How to not get locked

Q u o t e:
Don't post about locked topics or ask why they have been locked. When you see a post that is clearly made to make people respond with rage. Don't post in full caps and don't post a thread asking for an ability to be nerfed.

This.

For more information on how to avoid getting threads locked or being put on forum timeout, please make sure you read this thread: http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=292921554&sid=1

Q u o t e:
ok now lock this =D

Well I was hoping to keep it visible for a while; perhaps more players would notice it and take its' message to heart before posting and save themselves a lock or suspension/ban ;)

Q u o t e:
Locking threads do not kill them, people will repost and ask why it got banned. again and again and again. Deleting it however, would effectively prevent it as people wouldn't see it or asume it had gone to the next page thereby losing interest.

Ban hammers != deleting threads for the reading impaired.

Sometimes we delete threads, more often we lock them. While you are right that some players, aware or unaware of the forum rules, re-post or post about locked threads, the exact same thing happens with deleted threads.

"omgz why are you censoring me can't you handle the truth?!?"

Fact of the matter is, chances are higher that a thread will not be re-posted if it is visibly closed than if it simply 'never existed'. Additionally, threads that get locked without a reason posted are usually locked because the reason is fairly self explanatory to anyone who knows the basic forum rules.

Q u o t e:
Why? What warrants you deleting something over locking it?

In order to prevent keys from being logged, for example ;)

Q u o t e:
but in the case of the missing shadowsight thread?

While I am unaware of the specific contents of the thread you were referring to and who it was made by, there are several reasons that could cause threads to get deleted as 'collateral damage'. For example, sometimes posters severely violate the forum rules to the point where we are forced to hit the 'delete all posts by user' button to clean things up.

Q u o t e:
you should let your customers vent their frustrations how they want

There is absolutely no good reason to allow harassment, insults, spam, flames and other forms of unwanted venting on these forums. Neither us blue posters, nor the majority of your fellow forum visitors appreciate forums being full of rage posts with no constructive point whatsoever. You are free to post your feedback and opinions provided that it is done while abiding by the forum rules. If players decide to violate said rules, we both can and will moderate and hand out suspensions where it is needed to ensure a better forum experience for everyone else.

This is not a subject that is up for debate ;)