# Zombie threads
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 8, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550 "2006-02-08T16:23:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/1 "2006-02-08T16:23:39Z")
I may just be having one of those weeks where I want to see rule change and to see the way that things are done shaken up a bit, but I want to open discussion about the locking of zombie threads.
Simply stated, I propose that the policy of locking them be rescinded. The justification that I have heard, if memory serves, is that people seeing it would potentially be responding to banned posters or posters that have left us and this would simply be too confusing for our poor little selves to handle. I may be missing some fine point here, but that is what I recall.
The thing is that every once and a while, a thread that is really interesting gets bumped and then locked. This is not a good thing. Also, we are squandering many opportunities to make fun of people that don’t bother to read a time stamp.
Basically, set the locked threads free!
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/2 "2006-02-08T16:34:44Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#):
>
> Simply stated, I propose that the policy of locking them be rescinded. The justification that I have heard, if memory serves, is that people seeing it would potentially be responding to banned posters or posters that have left us and this would simply be too confusing for our poor little selves to handle.
You forgot “posters who no longer hold the same beliefs”, which is much more valid than the first two IMO.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/3 "2006-02-08T16:36:14Z")
I’ll go with you are having one of those weeks.
Maybe the Mods could charge for the privledge. 😉
Jim
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/4 "2006-02-08T16:39:46Z")
What’s your name?
Who’s your daddy?
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### Author:  [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/5 "2006-02-08T16:39:52Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> You forgot “posters who no longer hold the same beliefs”, which is much more valid than the first two IMO.
I guess, but to me that is still somewhat insulting. Sure, I have fallen for the “didn’t look at the time stamp” trap a time or two, but I am a big boy and can take my lumps. I also am capable of grasping the notion that people change over time. To me, it just seems like a silly policy.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/6 "2006-02-08T16:42:15Z")
If the concern is that one might be responding to someone who’s not here anymore, then I don’t think it’s an issue any more. If someone isn’t here anymore, it now says “Guest” under thier name.
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### Author:  [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/7 "2006-02-08T17:00:24Z")
We don’t always lock zombie threads. For instance, I deliberately left the eBay feedback thread open because I felt it was still relevant. Let’s face it, most of the time zombie threads aren’t really relevant any longer.
If you want a particular thread unlocked, you can email a mod, or report a post within the thread and make your case.
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### Author:  [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/8 "2006-02-08T17:02:33Z")
The point that I am more or less making is that it should be a matter of policy to just not lock them at all. See what I mean?
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/9 "2006-02-08T17:13:31Z")
You’re living in the past, man! Contemporize!!
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/10 "2006-02-08T19:09:47Z")
I’ll think on this and post what I come up with in another year or so.
Russell
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/11 "2006-02-08T19:14:02Z")
> [@Antinor01](#):
>
> I’ll think on this and post what I come up with in another year or so.
>
> Russell
That is a very good and sound plan. 😃
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/12 "2006-02-08T19:18:16Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#):
>
> Also, we are squandering many opportunities to make fun of people that don’t bother to read a time stamp.
One of mine was bumped once about two years after the fact, bizarrely by someone “Welcoming” the last contributor to the boards. Wheeee… good kiddin’ to be had there!
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/13 "2006-02-08T20:05:43Z")
If it’s a thread that someone has stumbled upon through nested links and esoteric searches, and they resurrect it just to go “me too”–especially if it was a hornet’s nest or a clusterfuck or whatever in the first place–then I’m all for putting it down. If the update-to-the-latest-edition is relevant and pertinent, I say let it live.
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### Author:  [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/14 "2006-02-08T20:13:40Z")
I do get that logic on an abstract level, but the clusterfucks and trainwrecks are half of the fun of this place for me.
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### Author:  [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/15 "2006-02-08T20:36:42Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> What’s your name?
> Who’s your daddy?
Is he rich like me?
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/16 "2006-02-08T23:59:57Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#):
>
> We don’t always lock zombie threads. For instance, I deliberately left the eBay feedback thread open because I felt it was still relevant. Let’s face it, most of the time zombie threads aren’t really relevant any longer.
Don’t worry. I think I killed it.
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### Author:  [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/17 "2006-02-09T00:09:46Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> What’s your name?
> Who’s your daddy?
Kudos to the first poster that remembers the thread this is from.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/18 "2006-02-09T00:17:10Z")
> [@Xploder](#):
>
> Kudos to the first poster that remembers the thread this is from.
Thread? or song? I thought the Zombies reference was obvious enough to let lie.
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/19 "2006-02-09T00:23:10Z")
> [@mrklutz](#):
>
> Is he rich like me?
Arrrg! I didn’t get it until I read this post.
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Thread? or song? I thought the Zombies reference was obvious enough to let lie.
Should’ve just said something like “'tis the season” … 😛
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### Author:  [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/343550/20 "2006-02-10T15:41:36Z")
Braaaiiiins.
Braaaaiiiiiiinns!!
BRAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNSSSSS!!!
Uh… sorry, what was this thread about?
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