# bumping

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 8, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934 "2003-07-08T03:59:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934/1 "2003-07-08T03:59:52Z")

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what does it mean when a person “bumps” a thread?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934/2 "2003-07-08T04:05:50Z")

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It means to post to it to put it back up at the top of the tread listings.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934/3 "2003-07-08T12:39:39Z")

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[Guidelines](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106617&postid=1997121&#post1997121) for bumping threads.

[quote]  
If you start a thread, and after a while think you would like more comments on it, you may be tempted to “bump” the thread by adding a post to make the thread reappear back at the top of the forum list. We **strongly discourage** this practice, but since the boards are so busy sometimes a single “bump” will bring about good results. Our guidelines:

[list=A][li]Wait until a suitable time has elapsed (at least until your thread is no longer visible on the first page of the forum)[/li][li]Bump your thread only once[/li][li]Do **not** make a habit of **always** bumping **each** of your threads.[/list][/li][/quote]

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumping/186934/4 "2003-07-08T15:05:38Z")

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This is really a question About This Message Board. Since it has been answered, I’ll just close it rather than move it.