# Why is a banned person's thread still open? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 17, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617 "2011-09-17T14:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/1 "2011-09-17T14:20:47Z")
I am very, very curious as to why all the mods and admins wanted to allow a banned-poster’s 8-page thread to remain open after OP was banned. Myself, I have no doubt that it is known about, even long before being reported (by me), and I have seen many, many banned person’s threads closed at\* same time\* as ‘banning’. I would say it is procedure to check for open threads when banning any poster, but I am likely wrong on that. Maybe all the closures I’ve seen were plain generic luck on being closed? Inconsistency shows its face on the Dope again and its confusing as to the differences in events. [This is the thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=621397) Its on a subject which OP knows probably better than 99.9% of those here and folks are still debating points OP can’t address/respond to. Pretty fecal, to be honest, and seemingly retaliatory to the OP by those in charge here. What’s with the exception here? Why is this being allowed to happen to **Dio** (of all people!)? Or am I just misremembering all the other prompt closures? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/2 "2011-09-17T14:28:54Z")
A) This is in the wrong forum. B) The subject is interesting and people are still debating both sides of the issue. Just because the OP was banned doesn’t mean the debate can’t continue. C) We’ve had threads from spammers remain open long after the OP was nuked. Some of them were worthwhile, some of them were just fun. Spammers can be mocked mercilessly without fear of warnings. If someone started to slam **Dio** in that thread, it would probably be closed. D) So this is hardly an exception. Not even close. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/3 "2011-09-17T14:34:32Z")
> [@Ionizer](#): > > I have seen many, many banned person’s threads closed at\* same time\* as ‘banning’. I recall that being done in cases where the thread is about the OP or the OP has a wild point of view that no one other than the OP is defending. The thread that is still open is a debate that can and is going on without **Dio**. No one has even made a rebuttal to a **Dio** post since he’s been banned. > [@](#): > > [This is the thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=621397) Its on a subject which OP knows probably better than 99.9% of those here and folks are still debating points OP can’t address/respond to. And there will be many more threads on the subject that **Dio** won’t be able to respond to. > [@](#): > > Pretty fecal, to be honest, and seemingly retaliatory to the OP by those in charge here. > > What’s with the exception here? Why is this being allowed to happen to **Dio** (of all people!)? Or am I just misremembering all the other prompt closures? Shouldn’t you be asking the questions first and judging whether or not it’s a retaliatory action after you get answers? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/4 "2011-09-17T14:42:39Z")
Questions about this message board go in the About This Message Board forum; I’ll move this there for you (from GD). As **silenus** and **x-ray vision** have noted, mods decide on a thread-by-thread basis whether or not to close threads started by someone who was banned. In general, we leave them open if many people other than the OP are participating, as seems to be the case in the thread you’ve started, judging by its length. (I’ll admit I haven’t read it and don’t intend to.) This is the case for the majority of threads started by people who are later banned. The main time we would close a thread by someone in the wake of his or her banning would be if it were something that could not or should not continue in his or her absence, for instance a Pit thread with the OP being the only person to state a particular opinion, or an MPSIMS thread about some RL situation involving the OP. **twickster** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/5 "2011-09-17T20:17:21Z")
PS to **twickster** ’s comment: We also tend to not only close, but to “disappear” threads started by socks. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/6 "2011-09-18T01:23:16Z")
> [@Ionizer](#): > > Its on a subject which OP knows probably better than 99.9% of those here Lack of knowledge of a thread topic never stopped anyone from commenting, the banned OP being no exception. ---
**Author:** ![rebeccasrevenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@rebeccasrevenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rebeccasrevenge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/7 "2011-09-19T06:05:10Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > PS to **twickster** ’s comment: We also tend to not only close, but to “disappear” threads started by socks. ``` This may seem a stupid question to all you trendy ,with it, hep cats but what do you mean by "started by socks"?:confused: ``` ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-banned-persons-thread-still-open/596617/8 "2011-09-19T06:51:30Z")
> [@rebeccasrevenge](#): > > This may seem a stupid question to all you trendy ,with it, hep cats but what do you mean by “started by socks”?😕 A “sock puppet,” or coming back with another username. It is not permitted for a member to have more than one account on the Dope. Members with more than one account are subject to banning. From the S. D. glossary: > [@](#): > > Sock or sock puppet –- When a poster sets up an alternate username (in violation of SDMB rules), usually for nefarious reasons. The original use was when a person registered multiple times to debate with himself (or more likely, agree with himself in a debate.) It is now also used to refer to situations when a poster was banned but tries to sneak back in under a secret identity. Note that, under SDMB rules, a person may have only one user name; having multiple usernames is a bannable offense. > **[Beginner's Guide to Glossary of Terms on Straight Dope Message Boards](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298)** > > There are a number of terms commonly used on the Straight Dope Message Boards, that are basically “in-jokes” or references. There are several threads listing such, I have tried to compile them all into one post here. If anyone has additions or... Also the relevant rule from the Registration Agreement: > [@](#): > > Only one screen name is permitted per user. If you wish to change screen names please email an administrator. Use of multiple screen names is grounds for revocation of your right to post under ANY screen name. We reserve the right to refuse postings from screen names we find objectionable. > **[SDMB registration agreement as of 12/29/2008](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423183)** > > The agreement below spells out the rules by which SDMB users are expected to abide. Changes since the last version are indicated in bold. These changes reflect the change in ownership and switch to free posting. All changes are effective immediately....