# Please re-open the DNC thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 24, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-re-open-the-dnc-thread/1006129 "2024-08-24T02:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 39
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-re-open-the-dnc-thread/1006129/39 "2024-08-24T20:06:15Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > How was it decided by whom that hijacks are such a problem that (some) mods have to be as active as they feel they need to be? Or that threads need to be kept narrowly focussed, spawning numerous off shoots. The change came from former mod Jonathan Chance (with Ed’s approval), who tightened up the rules in GD and P&E in response to numerous complaints that the forums weren’t really functioning as they should be, with one of the major forum problems being hijacks. This was not a change that our current mods made. I don’t participate much in GD and P&E, but from what I saw the changes were largely appreciated and were, in general, considered a major improvement for those forums. Jonathan’s revised rules for GD are summarized in this post from January of 2020: > [@New Rules for Great Debates and Elections – January 2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rules-for-great-debates-and-elections-january-2020/845726): > > Moderation in Great Debates and Politics and Elections In general, Great Debates and Politics and Elections are the most contentious fora on the SDMB. Because of that, you’ll find that moderation is more active and prone to sanctioning posters. You can compare it to sitting at the holiday dinner next to the crazy uncle who can’t help being unpleasant. Please don’t be that guy. Be aware that most rules are not ‘bright line’. This is intentional on our part as we believe such encourages poor … P&E basically follows the same rules. Many of those rules had been in place before then, but some rules, such as clamping down on hijacks and making thrice-told-tales off limits, were new. Those wishing to get rid of the rule on hijacks are basically asking for things to return to the way they were before Jonathan made those changes, and return to all of the problems that those changes were designed to fix. I don’t participate much in those forums, but going back to the way they were seems like a huge mistake to me. Jonathan made those changes for good reasons, and those asking to reverse those changes seem to be ignoring those reasons. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-re-open-the-dnc-thread/1006129)._