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Subject: A few suggestions

GOAT

These aren't required but I think some of them would be helpful:

1. Be able to lock your own thread
First of all, you could edit your post. For the people who make spam topics, they wouldn't get replied to and the user might get blacklisted. If they decide to lock it.
2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly
3. Maybe, add a system in the submit boxes that informs you when a word is spelled wrong
4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.

-BlackHeaven

[Edited on 11.22.2007 7:59 PM PST]

  • 11.22.2007 8:48 AM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

Posted by: BlackHeaven
These aren't required but I think some of them would be helpful:

1. Be able to lock your own thread


In theory this would work, but not in practice. People would simply post something flammatory or vulger, then immediately lock their thread to prevent rebuttle. It'd turn this bad situation worse.

2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly People are actually punished for bumping at all. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to go after ever single one.

3. Maybe, add a system in the submit boxes that informs you when a word is spelled wrong.

An integrated spell checker would be nice and has been suggested before. However, it was turned down for some reason that I cannot remember.

4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.

A couple of things about this:
This kind of thing exists right now in an informal state. The Mod Finder allows members to find out which moderators are currently active, and then they can PM them to request the thread to be dealt with, etc. It's a bit impromptu, but it works.

Second, this idea has been suggested several times before. Usually described as a "Flagging" feature, this would add the thread in particular to a background list of threads that are in violation of the rules of behavior. Either moderators/admin would be able to access this list and view those threads that are causing trouble, or they'd be notified in some way. It's not a bad idea at all, but some concern exists over abuse of the system. I personally think that the benefits would outweigh the concerns in almost every aspect.

  • 11.22.2007 9:02 AM PDT

I remember when I used this space to put cool looking links to my chapters back in the day. I don't even know why I'm using it now. Why are you even reading this? You must be interested in me. Still reading?

For #3, there is already something that shows you mistakes, much like Microsoft Word or Wordpad. It is a download or something for Mozilla Firefox. You can PM BL4H00G4N4 about it because he has it. I just got a new computer so I am not downloading anything at the moment.

  • 11.22.2007 9:14 AM PDT
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Destinypedia - The Wiki for Bungie's Destiny
Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

I agree with everything prometheus25 said, but just have a few additional things on your first suggestion for you to keep in mind.
Posted by: BlackHeaven
1. Be able to lock your own thread

As prommy noted, this could be abused for malicious purposes. But even worse, it could be abused unintentionally. You see, once you decide to post a thread, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the Community. Once a discussion has begun, it is not up to the thread creator to decide when a discussion is over. Indeed, I disagree with the practice of some of the Forum Ninjas who tend to lock threads because they deem the discussion to be "over."

Threads should only be locked when they violate the rules and no longer contribute to discourse on the forums -- in other words, when a thread is either begun as or degenerates into off-topic discussion, flaming, spam, or other rule-violating posting. Until a thread has become a nuisance to the Community rather than a discussion, it should not be the decision of anybody (except perhaps Achronos) to decide that it should be locked.

I trust the moderators a lot more with the considerable responsibility of deciding when a thread should be locked (it can be very tempting to lock a discussion that you disagree with or on a subject that you don't like). I therefore disagree with this suggestion.

  • 11.22.2007 12:37 PM PDT
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Posted by: American Recoil
For #3, there is already something that shows you mistakes, much like Microsoft Word or Wordpad. It is a download or something for Mozilla Firefox. You can PM BL4H00G4N4 about it because he has it. I just got a new computer so I am not downloading anything at the moment.
Firefox 2.x actually has the spell check feature built-in. And it's reeeally handy at times.

[Edited on 11.22.2007 3:34 PM PST]

  • 11.22.2007 3:33 PM PDT

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstien

Posted by: prometheus25
Posted by: BlackHeaven
These aren't required but I think some of them would be helpful:

1. Be able to lock your own thread


In theory this would work, but not in practice. People would simply post something flammatory or vulger, then immediately lock their thread to prevent rebuttle. It'd turn this bad situation worse.

Who cares if they lock their own threads? If it does prevent a rebuttal there, than you can simply PM them. Its their own choice to lock themselves in. It really doesn't hurt anyone. A good way to keep this from being abused, though, would make the lock unreversible. If you lock the topic, its locked and thats that. Or we could even get a vote system, where if after... say 10 votes, if 80% of the people vote to lock then its locked.

