Hi all –
We have seen some people excessively using the flagging feature as a way to get thread automatically locked or simply as a way to show their disapproval for it. The auto-lock is only meant as a stop-gap measure for negative discussions while our moderation team reviews the situation. If anybody is found to be intentionally abusing the flagging feature, their account may be subject to a suspension.
To be absolutely clear: the flagging feature is not the same as a downvote. The flagging is intended for violations of the Code of Conduct, not disagreements in discussions.
I understand the worries that can happen in a heated debate, so I also wanted to let people know that we do not automate any silences on the forums. Those are all done by our Moderators as they look into and review the conversations taking place.
I fully understand and can relate to how our passion for the game fuels our interest in playing it as well as discussing it. These forums are here to support those interests and if anybody is focusing on disrupting them for other people, that account will be suspended temporarily or possibly permanently. If you are not sure on a situation, please take the time to review the Code of Conduct before posting: https://us.battle.net/forums/en/code-of-conduct/
Thank you for your attention on this matter.
-Bornakk