# Poll: Should Zombie Calling Be Banned, Tolerated, or Encouraged? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 30, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332 "2018-04-30T02:34:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/1 "2018-04-30T02:34:10Z")
In [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=852866) much discussion can be found on the topic of “zombie calling” in resurrected threads. Opinions range from “They’re hilarious and promote bonding” to “They’re tolerable but unfunny” to “They’re rude and unfunny and chase away new members.” The discussion was so far ranging that it was difficult to determine whether any consensus or near-consensus could be reached. So, a poll will follow to allow anyone interested to express their opinion and be counted. If I get this right, then the answers will be public, and multiple answers will be allowed. HTH ---
**Author:** ![Krav\_Manga](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krav_manga/32/3153_2.png) [@Krav\_Manga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krav_Manga)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/2 "2018-04-30T09:54:09Z")
I think we need another poll on this topic. Just to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/3 "2018-04-30T12:40:13Z")
Clever zombie references [should be encouraged](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUA98Hlu7mg). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/4 "2018-04-30T12:41:37Z")
The way these are worded, a lot of them are exclusive. But, given the multiple choice nature, I ignored that, and chose all the positions I would be okay with. If you don’t want to check, that means everything except the top option and the bottom option. Banning people from having fun is dumb, and I do think a poll can be useful, even if it’s not really going to tell you what the board as a whole thinks. And it lets people say what they want quickly. It may not be useful, but there’s no reason it cannot be. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/5 "2018-04-30T14:00:12Z")
I don’t participate in public polls. Just thought you like to know. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/6 "2018-04-30T14:12:45Z")
I voted for ALL of them because we need to nip this zombie in the heel, wait, no legs… Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 23. Total votes 48. Seems legit. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/7 "2018-04-30T14:16:54Z")
I also do not participate in public polls. And I do not swim in public pools. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/8 "2018-04-30T14:58:06Z")
the thing about public polls is, you never know if someone has peed in them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/9 "2018-04-30T15:26:32Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > the thing about public polls is, you never know if someone has peed in them. ☹ That and Zombie’s leave slime that’s really hard to clean up. Don’t believe me, just look at ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/10 "2018-04-30T18:39:31Z")
I don’t participate in public polls either, and that’s too bad because I find all this zombie stuff hilarious! And it will be even funnier in 10 years when I revive these threads. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/11 "2018-04-30T18:46:25Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > I don’t participate in public polls either, and that’s too bad because I find all this zombie stuff hilarious! Out of curiosity: You just expressed an opinion in sentence form. In a poll, you express an opinion by clicking a pre-written choice. You must see a difference. What is it? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/12 "2018-04-30T19:09:21Z")
I am not going to post in this thread, but I like cheese. Sharp cheddar being a fave. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/13 "2018-04-30T19:28:09Z")
Who voted for what is telling, especially the last option.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/14 "2018-04-30T19:32:40Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Out of curiosity: You just expressed an opinion in sentence form. In a poll, you express an opinion by clicking a pre-written choice. You must see a difference. What is it? For me (and apparently Jackie also) it’s the pee. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/15 "2018-04-30T21:11:50Z")
Wouldn’t the better answer just be to not allow zombie posting in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/16 "2018-04-30T22:01:18Z")
Zombie references are pretty stupid and should be dropped, but I don’t see a need to ban them. Maybe shame those that always pop in with lame old jokes. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/17 "2018-04-30T22:56:49Z")
I voted #6, but would have preferred to be able to vote for both #6 and #4 (#4 since I doubt we’ll ever have the data called out in #6). But isn’t #7 an invitation to threadshit? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/18 "2018-05-01T00:43:23Z")
[Shodan has set a template that may be useful.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20931596&postcount=348) First he welcomes the newcomer to the Dope. He then mentions how it’s been years since the creation of the thread and therefore there might not be much future activity in it. After feigning that he is saying goodbye for now, he refrains from putting on an angst show over whether to make a zombie joke. He instead warmly invites the newcomer to make a joke about zombies. And in case this confuses the newcomer, he drops a link to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/19 "2018-05-01T01:29:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > . . . > > But isn’t #7 an invitation to threadshit? 😉 I was trying to be inclusive, and to give detractors a chance to state their opinions without having to derail the thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332/20 "2018-05-01T01:35:50Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Out of curiosity: You just expressed an opinion in sentence form. In a poll, you express an opinion by clicking a pre-written choice. You must see a difference. What is it? I am not sure that I did express an opinion. Enjoying the kerfuffle surrounding the Zombie Issue is not the same as enjoying zombie jokes in zombie threads. There may be an implied correlation and people are welcome to assume. While in this case I might not have a problem with people knowing my opinion, I made a considered decision to stand firm on my policy of never voting in public polls. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-zombie-calling-be-banned-tolerated-or-encouraged/813332.md?page=2)