> And I prefer to show respect to users, which is why I don't like closing threads

But thread-closing at 1000 is automatic. It doesn't follow the preferences of a moderator team. It just sets an end to a thread which are just bound to die out in the end. If somebody were to start a fresh, new thread, it would be bad to have the old thread still around. Having to permasage each one is kind of a hassle. I'd like it better if mods wouldn't have to pay attention all the time to which thread is the most recent / best one and which to permasage. Thus, also, automatic closing at 1000 would prevent moderators from having to decide on the quality of threads. The interest of the board users alone, coupled with a common, unbiased and, in consequence, productive end of their discussions, still with the option to repeat the cycle anew.