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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Please consider locking old threads.

80 replies

PriamFarrl · 03/11/2022 22:46

Twice tonight I’ve opened up a thread to find they are ancient. One was 15 years old.
I know it gets asked all the time but please think about locking threads over a year old.

OP posts:
ofwarren · 10/11/2022 22:16

PriamFarrl · 10/11/2022 22:13

The last two threads I’ve opened have been zombie threads that have had the reanimating post deleted. Why someone can’t lock the thread at the same time as deleting the post I don’t know.

It wasn’t anything that would still be interesting or informative.

It's getting beyond a joke now.
I must have reported 30 so far tonight

EmilyGilmoresSass · 10/11/2022 22:18

I enjoy zombie threads more than the three or four posts whinging about them that I've seen in the last day or two.

OldWeegie · 10/11/2022 22:25

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Sparklingbrook · 10/11/2022 23:03

I think if posters did start to look at the date of the OP before replying directly to the OP from 2007 that would help somewhat.
It does seem to be trolls doing the bumping of them at the moment, so the post bumping it gets deleted, and the thread carries on with nobody bothering to RTFT.

LookItsMeAgain · 10/11/2022 23:10

YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet · 05/11/2022 12:23

Hi @PriamFarrl we get how annoying it is to post on a thread only to realise it's a zombie. As previous posters have mentioned, sometimes the OP comes back to update people as we've seen on a few occasions this week - and so sometimes there's a really good reason for bringing an old thread back.

In any case, if you see a zombie thread that should probably stay that way, let us know and we can close it to new posts.

Couldn't they simply start a new post with their locked zombie post as a link in their first message? If the OP actually comes back to give an update like.

Sparklingbrook · 10/11/2022 23:18

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.

TinFoilHatty · 11/11/2022 00:20

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]

CallieQ · 11/11/2022 00:25

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

FGSWhatNow · 11/11/2022 00:26

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!

Original poster
PriamFarrl · 11/11/2022 06:22

FGSWhatNow · 11/11/2022 00:26

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!

Exactly. A warning before the op would do. I glance at the date but sometime I don’t realise that it’s old until I read a comment about something that now doesn’t make sense like saying about the weather being hot.

HQ seem hell bent on not locking them, or not putting a warning in the message box. So why not a warning on the OP.

OP posts:
Whinge · 11/11/2022 06:39

Sparklingbrook · 10/11/2022 23:18

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.

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.

Please consider locking old threads.
Sparklingbrook · 11/11/2022 06:51

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

TeenDivided · 11/11/2022 06:52

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

  1. 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

  1. 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).
Beees · 11/11/2022 07:28

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.

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 11/11/2022 09:55

Hi @PriamFarrl - thanks for starting this thread and thanks to everyone else who's posted on it and reported all of these zombie threads.

We know how annoying it is when old threads are revived by a troll and we really appreciate all your suggestions. We're discussing the best way to deal with this issue again today and will post an update as soon as we can.

We're making sure all of these old threads are excluded from the list of active conversations. Thanks for bearing with us.

OrigamiOwls · 11/11/2022 15:15

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.

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 11/11/2022 15:25

Thanks @OrigamiOwls - we've banned the troll and have removed all of those threads from the Active list.

OrigamiOwls · 11/11/2022 15:30

@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.

DannyGary · 11/11/2022 15:42

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 😄

Gwenhwyfar · 11/11/2022 18:40

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.

Sparklingbrook · 11/11/2022 18:43

IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!

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

vodkaredbullgirl · 11/11/2022 18:47

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

IT DOES MATTER

It's bloody annoying

Sparklingbrook · 11/11/2022 18:54

vodkaredbullgirl · 11/11/2022 18:47

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

IT DOES MATTER

It's bloody annoying

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.

WhereYouLeftIt · 11/11/2022 19:02

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.

Please consider locking old threads.
Original poster
PriamFarrl · 12/11/2022 23:08

Yay! Looks like MNHQ have listened. This just popped up in my Threads I’m On. www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4462659-we-can-see-our-neighbour-s-bathroom-wwyd?page=5&reply=121482205

OP posts: