Not necessarily true. When they bump an old thread, people often apologize for bumping a zombie. In that context, I think there’s no objection to it, since that’s just the board term for an old thread.
The problem is when someone just posts “ZOMBIE!” or “BRAAAIIINS” with no further explanation when someone else bumps and old thread, which is neither funny nor informs a newbie of what the “joke” is about.
Does this happen often? I’ve seen lots of snarky zombie-related puns, not so much standalone “ZOMBIE!” or “BRAAIIINS!”
It happens often enough. Or similarly cryptic phrases that aren’t really much of a joke or informative.
I just feel like we’re stuffing these zombies with straw. People don’t like zombie jokes? Fine - totally acceptable to not be into them. But is there any compelling evidence that zombie jokes are driving newbies from the board? Like I pointed out above, it seems more reasonable to assume that the majority of newbie threadbumpers never come back at all, even without zombie jokes.
I mentioned the Stewart Sandwich thread above, but maybe that one is an outlier. So I looked at another oft-bumped thread. I only looked at the first 200 posts, but that spans 12 years and plenty of newbies.
Out of all the bumps in the first 12 years, three of the posters stuck around long enough to post more than once - but only in that thread. Not a single one of them ever ventured away to post elsewhere on the forums. That thread has some joking about the bumps, but nothing at all offputting. Many of them got legitimate responses from established posters.
So is there any evidence at all that BRAIINS are driving away newbies? Because there appears to be evidence that a newbie who bumps an old thread is extremely unlikely to stick around regardless of their reception.
I’ve been fooled by old threads where none of the old posters had the common courtesy to get banned and thus serve as a signal to the age of the thread.
How about a guideline, not a rule, that the first poster noticing a zombie thread has been brought back posts a note saying that the new poster should not expect responses from people posting 10 years ago.
I don’t think one or two joke posts - preferably with content - are amiss. After that forget it - you’ve been ninjaed.
“Reported” is the worst option. It is good when you don’t want to encourage a spammer or malicious poster with a response, but it sounds justifiably harsh and could scare off a newbie far more than a joke.
Then there are zombie conductors, who are after TRAAIIINS.
Make a note of that word, and give it to Susan.*
The Zombie/Brains thing is really stupid and often misplaced. Posters should stop being so lame.
IS THIS A FUCKING IN-JOKE?!
I hate those bastards. I’m never posting here again.
ADA violation reported.
We already have someone around here for reporting ADA violations, and it’s not you.
ADA violation reporting violation reported.
Ahhh, it’s my scoliosis, isn’t it?!
reported.
Are you trying to be funny? If so, I think you have failed as dismally as Carrot Top.
You mean LAAAME.
Took the words right out of my fingertips.
I’m tempted to see if there’s any old threads about neuroscience to resurrect. That way, when the smartasses post “BRAIIIIINS,” it will actually be relevant.
Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! Well-played, sir!
^This.
Too many times I’ve seen long time posters post to a revived thread, without looking at the dates, thinking it is a current thread. The simple stupid zombie joke is a reminder to long time posters that they should be aware of the nature of the thread.
Which is of much greater value than just reporting the thread, IMHO.
Not asking if it’s magically funny to the "sick of it"camp. Asking the mods if this or a similar note would assuage their concerns about scaring off newbies.
I really don’t buy the idea that zombie jokes will “scare off newbies”, especially considering how on a lot of boards responding to a thread more than 18 hours old will be met with a snippy “Stop necroposting!”