# More on zombie threads

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 16, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109 "2016-09-16T21:09:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109/1 "2016-09-16T21:09:40Z")

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**Quartz** [reanimated a thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19633543&posted=1#post19633543) and states that he posted to it after it showed up in his list of new threads despite no new activity in it until his post.

How does that happen?

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109/2 "2016-09-16T21:13:23Z")

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He mentioned it might have been brought to life by a spammer.

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**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:** [September 16, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109/3 "2016-09-16T21:15:49Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> **Quartz** [reanimated a thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19633543&posted=1#post19633543) and states that he posted to it after it showed up in his list of new threads despite no new activity in it until his post.
> 
> How does that happen?

It was bumped by a spammer, whose post was deleted by **engineer\_comp\_geek.**

It appears to you that **Quartz’s** was the first new post because you can’t see the deleted post.

If a bumped thread receives replies I will sometimes note that it was bumped by a spammer, but not necessarily.

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109/4 "2016-09-16T21:30:06Z")

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Ah. Makes sense.

How often, do you think, is that the cause of reanimation?

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**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:** [September 16, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-on-zombie-threads/766109/5 "2016-09-16T21:48:22Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> How often, do you think, is that the cause of reanimation?

It used to be quite common, but seems much less so now (but it’s still pretty common). Most spammers (especially the streaming spammers) post new threads rather than bumping old ones.

In GQ I will generally close zombies that have been bumped by a spammer unless in the meantime someone has added significant new information.