Criteria for Locking Threads

Why is it that nearly every thread in the IP forum that reaches 20 pages gets locked? It doesn’t matter if the posters are staying on topic or not, remaining civil or not. Way too many lively and interesting discussions have been prematurely cut off because the moderators lock the thread for no other reason than the entirely arbitrary length of 20 pages has been reached. A new thread is started, posts can’t be quoted anymore, at least not that would alert the original poster that someone has responded to a thread he’s participating in. Far too often, starting a new thread cuts off steam from the old one, and the discussion drops off.

Making this more absurd is the fact that in other forums, threads can reach well over 100 pages, going on and on for years. There is zero consistency.

Threads longer than 20 pages become difficult to moderate. That is, it gets difficult to perform several of the moderation functions on longer threads.

If you wish to speed up the process start a discussion about women with large vaginas and then post pictures of the interior of cathedrals. Worked for me.

But if you don’t lock it somebody is going to jump in and drive it away. Metaphorically.

[quote=“Gao Bohan”]Way too many lively and interesting discussions have been prematurely cut off because the moderators lock the thread for no other reason than the entirely arbitrary length of 20 pages has been reached. A new thread is started, posts can’t be quoted anymore, at least not that would alert the original poster that someone has responded to a thread he’s participating in. Far too often, starting a new thread cuts off steam from the old one, and the discussion drops off.

Making this more absurd is the fact that in other forums, threads can reach well over 100 pages, going on and on for years. There is zero consistency.[/quote]
It’s a good subject for discussion, and I think our criteria is a little uneven. Let me start a discussion in the mod forum and get back to you, OK? Thanks for the feedback!