# wtf? no reason even given for closing FriarTed's thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 25, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229 "2008-09-25T21:43:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/1 "2008-09-25T21:43:20Z")
MEBuckner doesn’t even give a reason for shutting down what was a decent thread. > **[Ask the former John Bircher...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=299930)** > > Inspired by this thread in the Pit- I have decided to open up a shameful period of my life in which I, a young & naive C’tian Righty, was involved in the John Birch Society from 1980-82 (age 18-20). And to further the indignity, I rejoined for a... No name-calling, no snarkiness (a couple of jokes, but no snarking), and fair amount of decent information regarding the John Birch society… but MEBuckner just killed it, and didn’t even bother to attempt to justify it. > [@MEBuckner](#): > > Moderator’s Note: I think FriarTed had mentioned elsewhere about maybe starting a sequel to this; if so, he can just link to this one. WTF? Why should he be forced to start a new thread to discuss what we are already discussing? Please reconsider and re-open this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/2 "2008-09-25T21:46:17Z")
Take a careful look at the posting dates of #30 and #31 in that thread. The motive should then become painfully obvious. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/3 "2008-09-25T21:46:37Z")
It’s a resurrected thread from 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/4 "2008-09-25T21:55:32Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Take a careful look at the posting dates of #30 and #31 in that thread. The motive should then become painfully obvious. That, plus all the mentions of undead and zombies… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/5 "2008-09-25T21:57:49Z")
lol i go away for a couple of years and THIS is what happens Thanks guys; I’ll see if I can find another thread with the same topic that is more recent. And I’ll pay more attention to thread post dates, too. 😃 Consider my ignorance (on this, at least) fought and beaten like a zombie in a laserlimbo contest. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/6 "2008-09-25T22:15:54Z")
Yeah, I mentioned to **FriarTed** in another conversation that I’d like to see an ask the JBS thread. He linked to an old thread on the same topic, and I didn’t realize it was three years old. I mistakenly resurrected an old thread, and then suggested to the mods that I had made a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/7 "2008-09-25T23:13:23Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > lol i go away for a couple of years and THIS is what happens… What’d you do, just leave the thread open in your browser window that whole time? 😉 Whoops, I assumed you had been the one to rectify the thread. My bad. :o ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/8 "2008-09-26T03:35:54Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > What’d you do, just leave the thread open in your browser window that whole time? 😉 > > Whoops, I assumed you had been the one to rectify the thread. My bad. :o lol ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/9 "2008-09-26T04:33:06Z")
New thread! > **[By "popular demand", More Birchier!!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=485079)** > > http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10241374&postcount=31 Ravenman Charter Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,167 Location: Barackington, DC OK, first- I was a member twice- from 1980 to 1983, and then in 1989, in SE... Thanks for the support but I didn’t intend for the old one to be resurrected. I was just pointing out where it was. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/10 "2008-09-26T13:33:08Z")
I think I’m going to bump this thread in 2011 just for the hell of it. ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/11 "2008-09-28T01:57:07Z")
Just out of curiosity, what’s the problem with answering an older thread? What’s the deadline? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/12 "2008-09-28T02:09:19Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > Just out of curiosity, what’s the problem with answering an older thread? What’s the deadline? 666 days after the last post. The moderators here have some … troubling beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/13 "2008-09-28T02:34:23Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > Just out of curiosity, what’s the problem with answering an older thread? What’s the deadline? For a serious answer, the main reason it’s frowned upon is that everyone in the conversation has forgotten about it, and they might even have left the boards, so they can’t really be expected to respond to comments made in it. Also, depending on the kind of thread it is, people may have different answers two years later than what they originally said in the thread. There’s not a specific deadline, but generally, you know it when you see it. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-no-reason-even-given-for-closing-friarteds-thread/465229/14 "2008-09-28T03:21:21Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > Just out of curiosity, what’s the problem with answering an older thread? What’s the deadline? From the “Guidelines and Etiquette” sticky in ATMB: > [@](#): > > What if I want to continue / add to the discussion on a topic that was mentioned in an old thread? > > Generally, we prefer you start a new thread with a link to the old thread. Often, an old thread includes statements from posters who are no longer members, and so cannot reply. It’s therefore “unfair” to re-open old discussions; such practice is usually called a “zombie thread.” (A general guideline for “old” would be a thread older than three months.) However, the rules on reviving old threads are different for the different forums. In General Questions, Comments on Cecil’s Columns, Comments on Staff Reports, and Cafe Society, it is acceptable to revive an old thread if you have some substantive comment to add. (Note that “thank you for answering my question” is just plain good manners, and acceptable. However, reviving an old thread just to say “I agree” is considered bad form.)