# Opal is nice, I'm sure, but... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 21, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678 "2001-10-21T04:57:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/1 "2001-10-21T04:57:55Z")
[newbie question] WHy do people keep saying “Hi Opal?” [/newbie question] ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/2 "2001-10-21T05:49:05Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=51051) answered the question a while back. ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/3 "2001-10-21T05:58:46Z")
thanks! Lock thread, please. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/4 "2001-10-21T08:28:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Yondan \* > \*\*thanks! Lock thread, please. \*\* Why do you want this thread locked? Around these here parts, threads only get locked if: [ul] [li]They are denegrating into a vicious flamewar. Yes, some fights are too bad even for The Pit.[/li][li]It is a blatant troll/spam thread. The OP (original poster) is usually banned soon after.[/li][li]They are threatening the board somehow. Drug-related threads (like the infamous gravity bong thread) are the most common in this camp.[/li][li]They are in the wrong forum and the load on the computers is too much to risk a move. Closing a thread and opening a new one in the right place is much gentler on the servers than moving one.[/li][li]It is a duplicate thread. You’d be surprised how often this happens, especially in the busier fora like GQ.[/li][/ul] So, is locking threads common in other message boards? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/5 "2001-10-21T18:03:15Z")
He probably wants the thread locked because his question has been answered, and there was another thread answering it. Threads get locked for that reason, also. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/6 "2001-10-21T18:06:43Z")
I concur. Though rarely, threads are closed at the OP’s request, if the question has been sufficiently answered. _Exempli gratia_: So, how does one pronounce Gaudere anyway? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/7 "2001-10-21T18:33:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Yondan \* > > \*\*thanks! Lock thread, please. \*\* > > Why do you want this thread locked? Around these here parts, threads only get locked… Also, the post that **MEBuckner** linked to above was locked. **Yondan** may have noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Alpha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/8 "2001-10-21T19:47:51Z")
"Opal is nice, I’m sure, but… " That she is. This board was mostly nice mods at one time, then they had a wholesale hiring binge and brought on a really mixed bag of replacements. A few more mods like her over here, and the place would shape up fast. Frankly, we deserve better. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2001, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/9 "2001-10-21T20:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alpha \* > \*\*This board was mostly nice mods at one time, then they had a wholesale hiring binge and brought on a really mixed bag of replacements. A few more mods like her over here, and the place would shape up fast. Frankly, we deserve better. \*\* You can say THAT again! These new guys, whadda buncha maroons! …uh, who are you, again? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/10 "2001-10-21T20:28:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alpha \* > \*\*"Opal is nice, I’m sure, but… " > That she is. This board was mostly nice mods at one time, then they had a wholesale hiring binge and brought on a really mixed bag of replacements. A few more mods like her over here, and the place would shape up fast. Frankly, we deserve better. \*\* OpalCat was never a mod here. She was a regular from the old AOL message boards, and she is the administrator of the Teeming Millions at [Fathom.org](http://Fathom.org). However, she’s never been an official Straight Dope moderator. And who are you again? ---
**Author:** ![AWOL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@AWOL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWOL)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/11 "2001-10-21T20:46:38Z")
I’ll field the answer, since it’s obvious. He’s someone who likes the board and not all of the moderators. Like the rest of us. You mods have favorites, we commoners have favorites too. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/13 "2001-10-21T21:52:12Z")
Have a nice trip, **Alpha** and **Alpha too** , see you next fall. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/16 "2001-10-21T22:23:13Z")
**Alpha too** , I think I’ve caught on better than some. I know that multiple user names aren’t allowed one person. Not that I’m accusing you. (BTW, what is the Roundtable? I’m not Arthurian, I’m Lovecraftian. :D) ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opal-is-nice-im-sure-but/88678/17 "2001-10-21T22:55:17Z")
… puttin’ out fires all over the place tonight.