# What does locked mean?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [November 10, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567 "2000-11-10T01:19:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/1 "2000-11-10T01:19:22Z")
I just tried to access the locked MPSIMS thread _You guys are the best_ and got this msg in response: “Invalid thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the webmaster.”
In the past I was always able to look at all posts in locked threads. Have things changed or should I be notifying the webmaster?
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### Author:  [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/2 "2000-11-10T10:21:27Z")
Most likely it was deleted in the time between your loading the page, and attempting to enter the thread.
IIRC it was one of Concrete’s latest incarnations, so a thread deletion would not be uncommon or unexpected.
I love the guy, but I wish he’d come back the RIGHT way.
–Tim
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/3 "2000-11-10T17:08:54Z")
Tim, with all the trouble and work he’s caused us, that SOB ain’t ever gonna be allowed back here. At one time it may have been possible, with an appropriate apology and an honest effort to be a decent member of this community, but I see what he does on other boards, like Ars Technica, and he obviously has no intents other than disruption. We’re gonna ban every name he ever registers. Period.
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### Author:  [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/4 "2000-11-10T18:35:23Z")
So is Homer right? Was the thread deleted after loading and prior to entering, or is this some other bug?
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### Author:  [@barflyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barflyer)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/5 "2000-11-10T21:01:53Z")
Homer’s right, it’s been deleted.
I did a search of all threads with your key word “best” in the title, and yours is not among them.
That fact that it was locked meant it was a candidate for removal.
Broken links within a post are different, though.
Sometimes people add a stray blank at the end of the URL that makes it fail.
If you want to test a bad link in a message, try to spot the thread # and hand edit it into a recent link that worked in your browser’s address window. If the only change was the thread # and it says cannot find, then it’s a deleted thread.
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### Author:  [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2000, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/6 "2000-11-10T23:37:27Z")
Thanks Homer and barflyer. Guess I just got in at the wrong time.
BTW, how do I get the thread # without opening the thread?
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2000, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/7 "2000-11-11T01:49:03Z")
Simple. Using MS Internet Explorer, right-click on the desired thread link/title. Then choose one of the following:[ul][_]“copy shortcut”, to copy the thread’s url into the clipboard, which you can paste wherever you want.[_]“properties”, which will display the url so that you can re-type it in a place of your choosing.“add to favorites”, which will store the url in your “favorites” area.[/ul]Other browsers offer similar options.
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### Author:  [@richman2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richman2)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/8 "2000-11-11T02:02:32Z")
You can see links in the bottom line of most browser frames when you “hover” over them.
Or, you can right-click and select Properties.
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### Author:  [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2000, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/9 "2000-11-11T20:13:11Z")
Thanks again, this time to richman2 and zgystardst. I forgot the power of right click.
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### Author:  [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/10 "2000-11-12T03:14:52Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \*
> \*\*We’re gonna ban every name he ever registers. Period. \*\*
Any progress on getting him banned from his ISP?
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/11 "2000-11-12T20:20:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Any progress on getting him banned from his ISP?
We’re trying, but his provider is being very difficult about it, basically saying it’s not their problem. Unfortunately, the Mafia hitmen say the same thing.
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### Author:  [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-locked-mean/40567/12 "2000-11-12T20:57:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \*
> \*\*Tim, with all the trouble and work he’s caused us, that SOB ain’t ever gonna be allowed back here. At one time it may have been possible, with an appropriate apology and an honest effort to be a decent member of this community, but I see what he does on other boards, like Ars Technica, and he obviously has no intents other than disruption. We’re gonna ban every name he ever registers. Period. \*\*
::sigh:: I know, I know, I know. But I can live in a dream, can’t I? 😃
My like of Jim Lloyd in NO WAY should be taken as encouragement of trolling, sock puppetting, or multiple screen names.
–Tim