Posted by: prometheus25
2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly People are actually punished for bumping at all. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to go after ever single one.

Then get more people, IMO.

Posted by: prometheus25
3. Maybe, add a system in the submit boxes that informs you when a word is spelled wrong.

An integrated spell checker would be nice and has been suggested before. However, it was turned down for some reason that I cannot remember.

It got turned down because most browsers have their own built spell check, or have a plugin you can download.

Posted by: prometheus25
4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.

A couple of things about this:
This kind of thing exists right now in an informal state. The Mod Finder allows members to find out which moderators are currently active, and then they can PM them to request the thread to be dealt with, etc. It's a bit impromptu, but it works.

Second, this idea has been suggested several times before. Usually described as a "Flagging" feature, this would add the thread in particular to a background list of threads that are in violation of the rules of behavior. Either moderators/admin would be able to access this list and view those threads that are causing trouble, or they'd be notified in some way. It's not a bad idea at all, but some concern exists over abuse of the system. I personally think that the benefits would outweigh the concerns in almost every aspect.

A report post button would be VERY useful. Even if abused, in the end its always the moderators choice to lock the thread. Each member should also be limited to one report per thread.

The biggest thing I hate about this forum isn't the stupid members, its all the realists who instantly assume any helpful feature would be abused so absolutely. There are ways of deterring abuse, but never ways of taking it completely away. Merely allowing us to post is allowing for abuse by the members.

And about the thread no longer being your thread. Its your words, your text, you decided to post the content. ITS YOUR THREAD. Its like saying the instant you cook food and put it on the table, its no longer the food you made, but everyones food. Sure, everyone eats from it, but you have every right to take it away from them since you made it.

[Edited on 11.22.2007 4:08 PM PST]

  • 11.22.2007 4:05 PM PDT
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Posted by: BlackHeaven
2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly
Automatic 30 minute bans for posting 3 times in a row on the same day.

  • 11.22.2007 4:40 PM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
Posted by: prometheus25
Posted by: BlackHeaven
These aren't required but I think some of them would be helpful:

1. Be able to lock your own thread


In theory this would work, but not in practice. People would simply post something flammatory or vulger, then immediately lock their thread to prevent rebuttle. It'd turn this bad situation worse.

Who cares if they lock their own threads? If it does prevent a rebuttal there, than you can simply PM them. Its their own choice to lock themselves in. It really doesn't hurt anyone. A good way to keep this from being abused, though, would make the lock unreversible. If you lock the topic, its locked and thats that. Or we could even get a vote system, where if after... say 10 votes, if 80% of the people vote to lock then its locked.


I care if they lock their own threads. I don't want to see a dozen self-locked threads saying "so-and-so > Halo 3", or "Bungie sucks because...".

Also your voting idea; that'd take an unnecessarily large amount of work on the behalf of the administration. That, and I'd rather not hear about all the "abuse and forum war instigation" that others would think it'd cause.

Posted by: prometheus25
2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly People are actually punished for bumping at all. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to go after ever single one.

Then get more people, IMO.


Not many people disagree with this. Unfortunately, those that do are those that are in charge.

Posted by: prometheus25
4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.

A couple of things about this:
This kind of thing exists right now in an informal state. The Mod Finder allows members to find out which moderators are currently active, and then they can PM them to request the thread to be dealt with, etc. It's a bit impromptu, but it works.

Second, this idea has been suggested several times before. Usually described as a "Flagging" feature, this would add the thread in particular to a background list of threads that are in violation of the rules of behavior. Either moderators/admin would be able to access this list and view those threads that are causing trouble, or they'd be notified in some way. It's not a bad idea at all, but some concern exists over abuse of the system. I personally think that the benefits would outweigh the concerns in almost every aspect.

A report post button would be VERY useful. Even if abused, in the end its always the moderators choice to lock the thread. Each member should also be limited to one report per thread.


I agree. Like I said, the pros outweigh the possible cons.

