Quote:
Originally Posted by poohbear_nc
I too support removing the offending threads entirely. There's no need to keep reminding folk, or exposing new readers, to what we've already decided is too offensive to have here. Sweep it out!
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I very much prefer they stay.
Leaving them tells new readers what's considered against the rules here. They make excellent examples of how the rules actually work, as opposed to the general "be civil; no name-calling" rules, which a thousand boards have, and all interpret differently. (On MR, for example, "thief" is not considered name-calling. Or at least not bannable name-calling on its own.) Leaving closed topics is about the only way a new member can find out what the rules *really* are here, and what's considered going too far.
This is especially important in a multi-lingual forum, where members may not understand the connotations of the rules as written; a literal translation may not be enough to capture the "feel" of the rules.
Also, some of those threads contain good information or links, or *good* discussion happening in & around the offensive content. I don't think a person ought to be able to say, "This is a stupid discussion. I'll get it removed from MR entirely by trolling with a new account, and the whole thread will vanish when I get banned!"