# WTF? Why lock this, Czarcasm? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 12, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918 "2004-06-12T01:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/1 "2004-06-12T01:43:42Z")
> **[Best Free Browser?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=37778)** > > To put it mildly, I am fed up with both Netscape and Explorer, and I don’t need or use all their bells and whistles. What is the best browser I can get for free off the internet? Immediately after the bump, I identified it as such, but continued to answer the very reasonable question asked. There were several more posts, all discussing the issue raised. The title of the thread was just as applicable to the bump as the original context. So why lock it? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/2 "2004-06-12T01:54:08Z")
Uh…because it’s my job? I _could_ continue to let people revive three and a half year old threads, letting them off with a warning, but after a while people just ignore the warning and post a “Oops, sorry! I promise not to do it anymore. Really!” This way, people might just remember NOT to do it in the first place. Yeah. Right. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/3 "2004-06-12T02:00:54Z")
In that case, why not lock _all_ old threads? ‘Remembering’ not to do it in the first place isn’t always the problem - there’s no indication of the date when individual posts are made. All that is available when people search for a specific item (which a search for “free browser” suggests may have been the case here), the only indication that it’s an antique thread is the date-of-last-post on the results page. Once you’re reading the thread, there’s no telling. I’ve nearly made that mistake several times. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/4 "2004-06-12T02:04:12Z")
I’ve obviously missed something in the short time I’ve been around here, maybe someone could quickly tell me: 1. Why can you not respond to old threads? and 2. What is the cut-off limit? Not trying to be smart or anything, just genuinely curious. thanks ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/5 "2004-06-12T02:06:57Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > In that case, why not lock _all_ old threads? > > ‘Remembering’ not to do it in the first place isn’t always the problem - there’s no indication of the date when individual posts are made. All that is available when people search for a specific item (which a search for “free browser” suggests may have been the case here), the only indication that it’s an antique thread is the date-of-last-post on the results page. Once you’re reading the thread, there’s no telling. I’ve nearly made that mistake several times. Hm… when I look at a thread, I get the date and time stamp for every post in the thread. In the upper-left side of each post. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/6 "2004-06-12T02:08:41Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Hm… when I look at a thread, I get the date and time stamp for every post in the thread. In the upper-left side of each post. Not for me. Strange. I’m on Mozilla on Linux at the minute, with some custom font settings, but that shouldn’t be the issue. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/7 "2004-06-12T02:10:37Z")
And looking back, the guy even _titled_ his thread to acknowledge the bump. So when _is_ this “do not bump” cut-off, Czarcasm? One year? One month? One week? ---
**Author:** ![quilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/839c29/32.png) [@quilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quilter)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/8 "2004-06-12T02:11:05Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Hm… when I look at a thread, I get the date and time stamp for every post in the thread. In the upper-left side of each post. I get the time stamp, too. However (mea cupla!) I neglected to actually _read_ it… ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/9 "2004-06-12T02:19:52Z")
As I (who am not a mod) understand it: You shouldn’t post to threads that have been dead for about three months. This is so the mods don’t have to waste time re-reading a thread that they either don’t recognize or didn’t read the first time around, though I’m sure there are other reasons. It’s recommended to continue an older conversation to start a new OP, with a link to the previous thread. They’ve been lenient in some instances, usually in threads that are meant to last a while and are labeled as such. The first _24_ thread of the season comes to mind, we usually add to it without any problem, since the title usually reflects that it was OPed at the beginning of the current season. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/10 "2004-06-12T02:19:55Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > I’ve obviously missed something in the short time I’ve been around here, maybe someone could quickly tell me: > > 1. Why can you not respond to old threads? > and > 2. What is the cut-off limit? > > Not trying to be smart or anything, just genuinely curious. > > thanks 3 months, according to [the FAQs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=1997121&postcount=7). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/11 "2004-06-12T02:22:34Z")
What they said. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/12 "2004-06-12T02:25:58Z")
OK, fair enough. “The message board with an FAQ that actually answers questions” ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/13 "2004-06-12T02:32:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What they said. I got it right? Sweet! Hey, uh, can I borrow the mod hat? I mean, just for a sec, just to try. You can even put it on me if you don’t trust me. I won’t ake it or anyth- _Ow! Fuc- ow!_ OK, I’m sorry Mr. slyt- _ow! Czarcasm! Mr. Czarcasm!_ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/14 "2004-06-12T02:36:39Z")
The hat means nothing to me. _This_ Mad Mod wears Moderator Underoos. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/15 "2004-06-12T02:52:20Z")
Couldn’t the Admins or Jerry the Tech Guy run some sort of script that closes all threads over 3 months old? Then nobody could post to them. Set it to run nightly and this problem will go away forever. ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/16 "2004-06-12T13:11:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The hat means nothing to me. _This_ Mad Mod wears Moderator Underoos. 😃 That is soooo hot. _blushes, swoons, hits the floor_ ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/17 "2004-06-12T15:18:28Z")
Is it strange I now find myself missing my 6-year-old-self’s Wonder Woman Underoos? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/18 "2004-06-12T15:43:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The hat means nothing to me. _This_ Mad Mod wears Moderator Underoos. 😃 Photo, please. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/19 "2004-06-12T19:49:33Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Couldn’t the Admins or Jerry the Tech Guy run some sort of script that closes all threads over 3 months old? Then nobody could post to them. Old threads are acceptable if they’re [still active](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=176500). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918/20 "2004-06-12T21:13:29Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Couldn’t the Admins or Jerry the Tech Guy run some sort of script that closes all threads over 3 months old? Then nobody could post to them. > > Set it to run nightly and this problem will go away forever. I understand there is a general disinclination to tinker with the architecture of the bulletin board. I believe that this principle underlies a basic policy of minimizing the number of scripts that are added, unless they are absolutely necessary. The do-it-yourself Returned Materials application page where I work, BTW, doesn’t allow completion with any browser except IE, and I’ve heard Conqueror for Linux users. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-why-lock-this-czarcasm/249918.md?page=2)