# Why was this thread locked?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [January 15, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128 "2010-01-15T21:47:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/1 "2010-01-15T21:47:48Z")
[Reincarnation: Recall of Past Life-Yes or No?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=548027)
It wasn’t really a good GQ thread, but you could have easily moved it to GD or MPSIMS instead. IMO it’s also poor modding to lock a thread and not tell people why you’re locking it–it just leaves everything hanging, and doesn’t tell people what to do in the future to avoid having other threads locked.
I may also be somewhat pissed 'cause I found out it was locked the hard way, losing a (long-ish) post as I tried to make it.
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### Author:  [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/2 "2010-01-15T21:51:28Z")
Wasn’t there an earlier thread on the exact same topic also locked? (Also started by Ralph.)
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/3 "2010-01-15T21:53:11Z")
The same poster had a similar thread locked in GQ on 1/10/10:
> **[Reincarnation: How Come You Cannot Recall Past Life?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=547256)**
>
> There have been several cases reported of reincarnation. These reports usually come from India, where the majority religion (Hinduism) accpts reincarnation. What puzzles me: why don’t these people remember details of their previous lives? Does your...
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/4 "2010-01-15T22:03:56Z")
Ah, so it looks like he posted in GQ, was told it wasn’t a GQ question, and had it locked, then he re-posted in GQ, probably accidentally, meaning to post it in GD.
I still don’t see why either thread was locked instead of moved, given that that seems to be the general M.O. for threads created in the wrong place.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/5 "2010-01-15T22:04:31Z")
It’s usually a good idea to wait more than a few minutes to post a question about a moderator action in ATMB, just in case the moderator is in the process of posting an explanation in the thread.
Here’s what I posted after closing the thread:
[QUOTE=Colibri]
Ralph124c, you started a similar thread in GQ only a few days ago. I closed it and told you to re-open another one in an appropriate forum.
Now, rather than do that, you have opened basically the same thread in what you acknowledge is the wrong forum.
You frequently open threads in GQ that are not appropriate for this forum. You’re a long-time poster, and should be more aware of what forums a given kind of question go in.
To encourage you to think more about where you place your threads, I’m going to close them rather than move them if they are in the wrong place.
In particular, do not open yet another thread on this subject in GQ or you may receive a warning.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
[/QUOTE]
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/6 "2010-01-15T22:07:25Z")
Psh, back in my day, we posted our thread-closing explanations uphill both ways, in the snow, in our bare feet. 😛
ANYway, thanks for the explanation. Although to be fair to the OP, I don’t think he intentionally reposted it in the wrong forum: “K, I posted thisin the wrong forum.” Past tense makes it sound like he now realizes he did post it in the wrong place, and now thinks he’s posting it in the right place: i.e., a GQ/GD misread or misclick. His own fault for not checking, but I guess my point is that it wasn’t done maliciously.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/7 "2010-01-15T22:09:25Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> probably accidentally, meaning to post it in GD.
Thing is, it wasn’t accidental.
[QUOTE=ralph124c]
**K, I posted thisin the wrong forum**. My question: assuming you are reincarnated, why is the recall of your past life so rare? There have been cases reported (mainly from India) where people have been able to recall their past lives, in great detail. Why is this so rare?
[/QUOTE]
Bolding mine. Note that the first sentence wasn’t added in editing after he posted and it was too late; it was the first thing he posted. He evidently knew it was in the wrong forum when he submitted it.
ETA: **ralph124c** hasn’t reported the thread as being posted in the wrong forum (although he is evidently on line), although another poster did.
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### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/8 "2010-01-15T22:15:41Z")
So what do you think he is doing, saying “Yay look at me, i’m posting in the wrong forum and you can’t stop me!”, or is it more likely he made a mistake again?
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/9 "2010-01-15T22:31:24Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#):
>
> So what do you think he is doing, saying “Yay look at me, i’m posting in the wrong forum and you can’t stop me!”, or is it more likely he made a mistake again?
I think he was being careless. As I said in my note, I would like to encourage him to think more about where he places his threads. Whatever the reason for the posting, he certainly didn’t seem to be doing this now.
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/10 "2010-01-15T22:47:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Thing is, it wasn’t accidental. [snip quote] Bolding mine. Note that the first sentence wasn’t added in editing after he posted and it was too late; it was the first thing he posted. He evidently knew it was in the wrong forum when he submitted it.
I’m saying I think you’re reading it wrong (understandably, 'cause you’re probably sick of dealing with this having already addressed it). He said he POSTED it in the wrong forum, not he IS POSTING it. IOW, he PREVIOUSLY POSTED THE SAME THREAD to the wrong forum (GQ), which is why he is now reposting it (to what he thought was GD).
