# Why the recent trend to insta-close stuff in ATMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 8, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425 "2013-11-08T15:32:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/1 "2013-11-08T15:32:34Z")
What is so freakin’ scary about threads in ATMB that the second they’re “answered”, they must be instantly closed? What harm is done by leaving them open? This is a discussion board: it behooves us to allow people to _discuss_. More annoying than the “insta-close” is the similar trend for two people arguing in an ATMB thread and rather than deal with the two people, the thread just gets closed. Why not deal with the hijackers, rather than close the thread? ‘Enquiring’ minds want to know![sup]tm[/sup] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/2 "2013-11-08T15:41:18Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > What is so freakin’ scary about threads in ATMB that the second they’re “answered”, they must be instantly closed? What harm is done by leaving them open? This is a discussion board: it behooves us to allow people to _discuss_. > > More annoying than the “insta-close” is the similar trend for two people arguing in an ATMB thread and rather than deal with the two people, the thread just gets closed. Why not deal with the hijackers, rather than close the thread? > > ‘Enquiring’ minds want to know![sup]tm[/sup] 😉 Do you have a couple of good recent examples to show us? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/3 "2013-11-08T15:47:31Z")
[Sorry, Fenris, but I’ma closing this down.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707222) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/4 "2013-11-08T16:02:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you have a couple of good recent examples to show us? That’s a good question. You should ask that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/5 "2013-11-08T16:26:40Z")
Well, there is [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707222), in which a poster asks how another poster was able to shut down a thread. There was some speculation from other posters, then the moderator popped in to explain the _he_ closed down the thread. Discussion over. The next most recent was [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=706783)(which is the thread the first example is referring to). The OP asks for a moderator decision, a long discussion ensues, the moderator in question finally issues a ruling, and the OP says that he is happy with the ruling and asks for the thread to be closed, which the moderator does. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/6 "2013-11-08T16:45:55Z")
[The next most recent thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707046) ended with **TubaDiva** saying > [@](#): > > This is nothing but you guys beating on one another. > I’m closing this – take it to the Pit. Apparently she thought the discussion was getting out of hand for ATMB, and asked that it be continued elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/7 "2013-11-08T16:50:10Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > What harm is done by leaving them open? Are you saying you’ve never read a thread in ATMB? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/8 "2013-11-08T16:54:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [The next most recent thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707046) ended with **TubaDiva** saying Apparently she thought the discussion was getting out of hand for ATMB, and asked that it be continued elsewhere. As I said in the OP, deal with the two (2) people who were getting out of hand and leave the thread open. Ditto with your previous two examples. “Asked and answered” doesn’t resolve my issue that this is a _discussion_ board. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/9 "2013-11-08T17:00:29Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > As I said in the OP, deal with the two (2) people who were getting out of hand and leave the thread open. > > Ditto with your previous two examples. “Asked and answered” doesn’t resolve my issue that this is a _discussion_ board. 1. Perhaps the moderator felt that, even if the two posters were dealt with, the well was pretty much poisoned. That’s a judgment call moderators have to make sometimes, I guess. 2. If a question has been answered to the OP’s satisfaction by the moderator, isn’t closing the thread a reasonable moderator response? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/10 "2013-11-08T17:12:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Are you saying you’ve never read a thread in ATMB? Good point. 'Beating a dead horse" doesn’t even begin to describe some over the threads that have shown up in this forum, and I can see where the mods might get tired of some of the marathon threads that go far afield and decide trim out some of the length and anger. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/11 "2013-11-08T17:47:29Z")
Perhaps if an _actual_ mod were to interject at this point…? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/12 "2013-11-08T17:52:06Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Perhaps if an _actual_ mod were to interject at this point…? I never implied that I was a mod, and if you are trying to say that only a mod should be responding to questions in this forum, then why didn’t he just send them a private message? Is there some rule for this forum that says that the first response has to be from a moderator? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/13 "2013-11-08T17:54:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I never implied that I was a mod, and if you are trying to say that only a mod should be responding to questions in this forum, then why didn’t he just send them a private message? Is there some rule for this forum that says that the first response has to be from a moderator? Too late too edit: Sorry, leg cramps the whole night make me cranky-you probably didn’t mean it the way I took it. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/14 "2013-11-08T18:17:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. If a question has been answered to the OP’s satisfaction by the moderator, isn’t closing the thread a reasonable moderator response? No, since others might want to discuss the issue. Again: discussion board, not “question/answer/thread-close” board. 🙂 I’ve always been of the opinion that almost no thread should be closed, period. What harm does it do if they’re left open. If a hypothetical thread turns into two intractable people saying “uh-huh”/“nuh-uh” over and over, who does it hurt? Why close it? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/15 "2013-11-08T18:34:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. If a question has been answered to the OP’s satisfaction by the moderator, isn’t closing the thread a reasonable moderator response? If so, then aren’t there a metric fuckton of threads across the forum that need a good locking? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/16 "2013-11-08T18:54:10Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > No, since others might want to discuss the issue. Again: discussion board, not “question/answer/thread-close” board. 🙂 > > I’ve always been of the opinion that almost no thread should be closed, period. What harm does it do if they’re left open. If a hypothetical thread turns into two intractable people saying “uh-huh”/“nuh-uh” over and over, who does it hurt? Why close it? So this is more of a “Why close _any_ thread?” question? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/17 "2013-11-08T19:02:38Z")
Speaking only for the one I closed…we just had had a topic that got to [130+ replies](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=706783) about racism, most of it not even seeming to talk about the moderator action in question, but a bickering debate over what racism was, whether or not “racist” was an insult, and many other random things, hijacks, and strawmen. The original concern/question was then addressed near the end of the topic. So when someone started a [new topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707222) asking about how a regular member closed a topic (note: a topic not about race or the word racist at all), I closed it after it was answered (on topic) and when it looked like it might erupt into another huge debate/fight/bickering match over race and racism (which was not on topic to that thread in the least). All discussion (and discussion about race and racism and discussions in general) is fine…mostly in GD or the Pit if it’s about “Is racism an insult?” or arguing what racism is or is not. ATMB is not fine for these discussions, in general, only for moderator actions and rule discussions. All other discussions should take place outside of ATMB or they risk being closed. And although cases can be made that all the race discussions are directly related to discussing the rules of the board, [this topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=705598) shows that there is a difference. I try explaining in both posts [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16778011&postcount=8) and [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16778031&postcount=11) and TubaDiva explains it better in post [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16778113&postcount=14). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/18 "2013-11-08T19:10:19Z")
As I’ve pointed out in a lot of threads: this is not the Pit Lite. The forum is here so we can discuss issues and answer questions. It’s not here so people can snipe at each other over varying interpretations of the rules or settle scores, and recreational complaining (though it’s allowed to an extent) is definitely not the point of the forum. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/19 "2013-11-08T23:03:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Too late too edit: Sorry, leg cramps the whole night make me cranky-you probably didn’t mean it the way I took it. I might have done, because I can be quite unpleasantly sarcastic without the valid excuse of a sleepless night, but if it helps to make amends I hope the leg cramps sort themselves out and you get caught up on your sleep. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425/20 "2013-11-08T23:54:49Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I might have done, because I can be quite unpleasantly sarcastic without the valid excuse of a sleepless night, but if it helps to make amends I hope the leg cramps sort themselves out and you get caught up on your sleep. 🆒 Get a room! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-recent-trend-to-insta-close-stuff-in-atmb/673425.md?page=2)