# Can we just dump "zombie calling" altogether? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 12, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293 "2018-04-12T14:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/41 "2018-04-13T12:52:02Z")
Oh MY GOD!!! Jokes. In messages posted on this board. Tired and weary jokes. What a shock. I make mention of the fact that a thread is a zombie not to make the person (often a newbie) feel bad about resurrecting an old thread, but to alert people reading the thread that the thread is a zombie. It’s not always easy to figure that out, since many of us simply click on the “go to first new post” button, and won’t see that there is a substantial gap in posts. If I’m making mention of the fact that the thread is a zombie thread, I can say something like, “Just FYI: this thread is a zombie.” Or, I can be cute and make some sort of light-hearted comment that has an element of humor. I guess that’s annoying to some people; I won’t apologize for it, as I suspect that the number annoyed is substantially fewer than the number not annoyed. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/42 "2018-04-13T12:58:59Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Great word. I bet never used to describe that here–I suggest putting that in a sticky just to let them know the caliber of the folks around here. > > Isn’t the same word used to describe the amount of time after an ejaculation before a man can achieve another erection? 😃 I’m not sayin’ NUTHIN’! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/43 "2018-04-13T13:06:54Z")
I see that I received a request from **Colibri** about this very thing in a thread he closed. “Personally appreciate”. With respect, sir, you do not as a Moderator have the authority to “personally appreciate” that posters modify their behavior to make you happy. As I stated above, the point of the post is NOT to a) get a moderator to close the thread (I would report it if that was what I thought was needed, as I have in the past) or b) inform the new poster of anything. It serves the VERY VALID PURPOSE of informing every other poster following that the thread has been resurrected. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/44 "2018-04-13T14:22:15Z")
I have personally appreciated things people have done for me many times over the years(a few times as a mod here), but apparently I didn’t have the proper authority to do so. For this, I personally apologize to all those I have offended…unless I don’t have the proper authority to do that, either. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/45 "2018-04-13T14:28:18Z")
I suggest the word “Reported” be changed to “orgasm donated”, and the function renamed; “Orgasm donation.” Then we wouldn’t have 3 or 4 “reported” posts in a row, as in a current thread. And, the mods could brag about who got the most orgasm donations. ---
**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 13, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/46 "2018-04-13T14:52:57Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I see that I received a request from **Colibri** about this very thing in a thread he closed. “Personally appreciate”. With respect, sir, you do not as a Moderator have the authority to “personally appreciate” that posters modify their behavior to make you happy. As I stated above, the point of the post is NOT to a) get a moderator to close the thread (I would report it if that was what I thought was needed, as I have in the past) or b) inform the new poster of anything. It serves the VERY VALID PURPOSE of informing every other poster following that the thread has been resurrected. No it doesn’t, which is my main point. This was the entirety of your post in the thread in question, which was the first one after its resurrection: > [@"I'm coming!": orgasm lingo in other languages....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-coming-orgasm-lingo-in-other-languages/353155/57): > > But do ZOMBIES say something different?? This only informs veteran posters that the thread is old. It will be enigmatic not just to the newbie who bumped it but also to anyone else not familiar with the joke. The point of your post specifically was merely to make the joke, not to inform people that the thread is old. It is not some kind of public service to other posters. You could accomplish this much more effectively in another way. If you want to inform people that a thread is old, then you’re welcome to do so. You can even post a zombie joke if you absolutely must. But the way you did it is not courteous to the person who bumped the thread, nor to others who may be not be familiar with this board. Why is this so important that you that you want to persist with behavior you’ve been informed is annoying? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/47 "2018-04-13T15:01:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > … > > Why is this so important that you that you want to persist with behavior you’ve been informed is annoying? Perhaps **Shodan** will field this question for us. I’d be interested in hearing his opinion on this matter. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/48 "2018-04-13T15:34:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > As I just posted in a thread in GQ, I would personally appreciate it if people would stop doing this. The “joke” is beyond old. And when you just post a zombie joke, or worse, “Braaaaiiiiins,” it serves no purpose. It doesn’t inform the newbie of the policy, or why it is frowned upon. It’s almost as annoying as spam. If you see an old thread bumped, just report it. **There is absolutely no reason to post a zombie joke.** > > This said, I don’t think there is any reason to make a new rule on it. Lame jokes by themselves aren’t against the rules, and I don’t think there is a reason to prohibit them. Bolding mine. I disagree. It helps to serve as an indicator that the thread is, indeed, a zombie thread. Many people read posts and reply without looking at the dates, both new posters who resurrect zombie threads and established SDMB members who are replying to the new post (I know I’ve also seen people reply to a zombie and then reply again when they find an older post they made from back when the thread was newly current). Are we also prepared to ban replies to the effect of “Hey, New Poster, just FYI this is an old thread and many of the people who participated in it may no longer be around (or even remember this thread)”? Both serve the same purpose, just one has a snark/comedy angle to it. ETA: I see that many others have made the same point; cool. