Please consider locking old threads.

I've just got one of those come up. For some reason when you first open a thread in the iOS app, the date of the OP is collapsed, so it's not immediately obvious that it's from the start of the year. This seems like a bug, I can't think of any good reason for the date not being visible.

... and there's one called zombie trolls which they have also resurrected! MNHQ have deleted the post, but haven't locked the thread, so people continue to post on it

They are now posting on 2022 post, that have not been posted on for ages.

OOOH that's a start!!! Thanks @mnhq Shame every thread cannot be locked - pre 2022 say - at the same time. But I don't think they have the tech ability to lock every single one that's more than a year old. It will have to be each individual one. What a PITA!

Holy moly they actually listened!

Ooh, I was just coming to ask about this, having had a thread show up on my "I'm On" list from 2010! With all the posts from them, except the latest post which had already been deleted as PBP. Hadn't realised it had been going on for days.

Locking old threads - especially threads over a decade old! - sounds like it could be necessary sometimes.

Yes think every thread I clicked on last night was a Zombie from 15 years ago. MN was virtually unusable, which I am guessing is the aim of the troll.

When there is at least 20 resurrected, every night by the same troll, different names

IT DOES MATTER

It's bloody annoying

IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!

Were you on here last night? A troll resurrected thread after thread from 2007-loads of them. IT DID MATTER!!!

Zombie threads do no harm and can be very interesting. If you don't like it, just check the dates!
People who moan about them remind me of the kind of people who complain when a Whatsapp group created for a specific event is still used after that event. IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!
Chill out.

Praps the 2007 bumper is an aggrieved MNer with a mission to achieve locked threads because they asked previously and were told that HQ would think about it but nothing happened [overthinks]

I think that it is very, very likely that this is the case, and no, I'm not the troll 😄

@DawnMumsnet - but still no sign of the ability to lock threads? It's like a never ending cycle... The troll reactivated threads, you ban them, they return the next day and do the same thing...cycle begins again each day.

The troll is back and resurrecting threads form 2007 on AIBU. The board is pretty much unreadable now - are posts going to be locked at summer point? As this seems the only way to stop them flooding the boards each day.

Threads that haven't been posted on for a certain period of time (e.g. 1 year) can only be resurrected by the original poster

I've suggested similar for years and MN have stated they like that posters can come back and update so this would work perfectly. I'm at a loss as to why this hasn't been implemented and can only assume its because in reality MN isn't really too fussed about zombie threads being resurrected as they generate traffic.

I've seen far too many I've the years an even recently which I wouldn't want resurrected if I were the OP and think it's totally unfair that anyone can drag up threads from over a decade ago which might cause upset if seen by the person who initially started the thread.

Three suggestions, which I would assert would be relatively easy to program:

1. Threads that haven't been posted on for a certain period of time (e.g. 1 year) can only be resurrected by the original poster.

and/or

2. Threads that were started more than a certain length of time ago (e.g. 1 year) have the opening post turned a different colour (e.g.red)

and/or

3. When an old thread is bumped by a spammer and the spam deleted, the thread is proactively locked by MN when they delete the spam message, or if there haven't been subsequent posts the spam is deleted with no message so it doesn't make the thread current again. (This might be more technically difficult and less helpful than 1 & 2).

I would imagine the people who don’t think there’s an issue and love a Zombie thread will have really enjoyed last night!

I agree MN don't actually want to fix the ressurection of the zombie threads, as they don't see it as a problem. They've been aware of the problem for years and have said in the past they'll try and use the close thread feature more often (see screenshot), but why would they? For MN the age of the thread doesn't matter, as they just want people to post.

I've suggested this about a million times before, but there should be a prominent warning at the start of the thread if it was started, say, more than a year ago. The current warning at the end is no use whatsover when you have to read hundreds of posts before you see it - and then it's only there for the first few posts after the ressurection before it disappears!

Lock or delete old threads! There must be something you can do

I think locked threads should be a thing.

If you want to link to it, with an update, go ahead.

Praps the 2007 bumper is an aggrieved MNer with a mission to achieve locked threads because they asked previously and were told that HQ would think about it but nothing happened [overthinks]

Maybe make it so the only person that can bump an ancient thread is the OP. Although today's ones from 2007 that's pretty unlikely.

TBF though MN don't seem to think it's an issue because people have been complaining about it for years and nothing ever changes.