“Thank you for your participation”: Expressing appreciation in the closing of online discussion forums

Debing Feng
Hangzhou Normal University

This study investigates the placement, form, and function of appreciation in the closing of online discussion forums. The data comprise ten discussion forums from two Chinese platforms, QQ and WeChat. Drawing on Conversation Analysis (CA) and the notion of “paired actions,” the study identifies three loci of appreciation: pre-announcement (pre-A), on-announcement (on-A), and post-announcement (post-A). Pre-A appreciation serves as possible pre-closings for the impending closure of the forum. On-A appreciation functions as part of the first-pair-part (FPP) to facilitate the closure. Post-A appreciation serves as the second-pair-part (SPP) to finalize the closure. As interruptions are common in the forums, expressing appreciation becomes an important strategy for the moderator and participants to manage collaboratively these interruptions to ensure the discussion will end smoothly and coherently. These findings have implications for the use of appreciation in the closing of various interactions and for applying CA to online communication.

Publication history

Date received: 23 December 2023

Date accepted: 5 February 2025

Published online: 8 August 2025

Table of contents

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese scholars increasingly relied on online discussion forums on QQ and WeChat for academic group discussions. With travel restrictions, lockdowns, and quarantines in effect, these platforms became essential alternatives for facilitating academic exchanges. Though primarily text-based, the forums simulate the structure of offline seminars by enabling quasi-synchronous interactions. Participants can engage in real-time discussions within a designated timeframe, creating a sense of immediacy similar to in-person gatherings. This study examines how such quasi-synchronous interactions take place on QQ and WeChat forums, with a specific focus on expressions of appreciation occurring frequently during the closing of the forums.

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