Where and how to request that a locked thread be re-opened?

[Assimilator]

When a thread is locked for whatever reason, there's no indication given as to who locked it. I assume this is to prevent the mod responsible from having their PM inbox deluged with vitriol, but it also leaves people who were participating legitimately, out in the cold.

There is of course the option to start a new thread on the same topic, but I imagine that would quickly be shut down for the same reason that the previous thread was locked.

So, where and how do we go about appealing to higher powers on this topic, considering I don't really want to pick a mod at random and badger them about something they may well know nothing about?

 

[AusWolf]

Also, why does a thread get locked whenever two, or a few users sink into a cycle of never-ending off-topic insults of each other? I mean, warning and then banning them from the thread would be fairer to others who genuinely want to share information on and discuss the given topic, wouldn't it? You don't close down a bar/pub permanently just because some idiots started a brawl on a Friday night.

 

[Solaris17]

When a thread is locked for whatever reason, there's no indication given as to who locked it. I assume this is to prevent the mod responsible from having their PM inbox deluged with vitriol, but it also leaves people who were participating legitimately, out in the cold.

There is of course the option to start a new thread on the same topic, but I imagine that would quickly be shut down for the same reason that the previous thread was locked.

So, where and how do we go about appealing to higher powers on this topic, considering I don't really want to pick a mod at random and badger them about something they may well know nothing about?

You can just report the thread in question. Things of this nature are generally discussed before action is taken so more than a few eyes land on it.

Also, why does a thread get locked whenever two, or a few users sink into a cycle of never-ending off-topic insults of each other? I mean, warning and then banning them from the thread would be fairer to others who genuinely want to share information on and discuss the given topic, wouldn't it? You don't close down a bar/pub permanently just because some idiots started a brawl on a Friday night.

Lots of reasons. The two people generally arent the only one. For some reason, members like yourself it seems. Are under the assumption that other members are totally fine with what is happening.

That is usually not the case. In most instances the OP or the others are so tired of it THEY request the lock.

I think a handful of members or maybe even a shocking majority? Think mods are like storm troopers that just enter threads to randomly infract people. That is the opposite. Your fellow members are the police 90% of the time.

 

[tabascosauz]

I locked it to do some cleanup. Have some patience.

If we lock the thread and cleanup is going on, it's probably a good indication it's not the first time a particular thread has devolved into such, and we don't want the mess to continue while we're sweeping it up.

Each subforum always shows its list of mods. Check the list then check who's online, put 2 and 2 together, etc.

 

[AusWolf]

You can just report the thread in question. Things of this nature are generally discussed before action is taken so more than a few eyes land on it.

That's fair enough. Thanks.

Lots of reasons. The two people generally arent the only one. For some reason, members like yourself it seems. Are under the assumption that other members are totally fine with what is happening.

Like I said before in another thread, the line between on and off topic can be blurry sometimes. When I cross it, I assure you, it is not with my explicit intention to do so, nor do I intend to insult anyone.

I'm not under the assumption that everyone is fine with everything. All I'm saying is that a thread usually involves more participants than the ones derailing it (even if I'm one of them).

 

[Solaris17]

it is not with my explicit intention to do so, nor do I intend to insult anyone.

Context is always taken into the equation, and there is an equation. Though that's off topic, and everyone's mod style is different (but within expectations or we wouldn't be here).

Mods always suffer from the "everything is fine what do you do" and "members are being bad little boys and girls what do you do?" you can't please everyone. This thread obviously an example.

You don't see it, but passive post deletes and simple no point reminders happen A LOT more than thread locks and bans.

Its not like we sit around and let the fire get really hot and just start booting people from the forums. I can say with confidence (as I have before) that barring the most heinous that by the time other members see something, be it; a user no longer replying, a strike through the name, etc etc there is generally a build up to that point.

All I'm saying is that a thread usually involves more participants than the ones derailing it (even if I'm one of them).

On this, some of you may be surprised at the amount of members that report others even if they seem to publicly agree with you.

 

[cvaldes]

I'll let others here discuss this site's moderation policies however I'll share some observations about Q&A forums in general based on my experience with a variety of them going all the back to USENET in the Nineties.

There are always a handful of people who intentionally derail conversations to direct them to whatever agendas they want to promote. Most people aren't like that and might erroneous drift into tangential conversations (usually irrelevant minutiae or topics that can easily be discussed in separate threads).

To a newcomer it all looks the same: threads drifting off course. They have no idea who is a repeat offender (we have a couple in the Audio subforum), who has ADHD (there are more than a few here), who has a generally prickly demeanor, whatever.

