Duplicate Threads: Specific versus General

[Fiery Diamond]

Something that I've noticed and am not sure I fully understand is the locking of certain types of threads as "duplicates."

I understand if two people post a thread on the exact same topic, like "Let's talk about the manga/anime Bleach" or "What is your favorite type of clothing."

I understand if a person accidentally double-posts a thread.

But where I'm not sure I understand where exactly the distinction lies is when one thread on a topic exists and another thread is created about a more specific topic that would fall under the same general topic of the thread already created.

Meaning: Thread 1 is about Topic A, which can include subtopics i, ii, and iii. Another person creates Thread 2, which is about Topic ii.

Where is the line, in such a case, that determines whether a thread is considered a duplicate?

Some hypothetical examples:


1: What's your favorite book?
2: What's your favorite fantasy novel?

1: General Anime discussion
2: Bleach Anime discussion
(okay, so that's not hypothetical. It's an example I know isn't considered duplicate, but follows the same general versus specific)

1: Bleach Anime discussion
2: If you were a Bleach character...

1: What clothes do you like to wear?
2: What summer clothes do you like to wear?

1: Favorite pastimes
2: Favorite summer activities

1: Memorable stories of your D&D sessions
2: Humorous D&D stories

I'm really not sure what the dividing line is. Could someone (maybe a mod) shed some light for me on what is considered a duplicate thread in such an instance?



Edit: Also, what about when it's the other way around? For example, I see a thread titled "Star Trek TNG: Does ANYONE watch the shuttle bay?" which is about something specific within Star Trek TNG. What would happen if someone wanted to create a "General" Star Trek TNG thread?

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: For a place that has a thorough rule set and extensive modding policies, this particular issue usually comes down to a matter of judgment. Are the two topics essentially duplicative? Are they co-extensive? Regarding the specific vs. general question, I think it depends on which comes first and ultimately comes down to whether the conversation either is already or could efficiently be had in the existing thread. If so, despite the different titles, a second thread isn't really helpful.

I'll see if I can dig up a statement on this, which I vaguely recall making previously, but basically, that's it.

Creating a duplicate thread just results in one being locked or merged into the other, so it's not really anything people need to worry about too much. No Warnings or Infractions are given for such a thing unless someone really seems to be doing it to troll or something. Just make your best guess and report questionable cases. We'll take it from there.