I thought the originator of a thread could always have it closed on request, but in this thread: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418208&page=1
the request from the OP is denied with "I think not. We generally don’t close threads to protect people from the negative reactions to ill-considered OPs. "
IMHO, the OP should always have the right to have one of their threads closed. If people want to continue hammering a jackass for a stupid thread, they can always open new pit thread against them.
The OP of a thread always has the right to request that it be closed. So, for that matter, does anyone else. But it’s always the mods’ decision whether to honor that request. If the OP thinks the question has been adequately answered, they usually do, and they also usually do in cases where the thread hasn’t yet gotten ugly, but has a strong potential to do so. But in cases where the thread has already gotten ugly, by the fault of the OP? I’ve never seen the mods honor one of those, and I see no reason they should start.
Nope. You stir shit up through a badly-conceived OP, you deserve to have the world dropped on you. It’s happened to me, and I consider it a lesson learned. Ignorance must be fought on many levels, and with many lessons.
Only once (that I recall) have I asked that a thread I started be closed, because I was alarmed and unhappy about a few negative remarks. The thread stayed open, which was probably the right decision on the part of the moderators. The thread soon sank out of sight quickly anyway. If it had been marked as locked in the index, that might have attracted more attention from the whackaloons who were emailing me at the time.