closing own threads (Full Version)

All Forums >> [AE Forum Resources] >> Forum Support and Suggestions



Message

NoirBlast -> closing own threads (9/1/2012 0:49:19)

Could you please give members the power to close there own threads? I've seen multiple threads where the question was answered long ago but people are still posting in them and in my eyes its just post hoarding. It would help new questions to be answered quicker without having to deal with week old questions in between the new ones.



seventy two -> RE: closing own threads (9/1/2012 3:43:51)

I think the main reason this cannot be implemented is that it not possible to just give people that power, gaining that power is liked to getting power in a forum section. Not entirely sure, but that is the usual reason given.

Also the Q&As have a policy to not lock threads when they are answered in-case there is more information people can add.



Grixus Faldor -> RE: closing own threads (9/1/2012 8:46:13)

It comes down to infeasibility, moderation powers cannot be limited to one specific forum since the BOF still runs on "antiquated" software. Its modern counterparts have the ability to segregate powers for specific sections.



Everest -> RE: closing own threads (9/1/2012 13:44:21)

Historically it hasn't had anything to do with giving limited moderation powers. By deleting the first post in a thread, the thread starter can delete the entire thread. But that setting has not been allowed in some forums, especially the Q&As, because members tended to abuse thread deletions to bump their requests to the top of the page.



Grixus Faldor -> RE: closing own threads (9/2/2012 4:56:23)

Everest: He was talking about locking a thread, unless I've misread. :) Are there any software limitations attached to that that would hinder the introduction of allowing users to lock their own threads?



Cataclysm -> RE: closing own threads (9/3/2012 14:31:44)

Actually, moderation powers *can* be limited to one specific forum - that's basically how the ArchKnight status works. We have moderation powers in a specific subforum, but not global moderation powers, which are a whole different can of worms.

The problem here lies in, if I'm not mistaken, giving access to regular forum members to the moderation panels. I don't even think it's possible to grant limited powers so people can only lock their own threads. Actually, I'm fairly sure it's completely unfeasible to do such. I don't think that's possible on any forum, and if it is, I'm extremely curious as to how they'd got it to work like that, because as far as I'm aware, it's pretty well impossible.

(also, "antiquated" is a poor word choice - "heavily customized" is more appopriate. We can't just upgrade the forums to run on the newer versions of ASPPlayground because they're so customized there would be massive clashes with the coding)



Seahawk -> RE: closing own threads (9/4/2012 1:32:42)

quote:

ORIGINAL: James Lu
Everest: He was talking about locking a thread, unless I've misread. :) Are there any software limitations attached to that that would hinder the introduction of allowing users to lock their own threads?


Short answer: Yes. Long answer: I don't know.

As the forums are set up right now, there is no way to grant individual users the right to lock a thread they start. Access to that level of moderation ability is an all-or-none thing that can be assigned by sub-forum. If I were to give someone the access needed to lock a thread they started in any given sub-forum, they'd be able to lock ANY thread in that sub-forum... and they'd also be able to do things like delete and edit other people's posts as well as other moderator-related tasks.

Is it possible that the forums could be re-coded to allow that? I have no idea. I've never had the need or the inclination to look at the coding side of our forums, and even if I had I'm not the one who would be making those changes. My guess would be that even if it was possible, it wouldn't be done anytime soon because the need is not great and there are more important things taking up the time of the people who would have to make the changes.



Grixus Faldor -> RE: closing own threads (9/4/2012 3:06:11)

@Seahawk: Ah righto. I'm not sure if it's possible even on the newer framework.

@TCO: Right, I forgot about that. It is possible to give out limited powers to users, that is the case on iP.Board, vBulletin, ZetaBoards, phpBB, SMF, myBB et al. and can be administered on the individual or group level, I'm not so sure about this forum, however. That said, the forum does run on antiquated software, since its newer counterparts were released to fix security flaws and keep up to date with the latest developments. Unless the forum coders make their own security patches, that is a major disadvantage to using old software.



Everest -> RE: closing own threads (9/5/2012 10:20:54)

There's really very little reason to allow a thread starter to lock his own thread in addition or at the expense of allowing him to delete it, which also bypasses coding restrictions. If the thread starter is satisfied enough with the thread that he feels he needs no further help he would presumably not need to view the thread any longer. And if he felt the need to do so he could copy the text of the thread to somewhere else.

Unless things have changed substantially since I resigned the moderating staffs of the Q&A sections have policies in place for just such an issue - if the members of these staffs feel that further answers contribute nothing to the existing thread then the post will be deleted or the thread will be locked depending on the circumstance. Therefore, it's quite likely that the moderating staff has decided in the cases NoirBlast has mentioned that new answers do add something. If members feel that they most definitively do not, that's an issue that could be taken up with the head moderator of the specific Q&A board.



Page: [1]

Valid CSS!




Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition
0.109375