What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?
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SnowyOne @ 24th Sep 02:50AM:
What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

I never saw/noticed this before.

Pacrat @ 24th Sep 06:52AM:
Re: What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

There are instances where individual postings (or series of posts) are locked within an open thread. That's what appears when that happens.
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I was born at night... but not last night!
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SnowyOne @ 24th Sep 02:06PM:
Re: What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

What situations would prompt that to occur?
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Pacrat @ 24th Sep 03:36PM:
Re: What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

Well, mostly it's the discretion of the mod/host. Occasionally, a well-established topic will collect some off-topic comments, snide remarks, or other extraneous views. Rather than lock the entire thread, only those comments, deemed unsuitable for a reply, get locked out. It some cases the mod/host doesn't deem them to merit deletion, or to close the whole thread, the mod/host has the option to lock just selected posts within the thread to "head off" further responses that might take the original topic further off track. Some mods may delete them altogether, some mods may choose to just isolate inappropriate comments. It's just a tool, available to the mods to keep the topics on track and progressing smoothly. A lot depends on the type of forum, too. Help forums, technical forums, (aka, "serious topics") may exhibit locked postings more often than some of the "social" or talk forums that discuss anything and everything.

You'll also see that "(locked)" comment in every posting of a "locked" thread. That, I believe, is so that if you've found just a single posting via a search, you won't waste your time trying to respond to it, before discovering the whole thread has been locked out.

Does that help?
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I was born at night... but not last night!
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fatness @ 24th Sep 03:53PM:
Re: What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

said by SnowyOne :

What situations would prompt that to occur?

Let's say we're talking in this thread, and someone else makes a point or 2 and says "this is similar to the health care debate".

At that point we all know the thread will veer off into arguing about health care. So a mod could delete their post, or could edit it, or could just lock their post so it's visible but can't directly be replied to, in order to try to avoid having the thread diverted.
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"That blast came from the pants! That thing's operational!"
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SnowyOne @ 24th Sep 04:11PM:
Re: What is the "lock" that replaces the 'reply' button about?

said by Pacrat :

Does that help?

Mahalo!
It sure does, but it took a little thought/effort to put that reply together & I appreciate that as much as the answer itself.
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anon @ 25th Sep 06:27AM:
msg deleted

deleted by a moderator
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anon @ 26th Sep 05:03AM:
msg deleted

deleted by a moderator
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