# Zombie Threads
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 24, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317 "2010-12-24T22:38:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/1 "2010-12-24T22:38:36Z")
It would be nice if zombie threads could be immediately identified as such when they pop up.
Just saying.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/2 "2010-12-25T01:30:16Z")
We were talking about this just the other day. What is your definition of “zombie thread”?
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/3 "2010-12-25T01:54:12Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#):
>
> We were talking about this just the other day. What is your definition of “zombie thread”?
Good question. Why not start with a month old. What is the downside for that ?
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/4 "2010-12-25T11:38:40Z")
So these are zombie threads?
> **[Bakers Dozen](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=573445)**
>
> A category is chosen and the list is copied and pasted into each post with a new thing added, one by each posting person, until 13 is reached. The person to add 13 then chooses another category and supplies the first one, etc. Please try to only...
> **[Trivia Dominoes: Play Off the Last Bit of Trivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550730)**
>
> It’s a game of my own devising and I expect the thread to sink beneath the horizon, but just in case, here’s how it works: I’ll post a piece of trivia, somebody will “play” off my trivia, then the next person tags onto that, etc., and let’s see how...
> **[New WoW General Discussion Thread 6/8/10](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=566381)**
>
> Okay, Quasi has requested a new thread to be started, since the old one was kicking his computer’s silicon butt. Link to the old thread, if anyone needs to find it Have at it, folks!
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/5 "2010-12-25T12:06:39Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> It would be nice if zombie threads could be immediately identified as such when they pop up.
>
> Just saying.
It would be nice if posters looked at the dates a little closer before replying.
I know, I know; I have been guilty of not doing that.
Just saying.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/6 "2010-12-25T14:45:21Z")
And, as per the prior discussion, there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it. So, best bet is to shrug shoulders and ignore it, and close them when they pop up in the forums that don’t allow 'em.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/7 "2010-12-25T15:55:55Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#):
>
> So these are zombie threads?
>
> [Bakers Dozen - Thread Games - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=573445)
>
> [Trivia Dominoes: Play Off the Last Bit of Trivia - Thread Games - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550730)
>
> [New WoW General Discussion Thread 6/8/10 - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=566381)
I don’t visit the game room very often, but I take it that threads that disappear for a time (several months) resurface regularly there. Its been my experience in other forums that this doesn’t happen very often.
In any case whats the harm. A little icon lights up yellow when a new post is announced for any particular thread.
How about making that little icon light up red for a new post in a zombie?
No big deal. At least you now know what you arer getting into
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/8 "2010-12-25T16:01:49Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> It would be nice if posters looked at the dates a little closer before replying.
>
> I know, I know; I have been guilty of not doing that.
>
> Just saying.
In all seriousness, why blame me for responding to a zombie thread that has been resurrected by someone else ?
I don’t have a problem at all with zombie threads. I don’t see why they need to be locked except in special cases. But like knowing that a thread has been updated it would be nice to be alerted to a zombie thread before opening said thread.
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### Author:  [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/9 "2010-12-25T18:44:41Z")
Just one major problem. The staff keep repeatedly saying the board software doesn’t have that function. It can’t be done without a hack, which they aren’t going to do.
Why do people keep asking for the impossible? Can’t you get the message “we’d like to do it but it can’t be done”?
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/10 "2010-12-25T19:22:05Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#):
>
> Just one major problem. The staff keep repeatedly saying the board software doesn’t have that function. It can’t be done without a hack, which they aren’t going to do.
>
> Why do people keep asking for the impossible? Can’t you get the message “we’d like to do it but it can’t be done”?
Sorry to have inconvenienced you by my suggestions. Forgive me for not having been party to earlier suggestions/discussions. I had no idea that my red light in favour of the yellow light had already been offered.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/11 "2010-12-25T19:35:38Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Sorry to have inconvenienced you by my suggestions. Forgive me for not having been party to earlier suggestions/discussions. I had no idea that my red light in favour of the yellow light had already been offered.
A pox upon you for a clumsy lout!
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/12 "2010-12-25T19:36:40Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> In all seriousness, why blame me for responding to a zombie thread that has been resurrected by someone else ?
No one’s blaming you, and I have, as I said, been guilty as well. I guess we all need to pay closer attention to dates, and if a thread that sounds remotely familiar shows up again in our subscribed threads, it might be because it has been dormant for a long time.
It’s harder to detect if you never posted in a thread that appears in the new posts page.
> [@](#):
>
> I don’t have a problem at all with zombie threads. I don’t see why they need to be locked except in special cases. But like knowing that a thread has been updated it would be nice to be alerted to a zombie thread before opening said thread.
It sure would, but it’s unlikely to happen with a SDMB hack, and I don’t think vBulletin will put it at the top of their future feature work list. Most other boards don’t have as much concern as we seem to about this.
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### Author:  [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/13 "2010-12-26T12:40:07Z")
I’m going to wait until this thread has slipped a few pages before I reply, it only seems right.
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/14 "2010-12-26T15:55:19Z")
> [@mittu](#):
>
> I’m going to wait until this thread has slipped a few pages before I reply, it only seems right.
Better yet reply to an old one on this topic now.
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/15 "2010-12-29T22:39:19Z")
Yes there are more zombie threads in the last month.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/16 "2010-12-29T22:44:26Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Sorry to have inconvenienced you by my suggestions. Forgive me for not having been party to earlier suggestions/discussions. I had no idea that my red light in favour of the yellow light had already been offered.
I don’t mind you raising the subject again, my posts were only to point out that a zombie thread is not necessarily one that has an OP several months ago. IMHO a thread that was started months ago, but has been regularly (at least once a week) posted to since then, is not a “zombie” thread. A “zombie” thread is one that lays dormant for several months (let’s say at least a year) and then is resurrected with a new post.
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### Author:  [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/17 "2010-12-29T22:52:51Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#):
>
> Yes there are more zombie threads in the last month.
No personal attacks.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/18 "2010-12-29T23:10:22Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> It would be nice if zombie threads could be immediately identified as such when they pop up.
They are. There is a time stamp on every post. It’s not in big flashing letters and not everybody bothers to check the timestamp, but it is on each and every post. If somebody zombifies a thread, you can count on someone else saying so within two or three posts. We’ve usually defined zombie threads as those older than three or six months, but even then, bumping a thread that age isn’t necessarily an issue.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-threads/565317/19 "2010-12-30T08:33:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> They are. There is a time stamp on every post. It’s not in big flashing letters and not everybody bothers to check the timestamp, but it is on each and every post. If somebody zombifies a thread, you can count on someone else saying so within two or three posts. We’ve usually defined zombie threads as those older than three or six months, but even then, bumping a thread that age isn’t necessarily an issue.
That’s fine and dandy, but in order to read the time stamp, I’ve already wasted my time opening up the thread. Furthermore, as I usually click on the icon directing me to the first new post, I have no way at all to be informed by time stamps that I’m reading a zombified thread.
Still, no big deal. I can live with it.