# Am I unique in wishing zombie threads were still disallowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 14, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386 "2011-04-14T17:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/101 "2011-04-24T23:48:38Z")
Well fuck the newbies. That’ll learn 'em not to know every Doper cultural idiosyncracy before they show up here in foreignland! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/102 "2011-04-25T01:24:01Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Well fuck the newbies. That’ll learn 'em not to know every Doper cultural idiosyncracy before they show up here in foreignland! Of course, that’s why they revive zombies in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/103 "2011-04-25T01:52:41Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Of course, that’s why they revive zombies in the first place. No, it’s the jokes. They want to see the stupid zombie jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/104 "2011-04-25T15:39:39Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Actually, I think the zombie jokes are a form of public service. If you see them, you know it is a zombie thread. Otherwise, just how many people check out the date of the OP before they respond? I sure as hell don’t. But as has been [del]whined about[/del] pointed out several times lately, it is an ineffective warning because it comes at the end of the thread, after you have read through the entire thread. And really, if you read through the thread and have something useful to say, what does it matter that the thread is old? Sure, the person you are responding to might not be around, but the conversation is still readable, the ideas are still viable. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/105 "2011-04-25T23:39:13Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > And really, if you read through the thread and have something useful to say, what does it matter that the thread is old? Because even though (generic) you thinks you’ve got something useful to say, chances are you actually don’t because no-one likely cares about that topic anymore and has no further interest in discussing it. Obviously updates for the outcomes or breaking news on the topic don’t count, before anyone tries to bring them up. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/106 "2011-04-26T03:21:24Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Because even though (generic) you thinks you’ve got something useful to say, chances are you actually don’t because no-one likely cares about that topic anymore and has no further interest in discussing it. In GQ zombies occasionally will take on new life, but the great majority sink back to oblivion after only a few new posts (which are usually mainly zombie jokes). If it was an interesting topic in the first place, most of the important points have already been made. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/107 "2011-04-26T06:27:39Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > And really, if you read through the thread and have something useful to say, what does it matter that the thread is old? Sure, the person you are responding to might not be around, but the conversation is still readable, the ideas are still viable. A couple zombies I’ve read recently were about people asking about their specific situation. And the situation was time-specific too. So I guess if someone was in that exact same situation right now, it could be useful to them. But the odds are probably against it. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/108 "2011-04-26T14:53:20Z")
Fits under evaluation of “useful”. Should the person consider the timeliness in their response? Sure. Should the person not reply simply because the thread is old? No. Should the person revive a long-dead thread to post “me too”? No. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/109 "2011-04-27T13:09:23Z")
There’s a locked zombie thread in the Pit right now and at the bottom of the OP [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=873592&postcount=1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=873592&postcount=1) \*\*tomndebb \*\*has an edit saying “this is a zombie thread from ten years ago.” I saw it right after I read through the OP and I was glad to see it because I knew right there what was going on. Would it be possible for a mod to post a similar edit in the OP of a zombie thread if someone reports it as a zombie? That way people who are bad at noticing post dates (guilty!) know as soon as they read the first post and can decide whether or nor they want to read the rest and/or join in the zombie joke-o-rama. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/110 "2011-04-27T14:25:31Z")
We don’t add stuff to posts. Apparently, if we do so, we change our legal status, and become liable for anything that is in a post, even if we haven’t edited it. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/111 "2011-04-27T16:13:31Z")
It’s certainly _possible_, mods add comments to OPs all the time (like in CC putting the link). Whether mods wish to take on that as a standard responsibility is the question. Given that they are currently putting a comment at the end of the thread, would it be better to put it at beginning? Do both? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/112 "2011-04-27T16:22:12Z")
They could add a [zombie] to the title to make it easier yet. Then posters could get in the habit of just reporting the thread for the title change. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/113 "2011-04-27T17:02:44Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > They could add a [zombie] to the title to make it easier yet. Then posters could get in the habit of just reporting the thread for the title change. How many times do I have to tell you to stop being smarter than me, **What Exit?** That’s an excellent and simple idea. It wouldn’t chase away newbies and would let prissy folks like me recognize zombie threads. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/114 "2011-04-27T18:28:51Z")
I would suggest a better word than “zombie”, except I don’t have a better word. “Old” or “dead” have the same flaw of just provoking more questions from the uninformed. Can you imagine the number of threads getting opened in ATMB that ask, “What does zombie mean in a thread title?” But it’s a reasonable solution if we’re going to keep them open. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/115 "2011-04-28T12:59:21Z")
[Old thread] as an addition to the title would be good enough. Even n00bs will understand what it means, and won’t ask about it, unlike [Zombie]. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/117 "2014-11-14T13:29:14Z")
“Sophia Peletier”-zombie from the “Walking Dead” TV series. Cute. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/118 "2014-11-14T14:34:09Z")
So this is now a zombie thread on zombie threads zombified by a zombie. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386/119 "2014-11-14T15:00:53Z")
Yeah. But let’s just close this mess and be done with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-unique-in-wishing-zombie-threads-were-still-disallowed/578386.md?page=5)