Suggestion: Can old threads be locked so that new messages cannot be added?

[nannynick]

Is it possible to lock threads which are over say a year old (or maybe over 6 months old).

I don't mean deleting them... as old message threads can be very useful.

But what happens at the moment is that an old thread can be revived by someone posting on it. For example My Lovely Nanny Is Leaving from May 2006 has been revived recently by someone posting an ad on it.

Just a suggestion.

What do you think? Is that something you would like to happen to old threads?

MNHQ, is it possible technically?

We can certainly think about it, nannynick.

Can see why reviving an old thread can be irritating (as in the instance you cite) but sometimes it can be quite fun for posters to dig up an old one and reminisce/say how times have changed etc etc - I'm thinking of threads in Mumsnet Classic, for example.

why?

Yes, I agree that sometimes it is nice to get an update to and old thread. Thus why I was asking what people thought of the suggestion.

FrontRowFig - when you starting reading a thread do you notice the posting date? I certainly don't tend to look at that, I presume that a thread towards the top of the list is relatively new... not one that has been bumped up from 3 years ago. You read the thread then come across your own posting on it yet your computer didn't flag it as being an old thread (as in that time you have cleared web history, got a new computer etc.). It wastes time... though can sometimes be quite fun re-reading things you wrote in the past

Locking old threads may be a good idea, may be a bad idea... thought I'd ask what people thought.