underwriters take aha’s high risk insurance policy? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/2 "2001-12-03T18:59:26Z")
We hire a bunch of big sweaty guys from “Starving Student Movers”. Students my a\*\*! I don’t think real college students would use such language and drink that much Coors lite while on the job. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/3 "2001-12-03T19:18:27Z")
They wind them up on these big virtual reels, to avoid loose ends, snip off the little piece anchoring it to the old forum, take their dollies and roll them over to the right forum, attach them, and unreel. 🙂 Seriously, there’s general consensus among Admins., Mods., and most users about what belongs where, and when a Mod. spots a thread in the wrong forum, he simply uses his superpowers (literally) to place it where it belongs. Look down at the bottom right of a given thread, and you’ll see: > [@](#): > > Admin Options: > Open / Close Thread > Move Thread > Delete Thread > Edit Thread If one of us peons clicks on this we get a page telling us that we have no business being where we are and to click the “back” button or some such; a Moderator has those options turned on and can move the thread by clicking there. I believe a dropdown box appears and he selects the form to which to move the thread. (Note that if the moderator of the new forum disagrees with the analysis, he can move it elsewhere. For example a thread posted in GQ asking for _opinion_ on a religious question might find its way into IMHO until **slythe** or **TVeblen** sees it turning into a religious _debate_, at which point it wends its way on to GD. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/4 "2001-12-03T21:06:40Z")
Good. I’d think that retyping the whole thread would make the mods awfully cranky. BTW - **slythe** is the old incarnation of **Czarcasm** (wish I had thought of that name…) ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/5 "2001-12-04T00:00:40Z")
Actually, I understand that’s exactly what they had to do in the olden days, **screech** , before they switched to vB. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/6 "2001-12-04T01:20:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by screech-owl \* > **I’d think that retyping the whole thread would make the mods awfully cranky.** God DAMN it! You mean I DON’T have to retype the whole thread? That’s not what **JillGat** told me… Man, I’m getting fed up with the Greenhorn-Mod hazing. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/7 "2001-12-04T01:56:35Z")
(Where’s Handy when you need him?) OK, lemme rephrase this. Given forum A and Moderator (Cap M; sucking up) A’, and forum B and Moderator B’; (Some of you mods er, Mods might want to draw a picture) Can Mod A’ move a thread from A to B? Can B’ move a thread from A to B? Can they keep moving it back and forth? Will the Yankees win the Series next year? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/8 "2001-12-04T02:36:46Z")
As far as moving / closing / deleting threads go - all moderators have complete powers in all fora. e.g. If you started an MPSIMS thread saying “that C. K. Dexter Haven, he’s a dreamboat”, I could pop over to MPSIMS and move the thread to Comments on Staff Reports for C. K. Dexter Haven’s viewing pleasure, even though neither of those are my forum. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/9 "2001-12-04T05:16:05Z")
But only **Tuba** or **Lynn** (or one of the other administrators, but I don’t think they often get involved in such things) could ban the OP for such obviously bad taste. Of course, until **Polycarp** ’s post, I’d always assumed that they used a process similar to the commonly believed to have been used in the Pyramids, involving ramps of sand and a lot of slave labor. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/10 "2001-12-04T13:30:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waterj2 \* > \*\* slave labor. \*\* Oh, I’m sure the slave labor comes in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/11 "2001-12-04T16:25:51Z")
Ramps of sand? Shows what you know. It’s kites we use to keep this thing aloft. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/12 "2001-12-04T16:36:51Z")
Intimidation. If Tuba has ever given you “the look” you’d understand. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/13 "2001-12-04T16:43:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\* It’s kites we use to keep this thing aloft. \*\* Hence the dislike for the Taliban. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/14 "2001-12-04T23:44:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by screech-owl \* > > **I’d think that retyping the whole thread would make the mods awfully cranky.** > > God DAMN it! You mean I DON’T have to retype the whole thread? That’s not what **JillGat** told me… > > Man, I’m getting fed up with the Greenhorn-Mod hazing. \*\* Don’t worry, Ike. You’ll be off probation soon and then we’ll let you use the “Move Thread” function. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/15 "2001-12-05T15:59:32Z")
There are times I seriously wish it involved a catapult. Or even a trebuchet. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/16 "2001-12-05T16:34:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Corrado \* > \*\* trebuchet. \*\* You can take anti-biotics for that. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/17 "2001-12-05T19:35:47Z")
On Counter-Earth, do they take _biotics_ when ill? Say if they catch a chill while adding _freeze_ to car antiradiators? ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/18 "2001-12-05T20:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*…Man, I’m getting fed up with the Greenhorn-Mod hazing. \*\* Yeah, but now you’re higher on the chewing order than [MEBuckner](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102718). Heh. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/19 "2001-12-06T00:50:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*On Counter-Earth, do they take _biotics_ when ill? Say if they catch a chill while adding _freeze_ to car antiradiators? \*\* Sey. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663/20 "2001-12-06T01:42:00Z")
Now that the thread has been asked, answered, and hijacked, I think I’ll further the hijack (along with furthering the foundation) with my own question, now that the appropriate people are watching this one: How many times has one thread been moved? Is there a record for thread ping-pong? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mods-move-threads/96663.md?page=2)