Re: Locking the portrait gallery update thread
No, locking it would mean that people with genuine questions regarding the updates would not be able to post to it, and that is one of the reasons the thread exists.
I've asked people not to post in it just to chat, and so far they have complied.
Might I suggest that, in future, you don't use the new message indicator as a signal that it's time to send in new portrait submissions, but actually take a look at the thread to see why it's been posted to - it might just be somebody asking a question about the portraits.