# When does a thread become a candidate for zombification? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532 "2019-03-25T22:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/1 "2019-03-25T22:21:50Z")
How old does a thread have to be before it can become a zombie? That is, I guess, how long with no responses, before bumping it can be described as reviving a zombie? I see a fair number of zombies, so I got curious. I’m putting this in IMHO because I don’t think there are any official rules addressing the question. But mods, if you think it’s more appropriate for ATMB, go ahead and move it. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/2 "2019-03-25T22:27:23Z")
2 months ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/3 "2019-03-25T22:28:11Z")
On the index page, I saw this thread title as: When does a thread become a… Slow Moving Vehicle I thought it might be referring to [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=858527). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/4 "2019-03-26T05:24:19Z")
Choose your titles wisely. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/5 "2019-03-26T13:53:57Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > 2 months Is that just your (perfectly valid) opinion, or is that the unwritten board consensus? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/6 "2019-03-26T14:01:14Z")
I’d say if there’s no posts for a minimum of three months. Before that time, it’s just an old thread. being revived, not a dead one being zombified. ---
**Author:** ![Clawdio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/7 "2019-03-26T14:46:17Z")
I’d say give at least 1 year before introducing brains to the diet. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/8 "2019-03-26T15:00:28Z")
Yeah, if it’s been a year or more, it’s absolutely a zombie, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/9 "2019-03-26T15:16:23Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Is that just your (perfectly valid) opinion, or is that the unwritten board consensus? I would say this cries out for a poll. Usually I would say 3 months but I don’t make the semi-hated-required-jokes until its a year in the grave. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/10 "2019-03-26T18:37:24Z")
It’s not purely age, but the nature of the revival as well. Original OP bumping a year old thread with new information? Not a zombie. Brand new poster bumping a three month old thread with nonsensical false information? Zombie. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-a-thread-become-a-candidate-for-zombification/831532/11 "2019-03-26T18:48:43Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Brand new poster bumping a three month old thread **with nonsensical false information**? Zombie. [bolding mine] Or spam. And there’s no official unofficial rule, to my knowledge. But I agree that it can be context-specific if we’re under a year.