And letting a handful of people duke it out doesn't look like a pleasant community environment whether or not you signed up yesterday, two years ago, or ten years ago. And if a site operator wishes to grow the community, it's not in the best interest of letting battle scars proliferate uncontrolled on the site. It's like walking through some burnt out battle zone.

Locking ruined threads doesn't present well. That's like walking through a neighborhood where one block is full of dead bodies, destroyed vehicles, burning buildings, whatever. When I see a locked thread here with more than a couple of comments, I know some sort of gun battle took place. Ugly, Ugly, UGLY.

I've done my share of silent flagging on forums across the Internet over the years, from innocent newbie mistakes like miscategorizing forum inquiries to outright firefights. And I'm tired. It gets worse every single year.

After a while I step back from forum participation at every online community I've ever been a part of. I've also built a substantial user block list. The latter is when I know it's close to the time for me to go elsewhere. I'm sure I'm on some members' block lists too.

I have zero expectations that this discussion will change anything around here. It never did elsewhere in my experience.

To this forum's credit, I've lasted more than two years. But the shadows here are long now, they expanded a lot over the second half of 2022. I'm not the type to rage quit and make a big loud announcement about it. I always end up posting less frequently then eventually disappearing without any notification.

One thing I've learned over decades: online communities do NOT scale even if the software and system behind it can. It's the people that are the problem not the technology.

I am not aware of a single online community that has grown and maintained quality over the years. USENET, MySpace, various individual Q&A forums, Yahoo Groups, kuro5hin, Tribe.net, boing boing, Path.com, Slashdot, Flickr, Tumblr, Nextdoor, Twitter, Reddit, Discord, whatever. They all peaked early on and then slid into a slow decline of mediocrity.

Many sites can claim to be more inclusive and diverse than they had been and that's admirable. They do so by also accepting individuals who contribute less to the community in a positive way.

Some sites have abandoned their own comment systems and direct people to go to social media making it someone else's problem superficially.

Like the real world the best and brightest are often the first to leave. They can see the writing on the walls and they have qualities that makes their presence more appreciated elsewhere.

Regarding the original question, do you really want to discuss the Super Bowl matchup in a sports bar with a chalk body outlines on the floor and blood stains on the walls? That's basically what you're doing by trying to reopen a forum thread that was closed due to fighting.

 

[Assimilator]

I locked it to do some cleanup. Have some patience.

If we lock the thread and cleanup is going on, it's probably a good indication it's not the first time a particular thread has devolved into such, and we don't want the mess to continue while we're sweeping it up.

Each subforum always shows its list of mods. Check the list then check who's online, put 2 and 2 together, etc.

It wasn't about the thread you think it is. Well it is, but it was more me seeing that thread locked and the thought randomly popping into my head of "if I want to get this thread reopened I have no freaking idea of the right way to go about it". Especially since I don't want to "poke the bear" and possibly badger a mod who's currently cleaning up the thread, because I know I'd be annoyed if that happens and I assume that y'all, as fellow human beings, may also be. In short, this is more about etiquette rather than mechanics.

So the tl;dr is:

* stop, wait, breathe, and give the mods an opportunity to mop it up

If the thread is still closed after a reasonable amount of time:

* use the report button to ask for it to be reopened
* or, check who moderates that subforum and directly message one of those moderators

 

[sneekypeet]

Simple answer for the OP is to either report it or contact a super mod.

 

[dragontamer5788]

I have my feelings about this particular moderation event, but I don't disagree with the thread lock. It is better to err on the side of pausing the discussion, and we can always restart the discussion when cooler heads prevail.

I have other qualms of course. There's... this unhappy state on this particular discussion that warrants a meta-discussion IMO.

1. I think this particular discussion point will remain unsettled for the foreseeable future. (The subject of EVs and fires).

2. To prevent these flame wars, moderators feel the need to moderate strongly. I get that, I even agree with it.

3. Because of these moderations however, the discussion point will forever be unsettled. On the other hand, I don't have much hope over this subject being settled through discussion anyway, so this isn't so much of a loss.

----------

Because of #1, #2, and #3, I am mostly fine with declaring the subject taboo. I try not to bring it up myself. But... now its been brought up again, naturally, months later. Through no fault of anybody, a subject in the thread about Hydrogen Fuel has naturally drifted towards EVs and Fires once again. And one poster is taking very strong stances on that subject, assuming particular points to be true in this unsettled, taboo subject.