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/49 "2018-04-13T15:39:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Why is this so important that you that you want to persist with behavior you’ve been informed is annoying? :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [April 13, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/50 "2018-04-13T15:55:09Z")
There’s an old adage that goes something like “You only get one chance to make a first impression”, and I wonder if someone might take “ZOMBIE!!” and/or “Brains!!” as a personal insult about their intelligence. I know that some want to get their tired jokes in, but I also know the the difference between telling a joke _to_ someone(your fellow jokesters), and telling a joke _about_ someone(the first-timer who probably doesn’t know why you are mocking her/him). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/51 "2018-04-13T16:24:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > There’s an old adage that goes something like “You only get one chance to make a first impression”, and I wonder if someone might take “ZOMBIE!!” and/or “Brains!!” as a personal insult about their intelligence. I know that some want to get their tired jokes in, but I also know the the difference between telling a joke _to_ someone(your fellow jokesters), and telling a joke _about_ someone(the first-timer who probably doesn’t know why you are mocking her/him). “Zombie” is hardly a localized joke though. Anybody who’s been in a MB is going to get the reference. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/52 "2018-04-13T16:34:51Z")
Plus, if they’re not smart enough to look at a date, do we really want them around here? 😃 ---
**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:** [April 13, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/53 "2018-04-13T16:53:24Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Plus, if they’re not smart enough to look at a date, do we really want them around here? > > 😃 Thank you for pointing out the mixed message I’m seeing here: “It’s all just just fun and games…and it’s not like we wanted here you any way”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/54 "2018-04-13T17:09:33Z")
I think you’re wildly overstating the harm of zombie jokes. Most thread necromancers never post again even if they are not made fun of. My cite is the Stewart Sandwiches thread, which has dozens of well-meaning and even insightful bumps and very little teasing. How many of those posters stuck around? It’s reasonable enough to be annoyed at tired jokes, but not so much the “won’t somebody think of the newbies” argument. Nobody is being driven from the dope because of braaaaaiiiins. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/55 "2018-04-13T17:29:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Thank you for pointing out the mixed message I’m seeing here: “It’s all just just fun and games…and it’s not like we wanted here you any way”. I was 100% kidding, but honestly I _would_ prefer quality over quantity. Maybe from a financial standpoint the Dope just wants as many members as they can get, but from where I’m sitting I would much prefer a smaller group of thoughtful, well-educated people than a larger group of one-word posters who contribute nothing to the thread. And you know exactly who I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/56 "2018-04-13T17:37:41Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > I was 100% kidding, but honestly I _would_ prefer quality over quantity. Maybe from a financial standpoint the Dope just wants as many members as they can get, but from where I’m sitting I would much prefer a smaller group of thoughtful, well-educated people than a larger group of one-word posters who contribute nothing to the thread. And you know exactly who I’m talking about. I’m with you one the one word posters. But if all you want on this board is “well educated” members, I kind of think you’re missing the point of this board’s mission charter. And ironically, I find this sentiment more abrasive than any “zombie joke” I’ve ever read. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/57 "2018-04-13T17:59:44Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I’m with you one the one word posters. But if all you want on this board is “well educated” members, I kind of think you’re missing the point of this board’s mission charter. And ironically, I find this sentiment more abrasive than any “zombie joke” I’ve ever read. I apologize, I didn’t literally mean “well-educated”. I mean people who are able to string together a complete sentence on a text-based medium. I myself am not well-educated, haha, but I do think before I post and try to use correct grammar. Anyway, back on topic, I never got the impression zombie jokes hurt anybody’s feelings, but I still think a simple warning message when posting to an old thread would solve it, if it’s possible to implement something like that. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/58 "2018-04-13T18:01:27Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t care about the joke per say, but I do appreciate being told I’m in a zombie thread. I concur. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/59 "2018-04-13T18:10:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Are we also prepared to ban replies to the effect of “Hey, New Poster, just FYI this is an old thread and many of the people who participated in it may no longer be around (or even remember this thread)”? Both serve the same purpose, just one has a snark/comedy angle to it. Except that it’s no longer comedic after the 8,000th time. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293/60 "2018-04-13T18:34:16Z")
I"d prefer just a, “Welcome Newbie. FYI, this thread was started back in 2004 and most of the participants are no longer on this message board.” Maybe I’m just really sensitive, but I’ve always hated the experience of starting a new job and everyone in the department is constantly dropping inside jokes. Me, as the newbie, and desperately wanting to fit in as a ‘team player’ getting all queasy because I don’t know the reference. Now, of course, a message board isn’t as big of a deal . But still, as a newbie, I’d be taken back if I’d posted a legitimate response to a thread and then I"m bombarded with references to brains. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-just-dump-zombie-calling-altogether/812293.md?page=4)