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### Author:  [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silverstreak_Wonder)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/11 "2010-01-15T23:12:16Z")
Since you told him he could have such a thread, the common sense answer is to just move it, I think it is a bias here against being for any discussion of existence of life after death to close it.
Look at all those Haiti threads across many forums and no one is closing all of them, and they came in at different times but are on a common subject. They knew there were other threads. I think you wanted to stifle him from posting on that subject. Just move it and you would not spend time here being asked, either.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/12 "2010-01-15T23:16:57Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> losing a (long-ish) post as I tried to make it.
What browser are you using? I use mostly Firefox or Safari, and in both of those, if I recall correctly (I would have to check), if there is a problem with a post, I can use the back button, go back to the screen where I composed the post, and the text will still be there in the form.
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/13 "2010-01-16T00:11:58Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#):
>
> So what do you think he is doing, saying “Yay look at me, i’m posting in the wrong forum and you can’t stop me!”, or is it more likely he made a mistake again?
We are not sure, but fully 50% of Ralph’s posts are submitted in the wrong fora. Many members of the staff have addressed that problem with him, yet he continues to do it. Regardless whether he is deliberately doing it wrong or is simply too careless to bother doing it right, he has caused enough work for a long enough period of time that we are no longer going to enable his behavior.
Anyone who wishes to discuss one of his questions in the proper forum is welcome to open a thread in the correct forum.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/14 "2010-01-16T00:58:55Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> I may also be somewhat pissed 'cause I found out it was locked the hard way, losing a (long-ish) post as I tried to make it.
I overlooked responding to this before. I apologize if you were inconvenienced by the closure of the thread, as well as to anyone else who was interested in the subject. I closed it before posting an explanation exactly because I didn’t want to see more people posting to it only to see it closed. At the time I closed it, most of the replies were brief and not too much actual discussion had taken place, so I felt not much was being lost.
As **tomndebb** indicates, anyone who is actually interested in the subject (including **ralph124c** ) is welcome to open a thread in GD.
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> I’m saying I think you’re reading it wrong (understandably, 'cause you’re probably sick of dealing with this having already addressed it). He said he POSTED it in the wrong forum, not he IS POSTING it. IOW, he PREVIOUSLY POSTED THE SAME THREAD to the wrong forum (GQ), which is why he is now reposting it (to what he thought was GD).
Ok, on re-reading it I see how this could be the case. Still and all, it’s really pretty careless to know that you previously posted the thread in the wrong forum, and then re-post it and make exactly the same mistake again.
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/15 "2010-01-18T16:40:53Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#):
>
> What browser are you using?
IE7. It sucks, and I know it sucks, but I post from my work computer, and I have literally no other option. And I had to jump through massive hoops just to prove I had a business reason to request 7–most of the company is stuck using 6.
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Still and all, it’s really pretty careless to know that you previously posted the thread in the wrong forum, and then re-post it and make exactly the same mistake again.
Oh, yeah, totally careless. Just not _malicious_, IMO.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/16 "2010-01-18T16:50:57Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> Oh, yeah, totally careless. Just not _malicious_, IMO.
I never said I thought it was done to be malicious. I just think he didn’t make any real effort to avoid posting in the same forum. Let’s say indifference rather than malice.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/17 "2010-01-19T03:24:40Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> Ah, so it looks like he posted in GQ, was told it wasn’t a GQ question, and had it locked, then he re-posted in GQ, probably accidentally, meaning to post it in GD.
Maybe the thread was … reincarnated!
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### Author:  [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2010, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/18 "2010-01-19T06:52:04Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> IE7. It sucks, and I know it sucks, but I post from my work computer, and I have literally no other option. And I had to jump through massive hoops just to prove I had a business reason to request 7–most of the company is stuck using 6..
Ah at least we know where our spam is coming from now!
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/19 "2010-01-19T16:30:14Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Maybe the thread was … reincarnated!
:smack:
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-thread-locked/525128/20 "2010-01-19T18:03:19Z")
**Silverstreak Wonder** , you are new here, and have already shown you do not know the rules or the culture of this board. You are predisposed to see a bias that is not there.
The explanation has been posted - **ralph124c** has repeatedly started threads in the wrong forum, and the board staff are tired of moving threads when he does not appear to be making the effort to learn from his mistakes. This was a deliberate attempt to get his attention to comply with board rules, not a judgement of the content of his posts.
Subsequent to your post, **tomndebb** said:
> [@](#):
>
> Anyone who wishes to discuss one of his questions in the proper forum is welcome to open a thread in the correct forum.