# Preview last post **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 23, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514 "2014-01-23T08:46:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alba)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/1 "2014-01-23T08:46:06Z")
Is it possible to have a preview of the last post when you hoover over the name of the last poster? Currently it just shows the replies and views, which are also shown in the column next to the last poster’s name. It will make perusing old and new threads easier and help me prevent reading threads with the intent to respond only to find out it’s a zombie after reading the first 5 pages! That is to say, it is usually possible to deduct from the last post to a zombie that it in fact is a zombie (If I’m making sense). ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/2 "2014-01-23T08:55:16Z")
Hoovering sucks. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/3 "2014-01-23T15:07:29Z")
You’re not making sense.🙂 I like your idea but I don’t see how the last person’s post would indicate if it were a zombie or not. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/4 "2014-01-23T16:03:28Z")
That would be a new vBulletin feature, unless it’s already available in the software. You’d have to see if that’s possible in vBulletin, the SMDB isn’t going to write or change the message board software. But like others I dispute that you can figure out if a thread is a zombie by reading the last post. On some occasions sure, but not the majority. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/5 "2014-01-23T16:18:20Z")
This has been discussed here in ATMB a great many times: Both the general request to make zombies somehow more prominently recognizable (what, the rotting flesh isn’t obvious enough? 🙂 ), and various specific suggestions for accomplishing that. In particular, the best suggestion I’ve seen (and not just because I made it myself 🆒 ) is to show the DATE of the FIRST post on the thread-list page, along with the name of the OP. (Note that the date of the most recent post is already shown there.) Others with vBulletin experience were of the opinion that this is possible in newer versions of vB, but not in the version in use here. The mods seemed to be at best lukewarm to the very idea, and have been openly dismissive of any other suggestions. If I’m not mistaken, somebody suggested that there could be (or maybe that there already is?) some browser add-on that would recognize zombie threads (by what criterion?) and modify the display to make them somehow obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Alba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alba)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/6 "2014-01-23T20:24:55Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > You’re not making sense.🙂 > > I like your idea but I don’t see how the last person’s post would indicate if it were a zombie or not. If someone replies to the old thread it will appear on the front page. Usually when someone bumps a zombie the post is nonsensical. At least that’s my experience. > [@Senegoid](#): > > In particular, the best suggestion I’ve seen (and not just because I made it myself 🆒 ) is to show the DATE of the FIRST post on the thread-list page, along with the name of the OP. (Note that the date of the most recent post is already shown there.) Yes, I was thinking of something like that too. Or include it in the preview when you hoover over the OP. But, I have a suspicion nothing will change. > [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Hoovering sucks. Dude, I think you’re doing it wrong. And it took me longer than I’m willing to admit to get that. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/7 "2014-01-23T21:08:22Z")
Unfortunately, the staff here are very hesitant to make significant changes to the software, which is what your suggestion would entail. What I use to help with zombies is a script created by some Doper named Polerius. It technically only tells you that a thread is “old,” meaning started a while ago, but that’s better than nothing. For Firefox, first install the [Greasemonkey](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/) extension. For Chrome, install the [Tampermonkey](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tampermonkey/dhdgffkkebhmkfjojejmpbldmpobfkfo?hl=en) extension. And then in either install [this script](http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/293100). As far as I know, Internet Explorer users are out of luck. As for mobile, I believe mobile Firefox can use the same extensions, but I don’t know about the rest. I’m pretty sure iDevices are locked down so you can’t use this. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/8 "2014-01-23T21:31:14Z")
> [@Alba](#): > > If someone replies to the old thread it will appear on the front page. Usually when someone bumps a zombie the post is nonsensical. At least that’s my experience. That only works if when you see the thread the most recent one is the one that revived the zombie. As soon as someone else responds the chances are much less that you can spot the loony. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/9 "2014-01-23T22:16:01Z")
> [@Alba](#): > > If someone replies to the old thread it will appear on the front page. Usually when someone bumps a zombie the post is nonsensical. At least that’s my experience. > > Yes, I was thinking of something like that too. Or include it in the preview when you hoover over the OP. > > But, I have a suspicion nothing will change. > > Dude, I think you’re doing it wrong. > > And it took me longer than I’m willing to admit to get that. I am not sure you have got it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/10 "2014-01-24T04:04:45Z")
Facing Reality 101: I’ve simply gotten myself into the mindless habit of glancing at the post date (AND the OP’s join date while I’m at it) on Post #1 every time I open a thread. (To be sure, sometimes I open a multi-page thread on its last page, and thus don’t see the OP, but typically only with a thread that I’ve been actively following lately.) ---
**Author:** ![Alba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alba)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/11 "2014-01-24T06:30:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Facing Reality 101: I’ve simply gotten myself into the mindless habit of glancing at the post date (AND the OP’s join date while I’m at it) on Post #1 every time I open a thread. That’s what I’m trying to teach myself as well. > [@njtt](#): > > I am not sure you have got it yet. I am sure I do. Hoovering is a reference to hoover. Just like a hoover craft. They actually do not suck air but blow it to stay afloat. Or… maybe it is to use a vacuum. You’ve got me all confused now. I’ll stick with my hoover craft. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/12 "2014-01-24T14:35:01Z")
Unless you are trying to be funny, there is no such thing as a “hoover craft”. The word you are looking for is _[hover](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hover)_. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/13 "2014-01-24T15:09:08Z")
Hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaner. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/14 "2014-01-24T15:46:33Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaner. It’s also a verb, in Britain. _After you wash the kitchen floor, be sure to Hoover the carpets in the living room._ ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/15 "2014-01-24T15:47:04Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Unless you are trying to be funny, there is no such thing as a “hoover craft”. The word you are looking for is _[hover](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hover)_. In other words, OP’s confusion is almost literally the difference between “suck” and “blow”. “Almost” because hovering could be caused by other physical effects than air cushion (i.e., “blowing”). ---
**Author:** ![Alba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alba)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preview-last-post/679514/16 "2014-01-25T08:26:03Z")
Yes, I was being funny. To hoover is to vacuum. Hence the words in the small print and the misspelling of [hovercraft](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovercraft). There’s no confusion on my part.