I don't necessarily think that's the fault of anybody. Its impossible to remember all the taboo subjects that lead to flame wars. Perhaps I misjudged. I took it as an opportunity to bring back the old discussion points. But this subject is not settled in my brain. Its just become taboo. Its not fair for other people to be building their arguments off of an unsettled discussion point.

----------

How should I act moving forward? Perhaps I should be gentler next time and not jump deeply into the taboo subject? Perhaps I should just note that X is a taboo subject and unsettled, and that you shouldn't be relying upon it as a support to your argument?

 

[sneekypeet]

I have my feelings about this particular moderation event, but I don't disagree with the thread lock. It is better to err on the side of pausing the discussion, and we can always restart the discussion when cooler heads prevail.

I have other qualms of course. There's... this unhappy state on this particular discussion that warrants a meta-discussion IMO.

1. I think this particular discussion point will remain unsettled for the foreseeable future. (The subject of EVs and fires).

2. To prevent these flame wars, moderators feel the need to moderate strongly. I get that, I even agree with it.

3. Because of these moderations however, the discussion point will forever be unsettled. On the other hand, I don't have much hope over this subject being settled through discussion anyway, so this isn't so much of a loss.

----------

Because of #1, #2, and #3, I am mostly fine with declaring the subject taboo. I try not to bring it up myself. But... now its been brought up again, naturally, months later. Through no fault of anybody, a subject in the thread about Hydrogen Fuel has naturally drifted towards EVs and Fires once again. And one poster is taking very strong stances on that subject, assuming particular points to be true in this unsettled, taboo subject.

I don't necessarily think that's the fault of anybody. Its impossible to remember all the taboo subjects that lead to flame wars. Perhaps I misjudged. I took it as an opportunity to bring back the old discussion points. But this subject is not settled in my brain. Its just become taboo. Its not fair for other people to be building their arguments off of an unsettled discussion point.

----------

How should I act moving forward? Perhaps I should be gentler next time and not jump deeply into the taboo subject? Perhaps I should just note that X is a taboo subject and unsettled, and that you shouldn't be relying upon it as a support to your argument?

A bit of help from an ex-mod to see if I can send you in the right direction.

Things to keep in mind.
TPU is not a democracy, you have no rights if the mods deem a topic void.
If you need a solution to the issue, maybe deal with it in an automotive forum. While TPU does allow pretty much anything tech related, it is not the place to solve world issues.
If you have been moderated in a topic for whatever reason, the best course of action is to leave it alone, or change tact.

Look, we all have passions and ideas, but you have to play by the rules set forth and whatever happens down the line.

I hope it helps. Im not trying to be an ass here, just that I am straight to the point and blunt.

 

[Dirt Chip]

Now i`m interested to know what thread is in question...

 

[tabascosauz]

I have my feelings about this particular moderation event, but I don't disagree with the thread lock. It is better to err on the side of pausing the discussion, and we can always restart the discussion when cooler heads prevail.

I have other qualms of course. There's... this unhappy state on this particular discussion that warrants a meta-discussion IMO.

1. I think this particular discussion point will remain unsettled for the foreseeable future. (The subject of EVs and fires).

2. To prevent these flame wars, moderators feel the need to moderate strongly. I get that, I even agree with it.

3. Because of these moderations however, the discussion point will forever be unsettled. On the other hand, I don't have much hope over this subject being settled through discussion anyway, so this isn't so much of a loss.

----------

Because of #1, #2, and #3, I am mostly fine with declaring the subject taboo. I try not to bring it up myself. But... now its been brought up again, naturally, months later. Through no fault of anybody, a subject in the thread about Hydrogen Fuel has naturally drifted towards EVs and Fires once again. And one poster is taking very strong stances on that subject, assuming particular points to be true in this unsettled, taboo subject.

I don't necessarily think that's the fault of anybody. Its impossible to remember all the taboo subjects that lead to flame wars. Perhaps I misjudged. I took it as an opportunity to bring back the old discussion points. But this subject is not settled in my brain. Its just become taboo. Its not fair for other people to be building their arguments off of an unsettled discussion point.

----------

How should I act moving forward? Perhaps I should be gentler next time and not jump deeply into the taboo subject? Perhaps I should just note that X is a taboo subject and unsettled, and that you shouldn't be relying upon it as a support to your argument?

You have been here long enough to know full well that Comments and Feedback is not the venue to discuss this.

• If you disagree with moderator actions contact them via PM, if you can't solve the issue with the moderator in question contact a super moderator.
• Under no circumstances should you start public drama.

Inbox is always open.

 

[dragontamer5788]

If you have been moderated in a topic for whatever reason, the best course of action is to leave it alone, or change tact.

