allowing OP to close a thread?

ljonski

There are innumerable threads when the OP asks a perfectly innocent or legitimate question and very soon a mass bullying session begins as to the OPs motives for opening a thread.
2 that come to mind are the broken ankle thread in the Pets section and the cruise compensation thread in consumer advice.

Is it possible for an update on MSE whereby an OP has the option to close a thread once they feel that they have been given sufficient advice?Threads would become shorter and less argumentative!

thankyou for reading

tomtontom

A good idea in principle but it is far too open to abuse. Just as others can take a thread off topic, so can an OP, and allowing them to lock a thread means they could use that to have the last word, have a go at someone without allowing the right of reply etc. I think it would cause more problems than it solves.

ljonski

No system would be fair,and open to some form of abuse, but this way the thread will soon drop off the first page and consequently soon be forgotten. Someone has to have the last word anyway and why not the OP? As i have said the right of reply would still exist over at the MS arms should anyone want to start a new thread with reference to the closed orginal?

mjm3346

No, no one forces an OP to carry on reading if they don't like the answers they are getting.

ljonski

No, but once an OP feels that their question or comment has been answered , then as far as the OP is concerned the thread is redundant and anything else is superfluous.
Its a way to protect the OP especially if they are a newb.
The Genie in some respects then can be put back in the bottle.
Even if you are an established poster, then asking questions in another section that you don't usually inhabit, can sometimes be quite intimidating.
Regulars to these sections often read the same questions in slightly different forms anyway and can be less tolerant!
If anyone else wishes to comment then, they will have to go through the process of opening a new thread or commenting on another that has been opened subsequently.

Atidi

ljonski wrote: »

There are innumerable threads when the OP asks a perfectly innocent or legitimate question and very soon a mass bullying session begins as to the OPs motives for opening a thread.
2 that come to mind are the broken ankle thread in the Pets section and the cruise compensation thread in consumer advice.

Is it possible for an update on MSE whereby an OP has the option to close a thread once they feel that they have been given sufficient advice?Threads would become shorter and less argumentative!

thankyou for reading

As others have said, I think this could lead to it's own problems.

As for the two threads you refer to, have you reported these to the Forum Team? If so, they will review and take any action they deem appropriate (which may or may not include locking the threads involved)

gik

OP can request the forum team close their thread if the are happy they've got the information they require or indeed if they are unhappy.

cajef

As peoples opinions about a thread are just opinions and may be completely different than others who apart from the forum team should be able to make a judgement as to whether it should be closed.

PlymouthMaid

I like the 'debates' which always ensue. As said above the OPs can cease reading when they have had enough of it.

Errata

cajef wrote: »

As peoples opinions about a thread are just opinions and may be completely different than others who apart from the forum team should be able to make a judgement as to whether it should be closed.

Quite so. The purpose of a forum is that it's a place for people to debate and exchange opinion.

whitewing

I would rather a thread gets locked than deleted - threads help more than the original poster.