Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I was looking for clarification on something.

I noticed this thread got locked, for what I am assuming is the jokey nature of the OP: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/614432.page

But then there is this thread that is still chugging along, but also seems to be jokey in nature: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/615361.page


Is there a difference? Why was one shut down and the other left open? Are there guidelines for posting frivolous, joke threads?

'Joke' threads are fine so long as there is some effort going into carrying on an actual, worthwhile thread.

A thread that just consists of a jokey first post and then a page full of people posting 'Lol!' isn't going to last long.

 insaniak wrote:
'Joke' threads are fine so long as there is some effort going into carrying on an actual, worthwhile thread.

A thread that just consists of a jokey first post and then a page full of people posting 'Lol!' isn't going to last long.

How about this one from a while ago, then? I reported it at the time, but it wasn't closed or anything.

That thread died off fairly quickly of its own accord anyway.

To be clear here, the issue isn't with starting a joke thread. If you have something that you think is amusing and is appropriate to the board, then it's fine to post it.

If it spawns a reasonable amount of discussion (and what constitutes reasonable is admittedly going to be down to the discretion of whichever mods see it) then it will probably be left alone.

If it just spawns a thread full of people making one word posts or posting emoticons, there's not really much point in leaving it open. This is, after all, a discussion board, not a joke blog.

If you're looking for some sort of set-in-stone rule on what is and isn't appropriate, you're not going to get it. It's all down to the specific thread and whether or not it spawns actual discussion.

What if it was a jokey thread and people posted more jokes to it?

For instance, I remember one (that hasn't been locked) about GW fething up the Chaos Rhino description and someone decided to show it as a joke. Many lols were had, and people would make more jokes on how silly it was. Sentences of course, not emoticons.

 insaniak wrote:
It's all down to the specific thread and whether or not it spawns actual discussion.

Thanks for the information. That does clear things up a bit.