I'm leaning on the latter. But changing tact, honestly, requires me to understand what the moderators expect of me. If I don't understand the fundamental issue, then I cannot change.

I also recognize that not all issues are useful to be discussed in public. My PM box remains open if any moderator perfers a private message. I don't necessarily need this issue "settled in public".

 

[sneekypeet]

I'm leaning on the latter. But changing tact, honestly, requires me to understand what the moderators expect of me. If I don't understand the fundamental issue, then I cannot change.

I also recognize that not all issues are useful to be discussed in public. My PM box remains open if any moderator perfers a private message. I don't necessarily need this issue "settled in public".

Good point, but let me expand.

Most mods wont hunt you down to explain things. the onus is on you to see what went south and why. Again, this is where supermods come in, as it offers a third view of what has transpired.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Now i`m interested to know what thread is in question...

Same, kinda. But I come here for the PC hardware news, reviews and related forum talk. Not necessarily for the drama that can sometimes pop up in forum discussions (though I've taken part in it here and there, unfortunately.)

 

[dragontamer5788]

Same, kinda. But I come here for the PC hardware news, reviews and related forum talk. Not necessarily for the drama that can sometimes pop up in forum discussions (though I've taken part in it here and there, unfortunately.)

Drama is overrated.

I just felt the need to speak up in this case because I didn't have someone to PM yet and cover this in private. Now that I have PMs, the drama is averted.

 

[DemonicRyzen666]

I feel like this topic can lead to possibly a new feature in the forums

Autolocking threads were after certin number of time maybe months or a year, only the orginal poster & mods can post or unlock it.
or a request lock/unlock button for the threads
or both ?
probably a lot of coding work for w1zzard though
may not be worth the time..

 

[sneekypeet]

I feel like this topic can lead to possibly a new feature in the forums

Autolocking threads were after certin number of time maybe months or a year, only the orginal poster & mods can post or unlock it.
or a request lock/unlock button for the threads
or both ?
probably a lot of coding work for w1zzard though
may not be worth the time..

You can always request via the report feature, just be sure to provide your reasoning in the report.

 

[AusWolf]

Its impossible to remember all the taboo subjects that lead to flame wars.

That's because literally everything can lead to a flame war and be a taboo subject. Welcome to the 21st century when everybody is upset about everything all the time, and you have to tread on eggshells not to offend, especially on the internet. As it was mentioned before, context is important. Context that is often misunderstood due to the nature of written communication, unfortunately.

 

[freeagent]

You guys are all awesome

Just thought I’d letcha know just in case no one else has.

 

[AusWolf]

You guys are all awesome

Just thought I’d letcha know just in case no one else has.

Maybe we're just too awesome (at least sometimes)... that's why threads get locked.

 

[freeagent]

that's why threads get locked.

Nuh-uh!

Its because some people can run with their emotions. And there is nothing wrong with that.. it is part of what makes us who we are. The key is to keep those feelings in check

I've been thread banned too, it sucks.

This guy let his emotions get the best of him

 

[AusWolf]

Nuh-uh!

Its because some people can run with their emotions. And there is nothing wrong with that.. it is part of what makes us who we are. The key is to keep those feelings in check

I know, I was only joking.

 

[95Viper]

It was stated before in previous posts.
Also, if you look at the guidelines it explains it clearly.

Reporting and complaining

• All posts and private messages have a "report post" button on the bottom of the post, click it when you feel something is inappropriate. Do not use your report as a "wild card invitation" to go back and add to the drama and therefore become part of the problem.
• Feel free to use "report post" on your own posts, if you are unsure whether what you posted is appropriate, or if you need a moderator action like thread rename or delete, the original post unlocked, or thread closure.
• If you disagree with moderator actions contact them via PM, if you can't solve the issue with the moderator in question contact a super moderator.
  • Under no circumstances should you start public drama.
• Each forum has several moderators, contact them when you feel there is something wrong.
• Be polite to moderators to get your point across; attacking them in PMs is also worthy of an infraction!
• If you can't work something out with a moderator a supermod will be happy to try to solve the issue.
• Administrators are really busy people, don't bug them unless your issue can't be solved otherwise.
• Do not expect because you have reported a topic or complained that a change will immediately take effect or that we are going to respond in the way you would prefer. The moderation team at TPU reviews requests as a team and takes action based on what we feel is best for TPU, which may not align with what you seek.

So, please follow the guidelines... and, feel free to PM the moderators of the section and/or any Super Moderator, as we will be glad to see if we can resolve your problem/question.