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Highlighting Zombie threads

106 replies

5foot5 · 03/05/2017 13:53

Maybe this has been mentioned before but, having just invested about 20 minutes I won't get back in a NINE YEAR OLD thread on AIBU, is there not some way that you can highlight at the top of a thread or in the thread title that it is a zombie.

Surely some criteria can be devised e.g. initial post more than x months ago, that these could be easily spotted?

Typically someone notices and posts a Zombie Alert on the thread but inevitably that will be near the end of the thread so you can easily have read hundreds of posts without noticing.

Notification at the top, or even before opening the thread, would be preferable.

OP posts:
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Stormtreader · 03/05/2017 13:55

I agree, I think if any of the last 10 posts are more than a year ago and not by the OP then it would cut a lot of zombie threads out.

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Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2017 13:57

We have asked so many times. I am not sure what the problem is with locking them TBH.

Apparently on other websites reanimating old threads is encouraged. Doesn't work on here.

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LornaMumsnet · 03/05/2017 13:59

Hello, 5foot5!

Thanks so much for your feedback.

We totally understand your concerns, however, we actually changed our zombie alert a while back as it was quite off-putting for new users!

Now we have a small zombie warning next to the little message box.

At this time, we don't have any plans to change this feature but are always more than happy to get feedback.

Flowers

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5foot5 · 03/05/2017 16:09

Which little message box? Where?
I have just been back to check the thread that I was looking at today (from 2008!) and I can't see anything to make it stand out as a zombie.

Does this warning disappear when someone else has posted to it?

Because that doesn't really help. It is quite possible for several people to respond and post before someone notices that it is a zombie, by which time the warning may have disappeared.

OP posts:
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TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 03/05/2017 16:15

New users are spoiling the board doing this though- If they want to talk about an existing thread can they not just link to it or start a new thread referring to it.

It's good forum etiquette.

I don't think the newbies enjoy getting rounded on for reposting a 9 year old thread- i've seen so many tantrums and flounces because of this.

Your excuse that it is offputting to new people is silly in my opinion. If they find THAT offputting then they're certainly not going to like the rest of the boards.

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Stormtreader · 03/05/2017 16:23

They are often brought back by spam posters as well who are not going to care about a message by the box.

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SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 03/05/2017 16:26

If the zombie message disapears on the resurrection of the thread, perhaps that message could remain, instead of disapearing, so that it doesn't give the impression of being a new thread iuswim LornaMumsnet?

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Cringiest · 03/05/2017 16:28

I've no idea why the zombie thread warning goes away after a thread has been resurrected- it's really annoying

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Seeline · 03/05/2017 16:31

New users found it off putting?!!

Us oldies and regulars have been asking for years to make zombie threads more obvious.

It is so annoying when you spend ages reading through a thread that really isn't relevant 10 years down the line.

Colour code them or something. Listen to your loyal members too please.

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BigDeskBob · 03/05/2017 16:35

Why can't old threads be locked?

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BillyButtfuck · 03/05/2017 16:43

There's definitely no zombie notification/symbol on the app.
If you search Andy CBeebies for example, a thread from 2010 comes up. It's not been active for over 7 years but no marker?

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Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2017 16:50

Musn't upset the newbies. Hmm

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BigDeskBob · 03/05/2017 16:56

Love it that Andy cbeebies is your test search.

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BillyButtfuck · 03/05/2017 16:57

BlushWink

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SauvignonBlanche · 03/05/2017 16:57

we actually changed our zombie alert a while back as it was quite off-putting for new users! ... Does anyone else matter?

At this time, we don't have any plans to change this feature but are always more than happy to get feedback.

Well if you're happy to get feedback mine is that the lack of Zombie warnings on old threads after a couple of posts is more than just annoying, it can actually be upsetting to hear someone's issue such a pregnancy concern from 10 years discussed when the child may be at High school or may not even have survived but people are posting, sometimes in good faith without realising that their intervention could be upsetting.

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Stormtreader · 03/05/2017 18:01

I dont see any reason to allow posting on a zombie thread at all actually.
On the vanishingly rare occasions someone comes back to update after a number of months, they can start a new thread.

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MagentaRocks · 03/05/2017 18:07

Why not change the background on older threads? Like he Mumsnet admin Ines are blue. You could have green if more than 3 months old, amber more than 6 months old and red if more than a year old. It will be really obvious then. The current zombie warning only lasts for a few posts so it disappears quickly.

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ALemonyPea · 03/05/2017 18:11

It upset the new users? Most of the zombie thread bumpers are goady and offer nothing constructive to the thread they've resurrected. Why can't you lock threads after a year and only the Op can restart it if they have an update.

Ridiculous.

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BillyButtfuck · 03/05/2017 18:13

I like the idea of changing username band colours and only the Op resurrecting a very old thread.

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SillyMoomin · 03/05/2017 18:15

Feedback MMHQ: just lock the thread???

Or brig back the zombie image. A lot easier to see over the "little warning in the little box" Hmm

And keep it up for more than one or two posts !!!

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EwanWhosearmy · 03/05/2017 18:17

I agree with Lemony. We seem to regularly have a spate of spammers who go round the boards reopening every thread they can find on one subject.

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Asmoto · 03/05/2017 18:34

If the old zombie alert upset new posters, couldn't MNHQ replace it with something friendlier, such as 'This thread is more than a year old - why not start a new thread instead?' and 'new thread' could be linked to the instructions.

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FlissMumsnet · 03/05/2017 19:15

Evening All,

We can see this is a complete irritant for lots of you so we will pass your feedback on but no promises.

Blush

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WhatchaMaCalllit · 04/05/2017 08:04

Billy this is the message that appears underneath the box that someone would type an update to that "Andy CBeebies" thread:-

FYI: this thread hasn't been posted on for over a year.

In plain text, not bolded or underlined or anything.

I would echo that threads over 4 years old should be locked and if someone thinks they have something new to add to the conversation, they should open a new thread and link to the old one in their opening post.

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Seeline · 04/05/2017 10:12

But you don't go to the message box until you've read the thread - it's only then that you have wasted x minutes of your life because reading recent threads for hours on end obviously isn't

Completely pointless.

And I feel a bit put out that some newbies found the old message a bit off putting, so MN immediately got rid off it, when loads of us who have been around for years have been repeatedly asking for a more clear and longer lasting message for ages, and have been consistently --fobbed off- ignored.

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