Well why don’t the mods on this board just warn the people who go off-topic repeatedly in a thread instead of just closing the entire thread? Wouldn’t that be more reasonable? When you see someone going off-topic just give them a verbal warning, if they go off-topic again, give them a warning.
I started my “Is Jesus (PBUH) a Prophet” thread, because I didn’t want to go off-topic in the other thread. Yet it was closed because some individuals couldn’t stop diverting attention from the main discussion. It’s not fair.
I demand my thread to be opened.
Edit: Actually, I was wrong, my thread was closed without the explanation from any moderator at all. hmmm
It was the “**What are the fundamental beliefs of Ahmadis?” **thread which was closed because people were going off topic.
This section is moderated by Director and the Admin team. There is another section for Complaints/Moderation issues.
But, i will try to answer your question since it doesn’t concern any one section in particular. Firstly, the members are warned. Often if there are more than one off-topic posts, then some posts may be removed and a general note or warning left within the thread which should serve as an open notice/warning to all participants to remain on topic. But, at some point if the discussion loses its original spirit and becomes too irrelevant, then a thread maybe closed to clean up, or permanently locked if the thread has served its purpose.
Another reason why some thread may be seen locked is that the thread starter can request the sub-forum moderator to close the thread. In which case, the request is honored and thread maybe closed.
So, at best you as a member should report any posts that are offtopic or maybe derailing the discussion and then the moderator(s) can take proper action on it. Often to counter an offtopic post, another member may unintentionally counter it, and that initiates an entirely different conversation.
A few possibilities when there are overwhelming offtopic posts found in any thread:
Thread maybe cleaned up, and all irrelevant posts moved to Review. Thread re-opened.
Thread closed permanently if the purpose has been served and discussion deemed conclusive.
Thread maybe split, so the second offtopic discussion that was started can be continued in a separate thread of its own and allow the first thread to remain topical. This occurs if the original thread has not already been discussed to the core, and can be further discussed.
Thread is requested closed by the threadstarter.
It is done at the discretion of your fellow moderator(s), so it always a good idea to get in touch with the concerned moderator(s) and seek a resolution. Secondly, report any posts which are irrelevant or offtopic, but do not indulge in irrelevant discussion yourself and if you are participating, remain on topic because it will encourage others to follow suit.
Once a thread has been started, it is no longer the threadstarter's brainchild (so to speak), and it can be moderated from that point on. So, the decision does lie with the moderator(s) as to if the thread is appropriate or not, whether it serves a purpose, and when it has served a purpose.
Yes, it can be unfair in principle at times that threadstarter may feel the thread was closed without a conclusive closure. That is very unfortunate. I would suggest getting in touch with your fellow moderators, and seeking the specific reason for the thread closure if a reason is not given.
Also, thanks for pointing that out. I will look into that. Your report to that thread/post as spam was indeed received, but sometimes it can take a little time to get to all reported posts. But rest assured, all reported posts are received and followed up on.
In Complain forum, any other person's entry, other than Complainer and concerned Mod/CM/Admin would take that thread off topic. This is an unofficial policy that if the complainer stop entering that thread or he is satisfied with the resolution, the thread will be closed.