The biggest thing I hate about this forum isn't the stupid members, its all the realists who instantly assume any helpful feature would be abused so absolutely. There are ways of deterring abuse, but never ways of taking it completely away. Merely allowing us to post is allowing for abuse by the members.

I do agree that most instances of this are unwarranted to some degree or another. I can't say they all are, however, because some features would just be abused.

And about the thread no longer being your thread. Its your words, your text, you decided to post the content. ITS YOUR THREAD. Its like saying the instant you cook food and put it on the table, its no longer the food you made, but everyones food. Sure, everyone eats from it, but you have every right to take it away from them since you made it.

From the ToU:
By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your Submission you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to your Submission as described in this section including, without limitation, all the rights necessary for you to provide, post, upload, input or submit the Submissions (excluding materials provided to you by Microsoft for the purpose of making your Submission).
While it does say that Bungie does not claim ownership of posted, etc content (not included in my citation), they do not grant the resources necessary to edit, change, modify, retract, or move your previously submitted works.

  • 11.22.2007 4:55 PM PDT
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1. Be able to lock your own thread

It's not your thread. Sod the arguments about abuses. Once a thread's been posted, it's not yours.

2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly

These are/should already be handed out.

3. Maybe, add a system in the submit boxes that informs you when a word is spelled wrong

Get firefox and install one of the dozens of spell check plugins. That's more of a personal issue that's better solved at a personal level. Integrated spellchecks just promote laziness.

4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.

A thread report/flagging system is rumoured to be coming soonâ„¢.

  • 11.22.2007 5:02 PM PDT

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
And about the thread no longer being your thread. Its your words, your text, you decided to post the content. ITS YOUR THREAD. Its like saying the instant you cook food and put it on the table, its no longer the food you made, but everyones food. Sure, everyone eats from it, but you have every right to take it away from them since you made it.

Nobody's disputing that you would have written the post. The point is that nobody can see your post until you publish it to the forums, so until you click the Submit button and the thread is added to the public listing, it is yours and yours alone. However, once the thread is published to the listing, it becomes the property of the community because you decided to make it public and post it in a place where the entirity of the population can interact with it.

Granted, you do control the subject matter of the thread by being the OP, but having the ability to lock your own thread would negate the purpose of the forum itself, which is to have a place to hold discussions.

In conclusion: Threads are locked because they violate rules or other things of that nature; it is not at the discretion of the OP to end that discussion, because the purpose of the forum itself is to be able to discuss things with other members.

Now, as far as a Report Thread button goes, I think that that would be a pretty useful tool. I believe that's on the slate, actually.

[Edited on 11.22.2007 5:05 PM PST]

  • 11.22.2007 5:04 PM PDT

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstien

Posted by: Demerzel
Nobody's disputing that you would have written the post. The point is that nobody can see your post until you publish it to the forums, so until you click the Submit button and the thread is added to the public listing, it is yours and yours alone. However, once the thread is published to the listing, it becomes the property of the community because you decided to make it public and post it in a place where the entirity of the population can interact with it.

Granted, you do control the subject matter of the thread by being the OP, but having the ability to lock your own thread would negate the purpose of the forum itself, which is to have a place to hold discussions.

In conclusion: Threads are locked because they violate rules or other things of that nature; it is not at the discretion of the OP to end that discussion, because the purpose of the forum itself is to be able to discuss things with other members.

Now, as far as a Report Thread button goes, I think that that would be a pretty useful tool. I believe that's on the slate, actually.

Its your thread, you made it. Another good example of this is basically like saying if you built a house, and let other people inside, its no longer your house but their house as well. It doesn't work that way. Even if you can't lock the door to your house, its still your house, everything in it. However, that house must abide by the community rules. The community has a right to complain about what you do inside your house and even have you change it, but they in no way own the house.

All adding a self lock feature would do is give people the ability to lock their doors. Locking your door doesn't hurt anyone outside, it just doesn't let them in. While people could post and then lock their thread, that would 1) keep people from spamming it from idiots posts 2) save some time for the mods and 3) probably give them a one way ticket to ban since it is easier to see locked threads than normal unlocked spam threads.

Im not saying I want the feature, I am just trying to explain that the feature in itself really cannot be abused. Especially without post counts around.

