Can a closed thread be reopened please

[Guy in Paradise]

I started a thread titled "Croquet Mallets" and wish to complete the thrad with progress and final photos. Can the thread be reopened?

 

[FlyingRon]

Done. http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59424

 

[Jeff]

Curious. I replied to that original thread several days ago and the OP replied to me. Nothing was amiss so how/why was the thread closed?

 

[ScottM]

Curious. I replied to that original thread several days ago and the OP replied to me. Nothing was amiss so how/why was the thread closed?

Jeff there are several ways a thread can get closed. Sorry I do know if there is there is a log to show what happened in this case. Threads close automatically after a prolonged period of inactivity (I believe that is 30 days). They can be closed by the original poster. They can be closed by anyone with Mod or Admin access to the forum. I hope that answered your question.

 

[ehpoole]

Curious. I replied to that original thread several days ago and the OP replied to me. Nothing was amiss so how/why was the thread closed?

If you review the thread in question, there were no new posts -- prior to its reopening on 8/21 -- after 7/18, which was a period greater than 30 days. If a thread goes more than 30 days with no new activity (that is, new posts -- PMs and "likes" do not count) it will automatically lock to prevent inactive threads from being continually resurrected and pushed into the "What's New" activity listings well after they have typically run their natural course (often times such continued resurrection of old threads results in posts to a thread that are no longer even relevant to the original thread subject and should, thus, really be a new thread all their own).

For example, if you follow some Windows related forums online you can frequently find old threads discussing some issue way back in Windows NT 4.0 or Win95 that today are now hundreds of pages long and people, mostly newcomers, are still posting to these ancient threads to ask unrelated questions covering Windows 8.1 or 10...not only do people start tuning out such threads after awhile (often the very persons you were hoping might answer your question) but the same thread over that time has since morphed into hundreds of different subjects entirely unrelated to the original resulting in a subject matter that virtually nobody except newcomers takes any active interest in! That is why older inactive threads get closed automatically as, almost always, the new content that one might wish to add is best introduced as a new thread with an updated subject title (especially when added by other than the original author). Additionally, it is easy for established members to overlook new content, that may really have been of interest, when they see an old thread resurrected as a consequence of them assuming it to be another "+1” comment or a continuation of older discussion material that they had already seen and felt had run its course as they may not be aware that significant new content has been introduced since their last visit -- whereas a brand new thread will attract everyone's attention anew and garner more views by a wider audience than an appended thread...visit the Help Desk forum and you will see the same questions asked again and again because most people tend to ignore older threads even if they may be relevant (many also avoid especially long threads with many pages).

However, we also realize that sometimes an author really does have relevant material to append to their old thread that really ought to remain as part of the original thread discussion rather than as an entirely new thread of its own, and, in such cases, the original author of the thread may, at any time, make a request to the "Help Desk", or by direct appeal to any admin (and most active moderators), to have their thread reopened and we are nearly always happy to do so unless the thread had to be closed due to moderation issues (such as if becoming too political or was devolving into members attacking fellow members...it is thankfully rare, but such does happen from time to time). One can certainly debate whether "30" is the ideal number of days, or if 15 or 60 days (for example) would be better, but 30 days is what we have settled upon and it has generally served us well in most cases (realizing that no number is going to be perfect and never closing threads is often worse than most any number of days).

As already mentioned, a thread may also be locked if the original author elects to lock the thread themselves (in the "Advanced Editor" screen there is a checkbox down below to close your own thread) or if Moderator action has been required and we have elected to lock the thread to prevent further deterioration of whatever behavior prompted the need for moderation (we generally prefer to try and lock useful threads that are devolving versus deleting the thread entirely since a locked thread will still suffice to make members aware of the original information the author sought to share while stemming further deterioration).

Hopefully this has addressed your concerns adequately, but if you have any specific questions please feel free to ask.

 

[Jeff]

Thanks Ethan. Yes, activity stopped about 7/18 and I see that gap up to 8/21. All is well and my curiosity is satisfied!