h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As we explained in our Announcement of 22 March, 2006 (Closing of Conversations on h2g2), we now have the option to close threads on h2g2. The facility has been used in order to end discussions for legal reasons, or because the volume of subscriptions or posting activity puts too much load on our servers.

We've recently closed a couple of conversations because they've placed too much of a burden on the Moderation system; one of these threads was an on-going game that unfortunately involved the repetition of a word that coincidentally has a potentially racist meaning.

Generally, we're very happy to allow long-running or heavily subscribed conversations to continue, and we do not intend to routinely close 'heavy' threads. However, we have to be aware that occasionally, a conversation's contribution to server or moderation problems may exceed its contribution to the site as a whole, and in these instances we may have to close the conversation without prior warning. When this occurs, we will endeavour to provide an explanation at the end of the conversation.