  • 11.22.2007 7:05 PM PDT

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Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
Posted by: Demerzel
Nobody's disputing that you would have written the post. The point is that nobody can see your post until you publish it to the forums, so until you click the Submit button and the thread is added to the public listing, it is yours and yours alone. However, once the thread is published to the listing, it becomes the property of the community because you decided to make it public and post it in a place where the entirity of the population can interact with it.

Granted, you do control the subject matter of the thread by being the OP, but having the ability to lock your own thread would negate the purpose of the forum itself, which is to have a place to hold discussions.

In conclusion: Threads are locked because they violate rules or other things of that nature; it is not at the discretion of the OP to end that discussion, because the purpose of the forum itself is to be able to discuss things with other members.

Now, as far as a Report Thread button goes, I think that that would be a pretty useful tool. I believe that's on the slate, actually.

Its your thread, you made it. Another good example of this is basically like saying if you built a house, and let other people inside, its no longer your house but their house as well. It doesn't work that way. Even if you can't lock the door to your house, its still your house, everything in it. However, that house must abide by the community rules. The community has a right to complain about what you do inside your house and even have you change it, but they in no way own the house.

All adding a self lock feature would do is give people the ability to lock their doors. Locking your door doesn't hurt anyone outside, it just doesn't let them in. While people could post and then lock their thread, that would 1) keep people from spamming it from idiots posts 2) save some time for the mods and 3) probably give them a one way ticket to ban since it is easier to see locked threads than normal unlocked spam threads.

Im not saying I want the feature, I am just trying to explain that the feature in itself really cannot be abused. Especially without post counts around.


You can make analogies all you want, that doesn't mean it applies. All that matters is that the people who run this website have said that when you post a thread, it is no longer yours. That's all that matters.

  • 11.22.2007 7:18 PM PDT

GOAT

For #1 you could just edit your first post.

Apparently a lot of users however, don't have a built in spell checker.

  • 11.22.2007 7:56 PM PDT

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstien

Posted by: roman arrow12
You can make analogies all you want, that doesn't mean it applies. All that matters is that the people who run this website have said that when you post a thread, it is no longer yours. That's all that matters.

I never said they didn't say that, what I am trying to do is make a point that just because some moderators said it doesn't make it law. Even moderators have an opinion, they are really just empowered members. Everyone is a part of the same community, and giving up just because someone with a higher status quo tells you that you can't have that opinion is just being weak. If everyone thought like that, blacks would still be slaves, women wouldn't be able to vote, -blam!- rights would probably not exist, and we would have most likely had a draft by now (in the US anyway).

Your opinion matters to this community, because if it didn't than this community probably wouldn't have changed as much as it has, for better or worse.

  • 11.22.2007 10:38 PM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
I never said they didn't say that, what I am trying to do is make a point that just because some moderators said it doesn't make it law. Even moderators have an opinion, they are really just empowered members. Everyone is a part of the same community, and giving up just because someone with a higher status quo tells you that you can't have that opinion is just being weak. If everyone thought like that, blacks would still be slaves, women wouldn't be able to vote, -blam!- rights would probably not exist, and we would have most likely had a draft by now (in the US anyway).

Your opinion matters to this community, because if it didn't than this community probably wouldn't have changed as much as it has, for better or worse.


I don't see how a draft fits with the rest of that stuff. We don't have drafts because it's very unpopular, and wouldn't win anyone a political position nowadays.

  • 11.22.2007 10:48 PM PDT

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstien

But why don't we have drafts? We didn't really complain too much during WWII, but during Vietnam that was a different story. Vietnam is one of the reasons drafts don't happen anymore, and is the reason why drafts are unpopular.

  • 11.22.2007 10:54 PM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
But why don't we have drafts? We didn't really complain too much during WWII, but during Vietnam that was a different story. Vietnam is one of the reasons drafts don't happen anymore, and is the reason why drafts are unpopular.


Of course. Parents and grandparents are the largest voting demographs, and they sure as hell don't want to see their sons killed in war. Vietnam was so unpopular because it was televised without censorship, quite the opposite of WWII and, for the most part, Korea.

But that's enough politics for now.

