I think that sometimes it is best to close a thread.
Besides the reasons mentioned above, sometimes a thread goes off on so many tangents that it begins to bear little resemblence to the original topic. This makes it hard to locate, or follow, the discussion.
Another situation might be where the same few views are repeated "ad nauseum." Things would then get retty tedious, fast!
I will say that the main reason I like this site is the gererally upbeat tone, and the mutual respect the members show each others. This has remained so, only because the various powers have exercised their options on the rare occasions it's been necessary. Without that guiding hand, things would quickly degrade.
The various moderators will also contact a poster directly, should thing start getting questionable. I have myself been asked to clarify, moderate, or edit some of my posts- and, in fairness, the advice was appropriate!
(After all, even I have a rough day every now and then!)
