# some way to mark Zombie threads?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [February 5, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253 "2011-02-05T04:14:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/1 "2011-02-05T04:14:02Z")
I’m aware of some recent policy changes that allow Zombie threads to be re-animated after a long peaceful slumber.
Unfortunately, I find it particularly annoying that I read a thread only to realize its several years old and may not be particularly useful. The posts may be out of date, the users are no longer active, the links included are dead, etc.
I know the date of the posting is listed, but its so unobtrusive that I don’t notice it. Can we perhaps have some sort of easily recognizable feature that makes zombie threads more noticeable as such? Change the font color or something on threads that are more than a year old perhaps?
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/2 "2011-02-05T04:23:13Z")
I suggest a favicon-type-thingie of a brain with a bite out of it.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/3 "2011-02-05T07:13:38Z")
I don’t believe that there is a standard way to do that in vBulletin. There may be a plug in that allows it but the management here, if history is any guide, won’t add anything to the standard version.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/4 "2011-02-05T12:29:54Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> I don’t believe that there is a standard way to do that in vBulletin. There may be a plug in that allows it but the management here, if history is any guide, won’t add anything to the standard version.
vBulletin still offers a host of thread icons as standard. We peons don’t have access to them, but it can be set so the mods and admins do.
And because it’s so simple is probably why it won’t happen.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/5 "2011-02-05T13:39:19Z")
Prior discussion on this, back in December: [Zombie Threads - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=590521)
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/6 "2011-02-05T13:51:39Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#):
>
> Prior discussion on this, back in December: [Zombie Threads - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=590521)
In that thread you say that there’s no way to do that. Again, I point out that post icons are a STANDARD PART OF VBULLETIN. This requires no hack and minimal effort effort from the admin team. Uploading custom icons (like the brain with a chunk taken out) is also a STANDARD PART OF VBULLETIN.
Is a five second Google search really too much to ask?
> **[vBulletin Manual](https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/posticon)**
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/7 "2011-02-05T13:52:39Z")
So there is a Zombie Thread about Zombie Threads?
–
But seriously, If it can logistically happen, it doesn’t answer the question, “Is there a litmus for Zombie threads?”, That is to say, the ‘zombieness’ of one thread or topic might not equate across the board of other would be zombies.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/8 "2011-02-05T14:16:01Z")
I meant that I don’t think that there is a way for this to automatically happen once a thread is old enough. If thread icons were enabled, moderators would have to manually add them as the zombies appeared. They could also edit the thread titles. Most of those threads would probably have replies by the time a mod found out a out them.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/9 "2011-02-05T14:20:22Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> I meant that I don’t think that there is a way for this to automatically happen once a thread is old enough. If thread icons were enabled, moderators would have to manually add them as the zombies appeared. They could also edit the thread titles. Most of those threads would probably have replies by the time a mod found out a out them.
How often do zombie threads reanimate? I’d wager that the nearly two dozen moderators this board has could keep up.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/10 "2011-02-05T14:59:40Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> How often do zombie threads reanimate? I’d wager that the nearly two dozen moderators this board has could keep up.
It’s seems like kind of a pain in the ass to me but, of course, YMMV.
In the past when others have said that it can’t be done, I am sure that they meant automatically. Even without icons, they could but “ZOMBIE” in front of the thread title and not even bother with icons.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/11 "2011-02-05T15:12:45Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> In the past when others have said that it can’t be done, I am sure that they meant automatically. Even without icons, they could but “ZOMBIE” in front of the thread title and not even bother with icons.
That’s another excellent suggestion. Nothing can be done my ass!
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/12 "2011-02-05T15:29:01Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> That’s another excellent suggestion. Nothing can be done my ass!
Are you suggesting that the Moderators of the different forums go through all the threads past a certain date and, one by one, retitle each one?
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/13 "2011-02-05T15:33:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Are you suggesting that the Moderators of the different forums go through all the threads past a certain date and, one by one, retitle each one?
Of course not. I’m suggesting that if a zombie thread is resurrected that a moderator goes in and adds a [ZOMBIE] tag to the front of the title. Considering the fact that only a handful of zombie threads are resurrected every week, this wouldn’t be a burden at all.
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### Author:  [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/14 "2011-02-05T15:41:37Z")
On the other hand, if only a handful are resurrected every week, it’s really not a big problem. At best, a tiny, inconsquential annoyance. So why bother doing it?
A solution looking for a problem, IMO.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/15 "2011-02-05T15:42:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> Of course not. I’m suggesting that if a zombie thread is resurrected that a moderator goes in and adds a [ZOMBIE] tag to the front of the title. Considering the fact that only a handful of zombie threads are resurrected every week, this wouldn’t be a burden at all.
It also wouldn’t do anything to stop the revival of zombie threads.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/16 "2011-02-05T15:44:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> It also wouldn’t do anything to stop the revival of zombie threads.
Who’s asking to stop their revival? This is a thread asking for a way to mark which threads are zombies after they’re revived.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/17 "2011-02-05T15:45:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> Of course not. I’m suggesting that if a zombie thread is resurrected that a moderator goes in and adds a [ZOMBIE] tag to the front of the title. Considering the fact that only a handful of zombie threads are resurrected every week, this wouldn’t be a burden at all.
The mods would need to look at every single open thread to check the start date to find new zombies(new zombies?).
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/18 "2011-02-05T16:00:14Z")
> [@runner pat](#):
>
> The mods would need to look at every single open thread to check the start date to find new zombies(new zombies?).
Do they look at every single open thread to make sure someone didn’t call someone else a cunt? No, they wait for someone to report it.
Why is this simple request so hard to understand?
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/19 "2011-02-05T16:00:36Z")
> [@Fenris](#):
>
> A solution looking for a problem, IMO.
\*\*
THIS.\*\*
Actually. I mean, if I can take back mine.
That is to say, why are zombies a problem in the first place, again ?
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-way-to-mark-zombie-threads/570253/20 "2011-02-05T16:03:29Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> Of course not. I’m suggesting that if a zombie thread is resurrected that a moderator goes in and adds a [ZOMBIE] tag to the front of the title. Considering the fact that only a handful of zombie threads are resurrected every week, this wouldn’t be a burden at all.
You underestimate the number of zombie threads that are resurrected every week. There have been a lot more since threads have been searchable by Google.
Speaking as a moderator, I don’t think it’s really worth the trouble to do anything like this manually as standard operating practice. Having to read or having mistakenly replied to a zombie thread is a minor inconvenience at worst. Frequently posters will note it’s a zombie thread. If I notice one, I may also post in the thread to indicate it’s old. But I’m not going to go combing through the forum looking for them.
My recommendation, if you are seriously inconvenienced by reading zombie threads, is to make it a practice to check the date of the first post. Problem solved!🙂
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