We’ve been analyzing the utility of auto-locking support threads for a while, and we’ve noticed that support threads usually stop being relevant when the next major LTS version of Blender comes out. We’ve also noticed that support threads generally stop receiving replies within a few months of initial posting. Lastly, we’ve observed that most other major Discourse forums out there have auto-locks to prevent necro-bumping.
As Blender has a set release schedule where major breaking changes happen every two years or less, necro-bumping is particularly unhelpful with Blender support questions. It’s rare, but not uncommon to see a 14-year-old thread about “how do I do X in 2.7” revived by someone who doesn’t realize how much things have changed since then.
We already discursge necro-bumping and, our typical response is to lock the thread after a necro-bump. However, it would be far more efficient to solve the problem before it happens, instead of waiting for it to happen to react.
All that is to say- all support threads will now auto-lock after two years