# A lot of zombie threads lately? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 9, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309 "2012-04-09T22:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/1 "2012-04-09T22:22:31Z")
Has there been an unusually large number of zombie threads in the past week or so? It feels like it. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/2 "2012-04-10T00:03:03Z")
Spring Break? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/3 "2012-04-10T00:10:48Z")
Wal-Mart is having a special on brains. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/4 "2012-04-10T01:16:23Z")
No. Just lots of ATMB threads about zombie threads. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/5 "2012-04-11T12:27:42Z")
I still don’t understand why they happen so often. I mean, the internet has been around for quite a while now, and if I ran across something online, I sure as heck wouldn’t assume that was currently active, or that the people who last wrote something would still be around to see my response. I’d at least look for a date stamp. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/6 "2012-04-11T12:45:01Z")
I agree, **Thudlow** , but not everyone on the internet is that savvy. And, in many cases, it doesn’t matter that a thread is old. If you think you’ve got something new and interesting to add, then so what if it’s an old conversation? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/7 "2012-04-11T13:07:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I still don’t understand why they happen so often. Frankly, I think the most surprising thing isn’t the existence of zombie threads, it’s the monthly question asking about zombie threads. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/8 "2012-04-11T13:17:18Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I still don’t understand why they happen so often. I mean, the internet has been around for quite a while now, and if I ran across something online, I sure as heck wouldn’t assume that was currently active, or that the people who last wrote something would still be around to see my response. I’d at least look for a date stamp. There’s a search function. Sometimes people search for stuff, find it interesting and then add a comment. And get this, SOMETIMES THEY DO IT WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE DATE. Shocking, I know. They should be beaten with sticks. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/9 "2012-04-11T14:35:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I still don’t understand why they happen so often. I mean, the internet has been around for quite a while now, and if I ran across something online, I sure as heck wouldn’t assume that was currently active, or that the people who last wrote something would still be around to see my response. I’d at least look for a date stamp. Couple years/20 months back I needed some info on some odd toy soldiers. I posted here and got a little info but not much. I found a website and message board that looked to answer some of my questions but not all but the last post or activity was 2005. What the heck? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I signed up and made a post. A week later one of the old members responded, e-mailed me and the questions got answered. The whole site was basically a zombie but the mail forwards from the old message board still worked and at least one guy still have the same e-mail address. This is a long way of saying I don’t really care what the last date stamp was. To fight my own ignorance I’ll revive a zombie if I have to and sometimes it gets good results. Sometimes not. But I can live with that. Now, on the other hand, resurrect one to give my favorite color? Probably not. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/10 "2012-04-11T16:23:34Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’d at least look for a date stamp. There are members that have been here for years that claim that they answer zombie threads without looking at the dates, and that seems to get some of them upset. It’s ironic that they complain about “newbies” posting in zombie threads when they do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/11 "2012-04-11T16:43:47Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > There are members that have been here for years that claim that they answer zombie threads without looking at the dates, and that seems to get some of them upset. It’s ironic that they complain about “newbies” posting in zombie threads when they do the same thing. They complain about newbies creating the zombie threads. They feel they shouldn’t have to check the date stamp every time they open a thread on this MB, but people stumbling on it for the first time should. Bit of a difference. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/12 "2012-04-11T16:51:08Z")
Somebody needs to bump this thread in 2017 or so. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/13 "2012-04-11T21:06:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > They complain about newbies creating the zombie threads. They feel they shouldn’t have to check the date stamp every time they open a thread on this MB, but people stumbling on it for the first time should. Bit of a difference. The only difference (IMHO) is one of degree. And, as **kopek** notes, even if some newcomer does look at a date stamp, why would that stop them from commenting in that old thread? How’re they supposed to know to start a new thread (starting a new thread, they might be scolded for not searching for the old thread.) In short, to repeat, the mods just don’t see it as much of a problem, if there are occasional thread revivals – sort of like theatre and Broadway. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/14 "2012-04-12T13:06:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > They complain about newbies creating the zombie threads. They feel they shouldn’t have to check the date stamp every time they open a thread on this MB, but people stumbling on it for the first time should. Bit of a difference. No, I’m talking about the ones that respond, and then get all bent out of shape when they realize it is an old thread because they didn’t look before responding. There is no difference other than the new people don’t care, and the established ones get bent out of shape. If the people that don’t even respond get upset, then there is something wrong with them as well. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-zombie-threads-lately/618309/15 "2012-04-12T13:12:06Z")
Weird thing I’ve noticed is that most of them seem to be from 2010, way above any other year.