Thread complainers

The Purveyor of Truth

Is there any chance that Boards could adopt a zero tolerance policy on users that post on threads merely to complain about them? It has to be one of the most infuriating things, to be posting away on a thread, glad that it has been started, only for some user to come along and start whining about it's existence. One of the following reasons is usually given as to why that user has felt the need to post such complaints:

The thread was boring!
The thread had already been done!
The thread belonged in another forum!
The thread topic was not worthy of having it's own thread!
The thread should be locked as the discussion is going round in circles!

Obviously I of course feel that it's perfectly acceptable for a moderator to lock, delete or move any thread which they wish to. Tha is one of the calls which they are tasked with making after all.

There are a few main reasons why I feel it should never be tolerated.

1) It derails threads. Naturally as soon as a user posts on a thread complaining about it, the thread then just becomes an argument about whether or not there is merit in the thread remaining open, or that it should have been opened at all.

2) It's not compulsory to view threads, let alone post in them. If you don't like a thread and think it should never have been started, fine, you're of course entitled to your opinion, but then just don't post in it. Use the report button and complain about it that way if you must.

3) If thread complainers continue to get away with hijacking threads they don't like, just to let everyone know just how much they have no time for the particular thread, then it sends the message that it's fine to do that and so it will continue.

4) If the thread is genuinely not wanted, it will just drop off the front page fairly quickly anyway. The fact that doesn't, should tell you all you need to about whether it's creation was being appreciated by that forum's users or not.

Just to add: I fully concede that at times some users are moderated for thread derailment when they have taken issue with certain threads being opened, it's just really a case that I don't feel it's moderated anywhere near as much as it should be and ultimately ruins some threads and often leads to their inevitable locking as derailed threads quite often become car crashes. A cynic might suggest that is in fact, the aim of it. tl:dr

Could all charters please have the following added to them:

If you have a problem with a a thread which has been started, or with one remaining open, then please report the thread or PM a moderator regarding it.

DO NOT however post your feelings on the thread derailing it. If you do, we will have you assassinated.

Steve

<funneh>This is irritating and tiresome as it's already been discussed at great length before and should really be posted in site development as it's clearly the responsibility of the coders to stop this from happening again in future....</funneh>

serious:
Valid observation, and point well made, however, most forums cater already for this in their rules under derailing and trolling rules.
Most forums welcome valid discussion - part of that discussion might well be whether the topic is actually valid.
*now ye're talkin'*