Just to let everyone know that moderators now have the access to LOCK topics rather than just delete them.   We will be using this function quite a lot when a topic starts to go downhill.  In the past we had to either let it stay or delete completely.                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks Matt hopefully it will alleviate the frustration members felt when threads were deleted  .
                                                                                                                                                                             

  Personally I'd rather a thread was deleted than locked. It's irritating, as a newbie, to want to add comments to a topic (no matter how old the topic, if it's of interest) and can't.                                                                                                                                                                                 

Funny, but I was considering causing mayhem the other night when I was in a mischevious mood and was going to comment on threads from the first days of BM. I decided to behave in the end....for a change; lol.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Sandi trouble is some need locking before thay can be deleted due to other resons, most old post that your thinking of are unlikey to be locked as there would be no reson to lock them                                                                                                                                                                             

Nice one Boss Man should save some confusion :)                                                                                                                                                                              

may i make a suggestion 

would it not be helpfully if the mod that locks the thread they post on the thread stating why the thread has been locked 

this would then let newbies know that the thread has been locked and as sandi stated eleveate the issue of newbies thinking the site is not what they are looking for .                                                                                                                                                                             

I think it's a given that an explanation will be given when a topic is locked although I reckon for the most part it will be self-explanatory!                                                                                                                                                                             

I have to agree with Sandi and Loon on this one to avoid confusion and bad feeling a brief explanation as to why a member can no longer post on the thread that has been locked.   Its something that if I had the need to do I would put as last posting, that way if a member has a query as to why its been locked they could PM the person that has locked it.                                                                                                                                                                             

As stated i think its a given that a Mod would post an explaination as to why the thread has been locked.                                                                                                                                                                              

At last!!   I've been suggesting this time and time again
 
                                                                                                                                                                              

Nice, although I used to lock threads with nothing more than "Enough" ;p  Doesn't explain anything unless you read the thread ;)                                                                                                                                                                              

Mods will of course put a last and final note on a topic when they lock it - same as when they change your photo or delete your forum post etc - you'll get a PM.   Any topic over 2 months old cannot be posted in. There's good reason for this... some newbies come along and re-open a dozen topics from 4 years ago which no longer apply any more. It causes MASSIVE confusion, hassle for me and the mods, and even more upset to the newbie when their posts get deleted to put the topic back where it was.   All forums need an "archive" and this is BM's automatic archive - i.e. you can't post if nobody else has posted in 2 months.  Exception being any member of staff (mods, event team, etc) who can always revive older topics if absolutely necessary                                                                                                                                                                             

  Matt, you'll be able to lock topics that don't require responses, such as informative ones about the site, stops all those off-topic posts.                                                                                                                                                                              

except if they don't!                                                                                                                                                                             

Matt, I take it you will have the final say if threads are locked?
What if a mod locks a thread because of their personal opinion unnecessarily, would there be scope to unlock it?                                                                                                                                                                             

BD its the norm that if any Mod has a strong personal reason for an opinion on any thread, they usually ask another Mod to look at it.   I for one would ask another Mod for their opinion or to look at it if i was unsure or thought i could not be objective and unbiased.                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes if anyone wants a topic unlocking you can email the mods group via the contact page.  However, most topics that are locked will be so for a good reason.  Just because you was involved in the original topic and want to "have your say" doesn't warrant having it remain open.

So the Bikers? thread has been locked by a mod with no explanation. I was under the impression that it was a given that explanantions would be given for the reasons. Yes it may be obvious, but i find it frustrating that the thread has the final say of a hypocrite.

  Oops B D my fault, I locked it so it wouldn't get out of hand anymore and I was just about to notify a mod about it.