# When is a thread dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 1, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274 "2000-10-01T21:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/1 "2000-10-01T21:25:26Z")
Yes, it’s time once again to play “Help the Clueless Newbie.” 😃 Is there a certain point at which a thread is considered dead and I shouldn’t post to it? I’ve seen a few threads “resurrected” after being quiet for months, and I wanted to know if there is a cut-off point for replies. I know that once a moderator locks a thread it is officially closed, but what’s the rule for threads that are still open? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/2 "2000-10-01T22:27:39Z")
Some previous thoughts on the subject: [Resurrecting old threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=880) [Bumping threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=2093) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/3 "2000-10-01T22:46:24Z")
ladybug, there is no ‘cutoff point’ with threads. You can find some very old thread and, if you want to, post to it assuming it hasn’t been closed. I’m of the school of thought that says you should only post if you can contribute to a thread, but others have different views. Read the links above. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sue)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/4 "2000-10-01T23:24:50Z")
(Odear!)   O  º  (:()   + A " ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sue)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/5 "2000-10-01T23:27:10Z")
\*\*[sub] ```auto (Odear!)   O  º  (:()[/sub]   + A " ``` \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sue)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/6 "2000-10-01T23:39:44Z")
**sub     [/sub]O     º     [sub](:()[/sub]      +      Å      "** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/7 "2000-10-02T00:26:27Z")
There are no official rules on resurrecting dead threads; it’s strictly a matter of etiquette. If you only get online once a week, it’s probably OK to post to threads that’re less than a week old, but if you’re digging back a few years for some reason and see something interesting, it’s probably best to either leave it lie, or start a new thread with a link. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/8 "2000-10-02T02:54:54Z")
Thanks for the help, everyone. 🙂 I tried looking for an earlier thread on this subject before I posted, but my parents’ computer shut down every time I tried to do a search. Anyway, I think I understand it better now. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/9 "2000-10-02T04:02:33Z")
To paraphrase “Godwin’s Law”: > [@](#): > > **As an SDMB discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. Once this occurs, that thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress. Godwin’s Law thus practically guarantees the existence of an upper bound on thread length for the SDMB.** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/10 "2000-10-02T15:27:21Z")
Oh, and BTW - I see nothing wrong at all with bringing up an old thread if you have something new to add to it. But I do understand as well that there are far too many repeated threads here, because people will not search to see if a subject has been covered in-depth at an earlier date. And I am guilty of doing this myself on a couple of occasions. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-a-thread-dead/35274/11 "2000-10-04T20:10:35Z")
> [@](#): > > I wanted to know if there is a cut-off point for replies. If you see a lot of crap like that, please don’t ressurect it. Start a new thread instead.