I've found out why so many zombie threads are being resurrected. And it's MNHQ's fault

[saraclara]

Now, when you read a thread, there a list of 'threads you might like' at the bottom. And they're old. So people are seeing titles that look interesting, clicking on them and responding.

I was on the one about the mum who wanted her son to let her know about his flights, and below the last post is a link to one about a girl moaning about her mum wanting to know her travel details. But it's six months old. Presumably that's happening all over the place

A lot of them are being resurrected by trolls from a specific date though.

I was thinking the same. It's suggesting I might want to read a thread from a year ago, which I don't particularly.

Well spotted. I wonder how many of us want that "you might also like" feature? I certainly don't.

That happened in quantities a few days ago, but there are random ones happening all the time now.

Yes! I thought that earlier. Clicked on a thread from April

Yes I noticed this earlier as I clicked on one and it was from 2017! It wasn't even very popular back then!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4678030-what-is-this-you-might-also-like-clutter?reply=121552153

It's being discussed here, I have already reported one zombie resurrected on the back of this. I'm sure there will be many, many more!

I really dont see the problem, especially if its something the poster wants to talk about and its been posted already. They may read the thread and want to add something. Those posters who scream ZOMBIE THREAD!!!! do you get a medal?

You don't see the problem with bumping up a 15 year thread when the issue has been sorted?

I agree @saraclara it hasn't been resurrected either , just popped out with no new posting

No, I dont. its Mumsnet, not the 10 O Clock news. I find it very easy to ignore things that im not interested in

I just

I just started a thread on a subject I knew would have been covered before but wouldn’t have had obvious easy search terms, and for the first time spotted the ‘other threads you might like’ thing which was a helpful list of all the other times my question has been asked recently.

It would be far more helpful, although probably much harder to do, to offer those threads to someone about to start a new thread, to save them starting an identical one.

I found the answer to a medical issue I had gone to my GP for some years back and they were completely unhelpful on a 2 year old thread

I'm laughing at the threads you might like at the bottom of this thread. 😂

And there's a one year old thread about Zombie threads at the bottom of this one. It's like the forums on TripAdvisor telling you about cafés that shut down 6 years ago.

Wow, I hadn't even clocked the 'you might also like ...' bit, but you're right. The ones attached to the threads I've posted on today are all zombie threads over a year old.

No reply on this thread by MNHQ, which was promised by @LilyMumsnet
on a Site Stuff post

Given all the trolling zombie issues we've had over the last few days, as well as the general irritation/annoyance that zombie threads can cause, I'm amazed that MNHQ have thought this is a clever feature to introduce.

Did you not test it? Did you not think through what might happen?

Ah, yes, I noticed this today. Why would I be interested in an old thread that petered out? The participants are probably not around to ask things.
Pointless feature.

You can still search for, find and read a locked thread though. This is about allowing them to be resurrected via a new post which is unnecessary even in your situation

@HairyMcLarie the thread had been added to over the 2 years it started in 2019 and was answered in 2021. I just don't understand why people are so irked by it, as easy as it is to click into the thread, is as easy as it is to click out of it! Or maybe some people read Every. Single. Thread. I just can't let things like that bother me and i'm happier for it

They are easy to ignore though? I quite like a zombie thread sometimes.

When did the "threads you might like" start?

Only just noticed them!

I don't either. I don't even like reading threads over a week old because I don't want to bump it by participating.

My list of threads I might be interested in are all linked to whatever thread I am reading…very odd !