See Vestmann, we brought you over to the dark side the OT-interaction side and now you have to admit it's fun ;o)

Rodma_Hu - I know we have already spoken about this very issue privately. I understand that you would leave threads open once they'd become brawls, if you were doing the job. That's okay - we all have different approaches. This is, however, how the staff here do things. We have been, in the past, extremely liberal and allowed more or less anything to stay open; and we have been extremely, errr, "strict" I suppose, and not only closed threads at the first sign of sarcasm, but also removed any and all things remotely OT. (I wasn't on staff then, but god I remember those months and they were bloody miserable.)

In short - we make decisions to close threads based on the individual threads and situations in question, being guided by the overall experiences of the past.

I will amend my initial statement for clarity:
We close threads when they have degenerated so far into negativity and personal attacks as to become useless.

As stated quite eloquently already, OT threads such as this have now become DO serve a purpose - they allow the forum posters to kick back a little bit, have a laugh, and get to know each other a little more. Barriers are broken down, information is shared - not about the program, but about each other. (Connie - I didn't realise you weren't a native English speaker! Allow me to congratulate you, because I think your language skills are awesome!)

On the flipside, threads that have become a fight, with people just slinging out insults, rehashing old flame wars and trying to provoke new ones, are not only useless to the community, but actively damaging, in our view and experience.

OK gotta go now and get ready for work. Catch you all later :-)

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"you are terrifying
and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love." - Warsan Shire