Zombie jokes are the only reason to allow zombie threads…
(and they do serve as a useful and amusing reminder that you’re reading a corpse thread)
I’m going to guess that the software doesn’t allow for this, but I think one thing that would be helpful is if the board had a way of changing the color of (or otherwise highlighting, somehow) posts that are, say, more than a year old from the date of viewing. It wouldn’t stop the newbie posters, but it would definitely prevent the rest of us from being fooled until we’re at the end of the thread. Like, maybe all of the really old posts could be graped or something.
As an aside, the thing that has usually alerted me lately that a thread I’m reading is a zombie is finding a reference to a poster who has since changed their user name. I find myself doing the, “Why would someone have called her th–OHHHHHhhhhh!” :smack:
Why don’t we just sit on this question, for, say, a year, then come back and revisit it?
Or, better yet, maybe some new poster will come along and revive this thread in a year or so, to see how things are going…
-XT
[prof Farnsworth]
Good news, everyone! I have a package here from 2013! How are things back in 2011?
[/prof]
This thread has a greasemonkey script to mark threads over 4 months old.
Messy Zombie: STAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNS!!!
Dyslexic Zmobie: BRIIIIAAAAANNNSSS!!!
Health food zombies:
(whole) GRAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNSSSSS!!!
In most cases I don’t think that should matter.
If comments were only for the particular people previously posted in a thread, that would be pointless, or nearly so. But I try to conceive posts as responses to the ideas. Even with seemingly personal and specific topics, it’s a good bet that other readers besides the OP (or besides the entire SDMB readership at the time of the OP) have entertained similar thoughts. With the board open to Google particularly, threads will keep being read by people, who may or may not ever register to post here at all.
Anyway, Cecil routinely revives “zombie” columns, some of them much older than the oldest SDMB threads.
I don’t see the value of closing this thread. So a two-year-old question has become the subject of a Staff Report, with its own new thread. What does the splitting accomplish, besides making it less likely for somebody who discovers the topic from the front page to see, for example, Kimmy Gibbler’s good comments in the original.
Maybe if two people mention it, people will see it.
It won’t stop the noobs from raising zombies, but at least you’ll know it happened and can respond accordingly.
I think Zombies that have been resurrected by regulars to make updates or for other reasons should stay open.
I think Zombies re-opened by first time one time posters should be immediately closed, with a polite not explaining why.
I agree that the “brains! brains!” joke is way past its expy date, and is unecessarily off putting.
That shouldn’t matter. You can find numerous current threads where the OP, a one-trick pony, never returned. What matters is whether or not the current membership finds value in the thread and starts participating in it again. If we do, then the thread has value. If we don’t, then it falls to the bottom of the forum and into the netherworld once again. No bullet needed.
Weather Girl Zombie:
RAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNS!!!
You know, if everybody who doesn’t like zombie threads would stop posting in them after they’ve been resurrected (typically to make repeated zombie jokes), they would fall down the forum list much quicker. The more people who post zombie jokes rather than continue the conversation, the longer the thread remains pointlessly* at the top of the forum list to suck in more people.
*If people are continuing the conversation, then they aren’t pointlessly at the top of the forum list.
Frasier and Niles Zombies: CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANES!!!
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.
Well, you know it, because you’ve been around for a while. But new posters have no idea. So they aren’t a very effective form of service compared to just pointing out that it’s an old thread.