  • 11.22.2007 10:57 PM PDT

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Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
Posted by: roman arrow12
You can make analogies all you want, that doesn't mean it applies. All that matters is that the people who run this website have said that when you post a thread, it is no longer yours. That's all that matters.

I never said they didn't say that, what I am trying to do is make a point that just because some moderators said it doesn't make it law. Even moderators have an opinion, they are really just empowered members. Everyone is a part of the same community, and giving up just because someone with a higher status quo tells you that you can't have that opinion is just being weak. If everyone thought like that, blacks would still be slaves, women wouldn't be able to vote, -blam!- rights would probably not exist, and we would have most likely had a draft by now (in the US anyway).

Your opinion matters to this community, because if it didn't than this community probably wouldn't have changed as much as it has, for better or worse.


Actually, I believe it was Achronos who said it. And this isn't a country. We don't have the ability to oust the current leaders if we don't like them. All we can do is hit that nice little x in the top right corner. So, yes, Achronos saying it makes it law.

  • 11.23.2007 5:06 AM PDT
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Posted by: BlackHeaven
These aren't required but I think some of them would be helpful:

1. Be able to lock your own thread
Threads belong to the community. You might be done with it but others may want to continue discussion.


2. Bans/warnings for bumping repeatedly
We do that.
3. Maybe, add a system in the submit boxes that informs you when a word is spelled wrong Use Firefox. For example; Firefox, right now, is telling me you mis-spelled 'receive' in your 4th point.
4. To be able to request a thread to get locked. If it gets enough requests, the next mod online will recieve a PM saying that the thread should be locked. If it does deserve to be locked, it will. If it doesn't, it won't.PM a mod using mod finder and we will assess if it should be locked.

-BlackHeaven
-Pezza.

[Edited on 11.23.2007 5:13 AM PST]

  • 11.23.2007 5:11 AM PDT

Finishing the fight since 1988!

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Posted by: Pezz
-BlackHeaven
-Pezza.


Nice. Quotes the sign off.

But yeah, decent ideas in theory, but tough in practise. And I think it was mentioned that there is a rumoured thread report system.

As a side note, my spell checker is telling me that Pezz, BlackHeaven, AND Pezza are misspelled. Also on the note of the spell check, when you misspell Cortana (as in just typing Cortana, it counts it as misspelled) the majority of the corrections say "Important" in some way (as in Important, Importance, etc.). This isnt just some weird spelling error either, when I add "Imporant" to the dictionary it doesnt show up with Cortana, and one of the options is Cortland, meaning that yes, FireFox DOES know how it is spelled. Just thought I'd mention that. Don't quote me on it though, it does it on any website. Doesn't seem to make much sense.

/enduselessinfo

  • 11.23.2007 7:35 AM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
Posted by: Demerzel
Nobody's disputing that you would have written the post. The point is that nobody can see your post until you publish it to the forums, so until you click the Submit button and the thread is added to the public listing, it is yours and yours alone. However, once the thread is published to the listing, it becomes the property of the community because you decided to make it public and post it in a place where the entirity of the population can interact with it.

Granted, you do control the subject matter of the thread by being the OP, but having the ability to lock your own thread would negate the purpose of the forum itself, which is to have a place to hold discussions.

In conclusion: Threads are locked because they violate rules or other things of that nature; it is not at the discretion of the OP to end that discussion, because the purpose of the forum itself is to be able to discuss things with other members.

Now, as far as a Report Thread button goes, I think that that would be a pretty useful tool. I believe that's on the slate, actually.

Its your thread, you made it. Another good example of this is basically like saying if you built a house, and let other people inside, its no longer your house but their house as well. It doesn't work that way. Even if you can't lock the door to your house, its still your house, everything in it. However, that house must abide by the community rules. The community has a right to complain about what you do inside your house and even have you change it, but they in no way own the house.

All adding a self lock feature would do is give people the ability to lock their doors. Locking your door doesn't hurt anyone outside, it just doesn't let them in. While people could post and then lock their thread, that would 1) keep people from spamming it from idiots posts 2) save some time for the mods and 3) probably give them a one way ticket to ban since it is easier to see locked threads than normal unlocked spam threads.

Im not saying I want the feature, I am just trying to explain that the feature in itself really cannot be abused. Especially without post counts around.
Ultima, I disagree.

