# Why is Twickster locking week-old TV threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 4, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587 "2011-10-04T18:35:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 4, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/41 "2011-10-04T21:31:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think the mods are making too much of this. The old thread should be re-opened. It’s a no-brainer to me that it was a mistake to lock it in the first place. See my post above yours. **twicks** reopened it a half hour ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/42 "2011-10-04T21:33:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Why wouldn’t you just watch both episodes and post your combined observations to the new thread? I’ve got a fairly hefty backlog on my DVR right now, including multiple episodes of more than one series. So if I watch an episode of one show, maybe I don’t feel like watching another of the same show right away and prefer to move on to something else. Or I only have time for one show that night, or whatever. It’s nice to come here and discuss what I have seen without being spoiled about what I haven’t. Weekly, per-episode, still-open threads allow me to do that. So my two cents is that the policy should be to keep them open but make it clear which episode is being discussed in which thread. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/43 "2011-10-05T07:29:42Z")
Could we please get the TAR one referenced in the OP reopened as well? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/44 "2011-10-05T10:20:15Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > But what I was thinking of is the possibility that someone doesn’t have DVR (I don’t) and only caught one episode. I didn’t think of that one. Anyway I will reopen the other Amazing Race thread. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/45 "2011-10-05T10:28:21Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > **Justin** , with due respect, you’ve had my support in this thread until this post, which was disingenuous. > > If you’d created the thread to accomplish this goal, it would have been titled, **“Twickster, please unlock week-old TV threads and stop locking them going forward”** or some such. > > **Knead** You apparently don’t know **Justin** ’s posting style. I can’t imagine him ever making a post like that. I think the title sounds more accusatory in our ears than it does to him. He’s far from the only poster who posts in a style that comes off less respectful than intended. And I don’t just mean here. It’s just the nature of the Internet and the clash of cultures. That doesn’t mean I excuse it–we’re all capable of learning (even if you make a few mistakes along the way). But I do take **Justin** at his word that he did not intend the accusatory tone his posts took. And if you find this post annoying, I promise that was not my intent, either. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/46 "2011-10-05T14:40:12Z")
I have thought there was too much negative comments about mods lately, but this … this is quite deserving of full on “WFT”-ness. I routinely watch shows **much** later than a week after. DVRs anyone? So why on Earth would anyone think to lock an old thread merely because a new episode has aired? What does one have to do with another? If I want to talk about a 3 week-old episode, why not? In particular, **twickster** et al., please note: If I haven’t yet watched the newest episode I am **NOT** going to read the current thread on it if I want to discuss the earlier episode. This is a situation where quite simple logic should apply. SDMB mods should know better. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/47 "2011-10-05T14:46:30Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And if you find this post annoying, I promise that was not my intent, either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/48 "2011-10-05T14:46:50Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I routinely watch shows **much** later than a week after. DVRs anyone? So why on Earth would anyone think to lock an old thread merely because a new episode has aired? It wasn’t locked “merely because a new episode has aired.” It was locked because in both cases, discussion of a new episode of the show was being split between two threads. I understand why people think that wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but the thread was locked to stop the duplication of discussing, not because another episode had aired or because it passed a secret expiration date. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/49 "2011-10-05T18:12:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It wasn’t locked “merely because a new episode has aired.” It was locked because in both cases, discussion of a new episode of the show was being split between two threads. I understand why people think that wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but the thread was locked to stop the duplication of discussing, not because another episode had aired or because it passed a secret expiration date. So what’s the solution going forward? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/50 "2011-10-05T18:22:52Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > So what’s the solution going forward? For posters to pay attention to which thread they’re in, and for mods to move individual posts as requested when they post in the wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/51 "2011-10-05T18:24:31Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > For posters to pay attention to which thread they’re in, and for mods to move individual posts as requested when they post in the wrong thread. Sounds perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/52 "2011-10-05T19:16:44Z")
Thanks for reopening the thread, and reconsidering the situation. > [@Marley23](#): > > Why wouldn’t you just watch both episodes and post your combined observations to the new thread? Because some nights if I watch a 2 hour show (the premiere was a 2 hr episode), that is all the TV time I have. Because some nights I watch 1 episode of this and 1 episode of that. Because maybe I want to mix a new show I know nothing about with shows that I love and am trying to keep up with. There are any number of reasons why a person could choose to view shows differently than you do. As for posting in the new episode thread, if I’m discussing the pacing or plot points or opinion about how the first episode feels, how is that really right in the second episode thread? It’s one thing if there is a single thread per season, like on some shows. Mixing and matching is inherent. But also, I don’t participate in those until I’m caught up. But if it’s an episode per thread situation, then commentary on episode 1 goes in thread on episode 1. Why would it go in thread on episode 2? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/53 "2011-10-05T22:48:44Z")
> [@tavalla](#): > > You know what would be nice? If posters not in the US, where sometimes shows run a few weeks behind, could add something to a discussion of an episode in that episode’s thread. Can’t do that if it’s locked. I’ll have to go put commentary about the premiere ep in the second-ep thread and then get spanked for being off-topic or hijacking or something. > > Seriously, this comes across as someone doing something without thinking and, instead of saying “oops, didn’t think of that” when a side effect is pointed out, sticking fingers in ears and pretending not to notice. This needs repeating. It never ceases to amaze me how utterly unaware so many people are of how the rest of the world can wait weeks or even months after an episode has aired in the US until it is shown in their country. Hell, some countries dont even get the shows and people wait even longer for DVD box sets (I have a friend in the UK still waiting for season three of Breaking Bad to be released on DVD - season four is almost finished in the US now). If threads are locked just because a new episode has aired you are basically forcing someone to choose between not discussing at all or being subjected to massive amounts of spoilers. Surely this isn’t that difficult to understand? ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/54 "2011-10-06T06:13:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, it’s not a new policy or a new occurrence. This happens when there’s a new thread every week about a TV series. Rather than have the same conversation go on in two threads - where about the fans are going to miss about half of each discussion - the older one gets locked. **Marley23** , I have absolutely no dog in this fight. And as far as moderators go, I’ve had nothing but a good impression of you. I’m not even sure this has anything to do with moderation as much as an inability to admit an honest mistake. However, this thread would have been much cleaner if you didn’t continue to backpedal and attempt to explain your answer to this question to **Justin\_Bailey**. Your answer clearly states that this happens regularly. How else does one interpret “This happens when there’s a new thread every week about a TV series.”? Would it have been so hard to indicate that you may have jumped the gun, or “misspoke”, or that you’d do a quick check or send a quick message to \*\*twickster \*\*to clear it up, or simply \ admit you made a mistake? Man, you did a lot of unnecessary typing. Exactly like I just did! 😃 See how pointless it was? If you would have read my title, you’d have never wasted the time to read this post. And I think we’d all agree that the world would be a better place. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/55 "2011-10-06T13:06:55Z")
Can I make a suggestion? If an old thread is going to be locked, can the mod at least put a link in the new thread that links to old one? That way the previous discussion doesnt get lost? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587/56 "2011-10-06T13:36:28Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Can I make a suggestion? > > If an old thread is going to be locked, can the mod at least put a link in the new thread that links to old one? That way the previous discussion doesnt get lost? That’s a good idea. I’ll do that if I lock a thread, which I probably won’t do because it turns out it’s a really bad idea. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-twickster-locking-week-old-tv-threads/598587.md?page=2)