Why Lock the Alex Trade Post?

Mods...can you pls explain why you locked the Alex trade post and put "RUMOR" on it? I don't think it's a rumor...it may be unofficial 'til 12 Mar, but seems a bit hasty to brand it as a rumor and lock it down. What gives?

In before the explanation and lock

Hai

Discussions on the Smith trade were taking place in several threads simultaneously. So I locked the redundant threads .

..and it was labelled rumor prior to the news of today.