Zombie threads - what's wrong with them?

I think there's a massive difference between a thread where the OP's question is clearly very specific and time limited (e.g. "would you go to A and E with this injury to my child") and more general questions ("anyone with experience in holidaying in Cornwall?").

Still, there does seem to be a black and white etiquette here on MN about this.

I’ve been caught out once or twice by not checking the OP date on a bumped thread, so I don’t mind when people point out it’s a zombie thread. The way which some people do it is rather condescending but I shrug it off generally - much more in life to worry about than commenting on an old post by mistake.

Omg that buggy one is hilarious

There was one resurrected the other day about expensive cars. The poster that resurrected it got deleted. They also sent me a PM.

I agree OP, i was on one just the other day when the conversation had got into full swing again, all of us fully aware it was a zombie thread, then up pops some idiot going "zombie zombie zombie" as if we're fucking morons. Superior moo honestly, did she think her useless interjection would make us all go, "oh no, i'll just leave this conversation in full swing because of this"?. And I told her that, and mumsnet deleted my comment.

Was that the child modelling thread?

I don't mind general discussion topics being resurrected, but ones where somebody was asking for advice about a specific situation several years ago are annoying.

This is exactly what I was going to say. If it's a thread about flapjack recipes then who the hell cares if it's old. If it's someone asking for advice about a work problem that actually must have been resolved 5 years ago then it's irritating.

In the case of the "Why do men like stockings and suspenders" thread that gets resurrected every year or so, it's because it gets filled up with slavering wank fantasies from men who only ever post on the Sex topic. That feels a bit icky.

The baby name zombie threads can be annoying when the child whose name was being decided will now be starting at secondary school.

I don't mind general discussion topics being resurrected, but ones where somebody was asking for advice about a specific situation several years ago are annoying.

It does depend on what the thread is about surely? In most cases the issues in them remain relevant for years. What would be the problem if this thread gets resurrected in 2026? Isn't part of the advantage of discussion forums to serve as a repository of knowledge? Seeing what people have already said in the past on the issue can be very useful, rather than reinventing the wheel!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1451929-Help-Carpet-fitter-has-just-stormed-out-AIBU?pg=1

I love the carpet fitter one and it's annual revival. It must be time.

I’ve seen the odd one revived but what kind of weird fetishist revives discussions on buying buggies or splitting restaurant bills etc like most Mn threads I read.

Isn’t it about time for the moving the furniture for the carpet fitter thread to pop up?

If you see a thread you haven’t noticed before that already has several hundred replies, pretty safe bet it’s a zombie.

It's never just a case of 'hey this is a zombie thread, looks like OP will be long gone now', it's knickers-in-twist 'ZOMBIE THREAD!!!thanks a lot fuckwit' like you've gone into their house at Xmas and pissed all over the presents.

I came here expecting a thread about zombies I'm actually a little disappointed!

I think it’s worth pointing out it’s a zombie so people don’t waste time but I don’t know why people get so wound up by them to be honest.

Because nobody RTFT and just answers the OP who is long gone. They are always really long threads too for some reason.

Threads are usually bumped by trolls madly googling something or other and coming across an MN thread.

But if you want to comment on ancient threads that even have a warning about that rather than starting another one 'because that's what other sites do' then crack on.

Well it's irritating if it is a long thread and you spend 20 minutes reading it through to see if anyone has made the point you were going to, only to realise that the issue is 5 years old and so the question is now irrelevant.

Yeah and I already acknowledged that.

I don't think that's quite what happened. Someone else bumped the thread

Nope - she bumped it herself - see the link in HardAsSnails' post.

Because people reply to something that got asked ten years ago.

Heh I stand corrected

For some stuff it's innocuous, but when it's something upsetting or challenging for the OP it can feel really insensitive to bring it to the fore again. It's also a PITA to read through a thread thinking through your post and then realising pages later that the kid who wouldn't stay in their buggy is probably now doing GCSEs.

On other forums I’ve been on you’re expected to add to old threads rather than start multiple threads about the same subject so I can see the confusion and think MN is unique in getting so annoyed about it

Because shit like this happens:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_advice_tips/752184-hauck-stroller-pound-25-Asda