In general, I try to discourage people from using analogies to make their point. Only a tiny handful of people on this site are able to effectively use them in a way that actually fits, and the rest of the time the analogy just confuses the issue -- both in the poster's mind and the minds of anyone who reads the analogy. I am going to completely ignore your analogy because it does not work, and instead keep this grounded in the literal.

A thread is a discussion, not a house. Nobody lives in a thread, there is no expectation of privacy in a thread, and nobody has to have a thread in order to protect them from the elements and to sleep in. On this forum, there are no blogs. A person has no right to write something with the expectation that nobody will be allowed to rebut it. A thread here is created for the exact purpose of sparking discussion, and an ability to lock your own post would turn this place into a locked-thread spam war. To that end, I am rather stunned that you say that the feature "really cannot be abused." In my mind, the potential for abuse is overwhelming.

Mostly, I think that people are worried about the possibility of people creating a thread saying something obnoxious or provocative but then locking the thread to prevent any replies. But there is another problem too, which is obvious even (and perhaps especially) in the context of this very thread. See how you are having a disagreement with several people? What if one of the people who is disagreeing with you made a really great point, but then you thought of a good rebuttal? How frustrated would you be if you typed out a lengthy, well-written response to that great point, only to hit "submit" and find that the thread had been locked by the guy who originally created this thread, so that not only have you wasted your time, but you can't even respond?

What I'm saying is that it seems both ridiculous and arbitrary to allow a person to have complete control over a thread merely by virtue of the fact that he or she was the first person to post in that thread. Some of the best discussions have been in threads where the original post is a one-liner that says very little and the discussion was actually an evolution of subsequent posts within that thread. Do you really think that the person who created that one-liner post originally deserves to come back a couple of days later, see the discussion going on, and decide to end it for no reason whatsoever except that they can?

I hope you're able to see, Ultima, how your analogies are a bit broken for this situation. In sum, a thread, once published (provided that it isn't against the rules), becomes a discussion which, as a whole, belongs to the Community (even though the particular posts within the thread certainly belong to their creators, with some limitations). Because we have no rights here, we similarly do not have the right to arrogantly decide when we deem a discussion to be over, merely by virtue of the fact that we were the first ones to post within that particular thread.

  • 11.23.2007 1:20 PM PDT

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstien

Posted by: x Foman123 x
Ultima, I disagree.

In general, I try to discourage people from using analogies to make their point. Only a tiny handful of people on this site are able to effectively use them in a way that actually fits, and the rest of the time the analogy just confuses the issue -- both in the poster's mind and the minds of anyone who reads the analogy. I am going to completely ignore your analogy because it does not work, and instead keep this grounded in the literal.

A thread is a discussion, not a house. Nobody lives in a thread, there is no expectation of privacy in a thread, and nobody has to have a thread in order to protect them from the elements and to sleep in.

Analogies are meant to be used in context, therefore most of your break down of my analogy is mere poking and proding for a reason to ignore it.

Posted by: x Foman123 x
Mostly, I think that people are worried about the possibility of people creating a thread saying something obnoxious or provocative but then locking the thread to prevent any replies.

If the thread is locked, then no harm is done. Its no different than an unlocked spam post, people just can't flame them.

Posted by: x Foman123 x
But there is another problem too, which is obvious even (and perhaps especially) in the context of this very thread. See how you are having a disagreement with several people? What if one of the people who is disagreeing with you made a really great point, but then you thought of a good rebuttal? How frustrated would you be if you typed out a lengthy, well-written response to that great point, only to hit "submit" and find that the thread had been locked by the guy who originally created this thread, so that not only have you wasted your time, but you can't even respond?

I have had this happen to me countless time when moderators lock heated topics, it would be no different here. I would simply cut and paste my post and send it in a PM to the member I was talking to, or I would just forget about it. I chose to take the time to write it, so why blame someone else?

Posted by: x Foman123 x
What I'm saying is that it seems both ridiculous and arbitrary to allow a person to have complete control over a thread merely by virtue of the fact that he or she was the first person to post in that thread. Some of the best discussions have been in threads where the original post is a one-liner that says very little and the discussion was actually an evolution of subsequent posts within that thread. Do you really think that the person who created that one-liner post originally deserves to come back a couple of days later, see the discussion going on, and decide to end it for no reason whatsoever except that they can?

