As a result of the last thread that was closed here, and upon a seconding of the motion from another member..I am offering this suggestion. If people have a problem with a thread, and want it closed, they should be able to assign negative antipoints to the overall health of the thread. It's kind of what the antipoints system is designed to do when you assign points to a person, but in some cases, people neg individuals without merit or reason in an attempt to kill a thread they want closed. This damages the integrity of a system that should show an indivual's rating. This rating should reflect what other members think of said individual's ability, knowledge and helpfulness. It should not be used in any manner other than that. Assigning negative points to a person in order to close a thread can effectively ban an undeserving individual. I know there is a "report" button but this touches on the ability to "self moderate" that people are touting.
So, long story short, add a thread antipoint button, so that people can assign points (positive or negative) to a thread and NOT an undeserving person.