Putting a mod-note in the OP that it’s a revived thread seems like a great way to placate the anti-“zombie” types while still letting an old thread be revived.
I know it can’t be done with every revived thread, but still–I really like the solution there.
Thanks. I’ve been doing that for a few months, now, since our last ATMB go-around on leaving zombies open or closing them.
I like it too. 
I favor that sort of action as well. Would a Mod Note [in a box like this] in the title work as well – obviously with fewer words or maybe even a codeword like RZ (for Revived Zombie)?
I suspect a large percentage of revived zombies are by the hands of newcomers or Google browsers who may not even know there’s an FAQ or posting rules or the like. Having them to be expected to read the fine print is perhaps a bit much. Maybe [Old Thread] would work?
That’s like closing the barn door after the horse is out. To stop “newcomers” from doing that would involve labeling every single thread after a certain date.
I should have specified that such labeling would be done AFTER a zombie revival. Until they’re revived it’s surely not worth the effort. Besides, it was just an alternative to the Mod Note in the OP.
Not a bad, idea but people wouldn’t always notice that little writing at the bottom of the screen. I,personally, don’t usually read the reason for editing. It would be even better if you added something like this at the bottom of the first post:
=====================================
This is a Zombie thread
You’re missing out on one of the comedy sections of SDMB…
Sometimes.
-D/a
This thread has been Zombied by the Zombieist
I like that a bit better. Maybe something simpler, but in red. Even looking for the mod note I still didn’t see it.
I still like what I’ve seen on another VB site. If a thread has been inactive for a certain number of days you have to check a box before hitting submit acknowledging that it’s a zombie thread which then takes you to another screen where you have to acknowledge again that you’re about to reanimate a zombie thread (that you likely have nothing useful to add too it).
OTOH, I really have no problem with zombie threads anyways and I hate that we have another thread about zombie threads every few weeks.
Whoever is an “anit-zombie type,” I don’t think anything will stop those people who compulsively must immediately jam in some lame excuse of a zombie joke every time one comes up, because
I like this idea. Though I do sometimes read the reasons for editing, I missed Tom’s note on the thread noted by the OP. I like that Zoms are now OK, but sometimes I don’t realize a thread is a zombie until I’ve gotten way into it. So, yeah, I like the red.
I really like the idea of putting it in the thread title. In red is also good. I just hate getting sucked in before Irealize it’s a zombie. . .
You assume that we all read the boards the same way - it seems like you routinely look at the date stamp and know a post is old immediately. I don’t. I also rarely notice who posted what, as I generally ignore usernames unless I have some reason to track who said what, or a post reminds me of something I know about them, so I might not notice that the OP has left/been banned/has died/etc.
I might get rather far into a thread and think I’d like to participate…until the zombie joke comes in. I suppose there could be a standard phrasing, but that seems obnoxious. I don’t think people making the jokes are anti-zombie, so much as they are just trying to put in a warning to others who don’t look at date stamps and add a little humour to it. I generally enjoy the jokes.
I’m fine with adding a mod note in the OP, but I’m also fine with the zombie jokes as a warning too.