Can you please lock OLD threads?

forgotmyname

As per title, Is it possible to lock old threads.

New members google something and signup to reply.

3 of the best ones tonight 2005,2006 and 2008....


You start reading & think thats not right, Then spot the date.

No wonder....

Vaila

i agree, they are irrelevant , lock them !

smile86

forgotmyname wrote: »

You start reading & think thats not right, Then spot the date.

I'll third that, have done it myself.

dmg24

Agreed - other forums do it and it makes things so much tidier.

Premier_2

I disagree.

If the post is relevent to the thread, why not allow it to be resurrected rather than produce yet another thread which may then duplicate much of the original.

If the thread has been resurrected by a troll, report the post/user.

movilogo

All threads older than say 2 years should be locked. Anyone willing to open them should write to moderators.

dmg24

Premier wrote: »

I disagree.

If the post is relevent to the thread, why not allow it to be resurrected rather than produce yet another thread which may then duplicate much of the original.

If the thread has been resurrected by a troll, report the post/user.

The problem with that on the Benefits board is that if a thread is e.g. two years old, the great likelihood is that the information is out of date. I do agree that on some boards the information/ discussion is timeless, and so locking would not be productive.

Bargain_Rzl

movilogo wrote: »

All threads older than say 2 years should be locked. Anyone willing to open them should write to moderators.

I disagree slightly. I don't think it matters when a thread was started (there are several which remain active and useful after several years) but when it was last posted on.

So lock threads which haven't had a new post for, say, a year. Or even six months. Or at least - as some other forums do - alert the user when they attempt to post a new reply, "This topic has not been posted on in xxxx days, are you sure you want to post on this thread?"

Premier_2

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

... alert the user when they attempt to post a new reply, "This topic has not been posted on in xxxx days, are you sure you want to post on this thread?"

Oh believe me, those trolls, often but not always new user accounts, that are usually the ones that resurrect old threads really do want to post on that thread, knowing it will come back to the top of the board.

Those trolls with perhaps 2 brain cells to rub together usually try and be a bit cleverer and pick a thread exactly 1 year or 2 years old etc. in the hope no one notices the date.

My, how they chuckle at this marvellous wheeze, especially when an unsuspecting member posts subsequently. If they can incite a poster to post a negative response, because a now out of date post is no longer correct, they are positively beside themselves.

Small things please little minds...;)


Edit: Realising this information may entice others to try and follow suit, especially at the start of the current trolling period, perhaps it would be prudent to point out that a thread with posts from 'today' or 'yesterday', actually say this rather than the date.
Laters.

Pound

I sometimes think it's bit amusing when a newbie bumps a 3 year old thread and lots of people start replying to the OP not noticing the date thinking it's a new thread.

forgotmyname

I have seen a couple of posts over 2 years old, eg.. programming car keys for fords, New member joins and
recommends a company, Strange their signup name is the same the companies website is registered to.

Rather pointless for a post that was over 2 years old.

One was someone complaining a special offer was not valid, Again the original post was in 2008.
Are you suprised the offer is no longer valid.

Locking them does not stop anyone reading them and creating a new topic if they wish.

Maybe make the Post ID a little bit more noticeable so new posts can refer back the the original if needed.