Zombies...again.

[EwanWhosearmy]

I know this has been asked many many times. PLEASE can zombies be locked, and only reanimated by the OP, once they are over 6 months or so since the last post?

I've read 3 long threads this week, only to realise that the OP was from 2011 or 2012. There seems to be a thing that new users immediately start searching for old threads to reanimate, and with the growth in the site it's becoming all too regular. I don't understand why they do it, but it's really annoying.

[firsttimemum15]

Look at the daye and jump to the end then

[HelenDenver]

Why would you have an issue with a larger note at the top of the thread making the agr obvious, first?

[HelenDenver]

Agr = agr

[HelenDenver]

Age!!!

[HiDBandSIL]

Zombie warning at the top please. Don't lock old threads

[1004Rise]

I've never seen a zombie warning on the phone app.... and it's the only way I access it, so unless I remember to check the original date if the thread is activated again I don't realise

[Vidorra]

I don't mind them. Can be irritating at times but such is life.

I do remember here umm ten years ago, posters being told it's been asked before, do a search by certain others.

Other forums prefer you to add onto ones from years ago, it baffled me when I first joined them after being used to here. So ,aybe new users just aren't aware yoi don't do that here.

[Vidorra]

Ffs excuse spellings

[firsttimemum15]

No issue with a banner just think its not a problem

[HelenDenver]

Well, MNHQ already have an alert - we are suggesting making it a more useful one!

[Soubriquet]

The zombie warning is useless now

No one pays attention to it and doesn't realise that zombie threads are frowned upon

[YouMeanYouForgotCranberriesToo]

I use the mobile site and when I'm searching for posts on a topic they don't come up in chronological order. Often the first post that comes up is 5+ years old. Is there a way of making the more recent posts come up first? I've nearly posted on old threads a few times because of that.

[HelenDenver]

You can restrict your search by date.

But agree a time sort would be better.

[IonaMumsnet]

Hello again. Just popping in to quickly answer the question about having a zombie thread warning at the top of threads. We did actually have exactly this back in the dim and distant past but feedback from users was that it was off-putting, especially to new members arriving on a thread, perhaps via Google, for the first time. It made people feel like they couldn't or shouldn't get involved with a thread, it seemed. So we decided then to move the warning to the end so you only saw it if you were actually posting on a zombie thread. We do see the argument for warning at the top of threads, too, but just thought you might be interested to know how that came about.

[PurpleDaisies]

Thanks for the explanation.

Could it be changed so it was more prominent? The new warning is far too easy to miss.

[HelenDenver]

Iona

The current warning is "FYI the last post on this thread is 12m old" or something. That's quite factual. Could do that rather than the zombie.

Also, it will be offputting to post then have a lot of people shout "zombie thread" or even "better to start your own thread"

[EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans]

Iona, what about the idea of making someone go to the end of a thread before posting on it?

[RosettaPebble]

What about the warning at the top of threads along with a welcome message to new posters suggesting that they start a new thread?

Mumsnet can be confusing if you find your way here via Google so a little instruction with a warm welcome may help?

[HelenDenver]

Empress

Surely they would just click on Last to do that?

[EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans]

Helen, I know, and I'm sure it wouldn't stop a determined re-animator or someone who can't be arsed to RTFT.

I just thought that zombie thread or not, even if someone does go straight to Last it would mean they're more likely to read the last few posts and at least get an idea of what's currently going on instead of just responding to the OP (which can make them look rude or daft even if they don't mean to be).

[cozietoesie]

Why not put the warning also in the posting box so that it reads something like 'Please type your text here - if you really want to, bearing in mind that this thread hasn't been posted on for.....' ? The extra warning would disappear when you typed.

(As MNHQ seem to be completely resistant to locking or culling threads for some reason.)

[CockacidalManiac]

Please lock the bloody things.

[cozietoesie]

I'd prefer to cull older threads but that's just me.

[HelenDenver]

I like your first suggestion, cozie