How about automatically closing threads that have been unanswered for months?

[Catsmere]

There have been a lot of zombie threads lately - one was ten years old! Since it seems way too hard for some posters to look at the dates, would it be possible to automatically close them to new replies after a set period?

Good idea, I got a notification to say someone had thanked my post. Post was three years old, but someone had bumped an old thread.

The worst one (and there have been a lot lately) was asking about a dog being kept away from a small child. After ten years, the dog is probably long gone and the child definitely not a toddler, but did the most recent respondents notice that? Nooo ...

I agree with this. The old threads are often recommended 👇

I hadn't noticed that (I seldom look at recommended or trending) - how silly is that!? 🙄

Yes and hopefully this would mean new threads would get more of a chance to be answered

Good point!

But some old threads deal with perennial issues. What’s wrong if a thread is resurrected if it contains great advice or is just funny or intriguing? I don’t understand this horror of Zombie threads. Obviously if it’s a once topical issue that has no relevance ie. Where can I buy the dress that Kirsty Alsop is wearing in a 2004 edition of Location Location Location? then I can see if might be annoying.

I LOVE that you can still read old threads and I LOVE an update so please MN - don’t start closing all threads!!

Zombie threads are annoying. I think it's a good idea to close them after several months of being "dormant". Ideally, there could still be the facility for the OP to reactivate so that they can update? They could be archived so that others can still read them.

I agree. If I’m looking for something specific, it helps when old threads come up. They’re just as relevant.

I was really helped in a few old threads about prolapses. One in particular, which helped enormously.

I agree with this- I don’t understand the anx about zombie threads, why does it matter if the topic is still relevant or it’s helpful to somebody today?

Reading old threads is fine. It's reviving them by replying as if they're new that's annoying.

Exactly. It's annoying to spend time and effort typing out a response to the OP, only to find out that they left the thread months/years ago and no longer have any need of that response.

The OP should have the facility to come back and update, but the thread should be "read only" to other posters after a certain period.

Archive and read-only are good ideas.

I agree with this

As I have said for many years, Zombie threads should be a different colour ((or something). Not closed.

The new 'feature' of threads you might like or similar threads at the bottom of the page is not helping!!

@Catsmere no, I don't check the date on every thread.

Closing zombie threads to new replies would be a good idea.

The OP should have the facility to come back and update, but the thread should be "read only" to other posters after a certain period.

I still can't work out why MNHQ haven't implemented something like this. Once a thread is over a year old the only person who should be able to post on it should be the OP.

Making them read only would mean posters could still benefit from the advice, but no one other than the OP should be able to post on them. If an OP chooses to update then that's fine. But i've seen plenty of threads revived years later when the situation posted isn't relevant anymore, or more sensitive topics where the OP doesn't want to relive the thread all over again.

It's easy to get caught out, but a good habit to get into on MN is (a) check the date of the OP and (b) check the number of posts on the thread. Both easy to see, right at the top of the thread in/above the OP. If the OP is something like 'Urgent, my toddler has swallowed a coin, should I take her to A&E?' and the date was 1st January 2000, odds are the toddler is now posting on MN herself.

Someone thanked me over the weekend for a thread from 2005 which was disconcerting and weird 😳. And it was for such a mundane thread too, nothing of any significance whatsoever. Why?

Yes keep old threads readable for info but close them for comments.

I agree.

Lock old threads say, over a year old.
If you want, permit the original poster to reopen and thus unlock them.
Anyone else has to report the thread, and ask to unlock it with a specific post.

@Shortfatsuit that's kind of on you to check before writing out your answer though surely?

Op might not update unless someone asks them to.

Incidentally this has happened to me before. I was happy to update, but wouldn't have thought of it otherwise. I forget what I've written about over the years!

Or just remove MN’s latest way of resurrecting old threads, the ‘you might also like…’ button concealed mid thread.

It just clutters up the boards with the equivalent of litter.

Precisely. Read them all you want, but it is irritating having old threads at the top of the page when the OP has long gone, or the problem has been long resolved. Nobody's saying they should be hidden, just that they could be closed to replies. If someone really wants advice on a particular thing, why not start a new thread or PM one of the people who offered advice?

I certainly agree with that suggestion!

Morning, everyone. This is something that comes up fairly frequently and we have given lots of thought to over the years. At the moment there are no plans to change the way we deal with old threads but it is always useful to know how everyone feels about it, so please do continue to leave your thoughts here and we'll keep reading.