I someone did something stupid like that, another member can re-start the topic. We can also form penalties for locking for no reason, or even put a time limit on the amount of time you have (1 hour, 24 hours, 30 minutes?) before you can no longer lock the thread. There are many ways to go about it to keep it from being abused. Most people would probably not care much anyways, it is the internet after all.

Posted by: x Foman123 x
I hope you're able to see, Ultima, how your analogies are a bit broken for this situation. In sum, a thread, once published (provided that it isn't against the rules), becomes a discussion which, as a whole, belongs to the Community (even though the particular posts within the thread certainly belong to their creators, with some limitations). Because we have no rights here, we similarly do not have the right to arrogantly decide when we deem a discussion to be over, merely by virtue of the fact that we were the first ones to post within that particular thread.

I prefer to define a thread as a subject the OP wanted to discuss with other members. Rather than walking into a room and starting to talk, he walked into a room and put up a peice of paper with many lines for others to write on. He has every right to come back and remove that piece of paper from the wall, just as anyone in the room has the ability to write a response on the paper. Arrogance also has nothing to do with it, because if your arrogant you usually keep the discussion going on and on and on until it degrades into a flame war. If they do lock it, let them brood in their own self-righteousness all they want, in the end all they did was turn off the other members (something anyone can do simply by turning off their computer).

I have a question for you now. If someone comes into the thread you started and starts spamming or flaming, do you have the right to ask them to leave? If we can't say when the discussion is over, then what right do we have to say someone can't participate? What right do we have to say whether or not someone is or isn't contributing to the thread, or the community as a whole for that matter? What are we supposed to do here, post and then shut the hell up?

Im not saying I want this feature, but it really is extremely hard to actually abuse this feature. Locking your own thread just shuts the rest of the community out, no different than locking your doors to the public.

  • 11.26.2007 4:41 AM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

And yet, Ultima, this issue has nothing to do with what you think, or what I think, and everything to do with what Bungie Studios thinks. You already know what Bungie thinks, as you undoubtedly have read the Terms of Use and Code of Conduct. You can anologize and moralize your position all you wish (I once held similar beliefs such as this for the same reason, but I later came to a conclusion must different for reasons of my own.), but it won't change the fact that those two previously mentioned sources, as well as unofficial claims of our site Administrator.

Don't misunderstand my words as saying that your claims and backings are worthless; nothing gets done if no one challenges things. Just trying to point out why I believe that this just isn't an important issue, and that we should focus on much more effective things.

  • 11.26.2007 4:53 AM PDT

Tom Achronos
Bungie.net Overlord
twitter: http://twitter.com/Achronos

"I have no words that would do justice to the atrocities you commit to the English language, as well as your continued assaults on the concepts of basic literacy and logical reasoning."

Posted by: UL7IM4 G33K
Who cares if they lock their own threads?


I do. This simply isn't going to happen.


People are actually punished for bumping at all. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to go after ever single one.
Then get more people, IMO.


You say that like it is easy. It isn't. And numbers aren't really the big problem - it is coverage. And numbers only help that so much before the numbers get it in the way.

A report post button would be VERY useful. Even if abused, in the end its always the moderators choice to lock the thread. Each member should also be limited to one report per thread.

The biggest thing I hate about this forum isn't the stupid members, its all the realists who instantly assume any helpful feature would be abused so absolutely. There are ways of deterring abuse, but never ways of taking it completely away. Merely allowing us to post is allowing for abuse by the members.

And about the thread no longer being your thread. Its your words, your text, you decided to post the content. ITS YOUR THREAD. Its like saying the instant you cook food and put it on the table, its no longer the food you made, but everyones food. Sure, everyone eats from it, but you have every right to take it away from them since you made it.


A feature to allow a better way for the membership to report problem content is on its way, along with appropriate controls and tomfoolery to slap down the abusers.

And no, once you post, it isn't "your thread". The post remains yours, but the thread itself is a community discussion, public. Just as group founders aren't considered special, topic starters aren't special here. All you did was start the conversation.

  • 11.26.2007 12:22 PM PDT

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