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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Zombie threads

51 replies

KinkyAfro · 05/01/2016 10:54

Why do people keep posting on these? There's one that hasn't been posted on since 2011 and someone has added a message today.

Not important in the grand scheme of things but it is annoying.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 05/01/2016 10:56

Because HQ refuse to lock them for some weird reason.

Theselittlelights · 05/01/2016 10:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BillBrysonsBeard · 05/01/2016 11:00

I've never seen the zombie warning message so usually end up adding a post! They should be locked.

passmethewineplease · 05/01/2016 11:01

Probably because they google something and up pops the thread.

Some people don't check dates for some reason!

Arfarfanarf · 05/01/2016 11:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thelittleredhen · 05/01/2016 11:03

I think that the Zombie warning should be added at the top of the thread so that it is more easily recognised when you click - or added to the thread title.

It's so annoying after RTHT only to notice the last couple of posts say its a zombie - what a waste of time!

ReallyTired · 05/01/2016 11:18

Zombie threads are often harmless. It's amusing when it's toilet training the kid who thread is about is probably due to start high school. Not all zombie threads are a problem, but it would be good for mumsnet to have the option of locking a zombie thread, deleting new messages without deleting the entire thread. Maybe zombie threads should not show up in active conversations when they have been reaiminated.

starsshineinthecountry · 05/01/2016 11:19

I don't mind them. Some can be interesting :)

Seeline · 05/01/2016 11:49

PUT THE ZOMBIE WARNING AT THE TOP OF THE THREAD

And yes I did mean to shout Grin
They really annoy me - read for ages, go to post comment and then realise that the thread is 10 years old!!
Can't they change the colour of the title of threads started more than 2 years ago or something?

Theselittlelights · 05/01/2016 11:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JapaneseSlipper · 05/01/2016 11:53

Can't get wound up about this. The zombie threads are still interesting. Do the OPs ever come back to tell us how they got on?

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 05/01/2016 11:57

This will be a zombie thread one day.

Be ironic if someone reactivates it in four years.

Grin
WatchedFrozenWayTooMuch · 05/01/2016 11:59

Is it people that come over from netmums? They have threads over there that go on and on and they just carry on posting for ever and ever.

ItsANewDayToday · 05/01/2016 11:59

This complaint comes up a lot. I think it is really annoying if you put time and effort into a post then realize that it's completely pointless. The zombie warning goes away once a zombie thread has had a few (10?) new posts on it. I think the zombie warning should remain permanently once a thread has been dormant for a while. Alternatively I wouldn't mind it if zombie threads were locked.

MNHQ keep saying they will look into it but I haven't seen an update as to why they think the ZOMBIE warning should disappear after a few new posts.

thelittleredhen · 05/01/2016 12:00

I've seen one thread where an OP has come back with an update recently, but I think that the thread was not more than a year old.

CruCru · 05/01/2016 12:02

I've resurrected a zombie thread but it was one of started and was giving an update.

BillBrysonsBeard · 05/01/2016 15:40

Hello to all the posters reading this in 4 years Grin

NewYearNewToads · 05/01/2016 15:52

I think there should be a zombie warning as the top of the thread and the bottom. And once they're there they never disappear.

NewYearNewToads · 05/01/2016 15:53

at the top of the thread.

BeyondCBA · 05/01/2016 16:07

I swear there ar more zombie threads active than new ones today

kogasa · 05/01/2016 16:23

Don't understand the issue with posting on old threads. It's there, an archive, and if you have a similar issue and want to add your story, why is that not okay? I've never understood the mentality of "Why are you replying to this, it's old!" like that makes your points moot. The conversation is active in the sense that someone found it and contributed, why are they berated for that?

ItsANewDayToday · 05/01/2016 17:14

Kogasa. If it is just a chatty thread then I don't think it's much of an issue but lots of threads in Mumsnet are ones where an OP is looking for an opinion or advice on a particular situation. If that situation has now been resolved or has moved on then it's a bit boring to resurrect it.

manicinsomniac · 05/01/2016 17:16

I don't see a problem with it. If you find a post that's relevant to what you want to ask or say then why bother starting another one. Just use the existing one.

kogasa · 05/01/2016 17:30

I understand it's a bit senseless to reply to an advice thread if the OP is long gone - but even if the OP's issue as been resolved, the resurrection of the thread could help people in a similar situation find advice - IMO that's valuable. It's a bit irritating, but if you feel like the thread isn't of use to you, you can always close it. Someone bringing back an old thread might be invaluable for someone else who hasn't had a chance to read it and see the advice on it, iyswim. I can understand why it irritates people, but not why people are so vehemently against it, like it's something that needs to be dealt with by mods.

katiekid · 05/01/2016 17:34

probably someone googling something which relates to their issue and they then reply to it without realising the date or they could be doing it just to annoy MN lol