Zombie threads.

[diddl]

Is it not possible to stop them being posted on after a while-or maybe just by the Op to update?

Or maybe there can be a zombie warning when a thread resurfaces so that people don't get sucked into posting on it in good faith?

It already does have a warning that it’s a zombie thread but I think it needs to be more obvious

I quite like them

They are part of life's rich tapestry.

There is a zombie warning in red but it only appears when the first person resurrects the thread.

This is often a spammer whose post gets deleted and then loads of other people post without noticing the date.

The really annoying part is that people read skim the opening post and decide to reply, but they can do this at the bottom of page 1 (even if the thread is 100s of posts long) so they fail to notice that the most recent posts are all telling them that it's a zombie.

The really irritating ones are posters resurrecting a years old thread to ask for an update, putting the thread back in active so people post without looking at the date or, reading any of the replies, let alone the recent ones.

I think the warning should last a bit longer. The Zombie threads I have seen revived have been done so by trolls/spammers. Their post gets deleted then everyone carries on replying to the OP from years ago.

@Soubriquet

It already does have a warning that it’s a zombie thread but I think it needs to be more obvious

Yes, but the warning can be ignored & it can be posted on again & end up in trending!

So I was thinking a warning at the top of the thread so when it pops again it is obvious that it's an old thread.

Yes, once the thread is resurrected the warning disappears, just keep it on.

@Tryingtogetbacktomysize10s

I quite like them

Well yeah. Especially the one about the carpet layer who wouldn't move furniture for a pregnant OP. It's banality adds to the charm.

Its.

@Tryingtogetbacktomysize10s

I quite like them

That's fine!

And for those of us that don't always remember to check dates it would be nice to have warning even after someone has resurrected it!

@Sparklingbrook

Yes, once the thread is resurrected the warning disappears, just keep it on.

That is all I was wanting to say-but short & to the point!

Have you noticed that the majority of threads that get resurrected are the ones that are pages and pages long? Never a thread with about ten posts on. So nobody bothers reading the thread and just replies to the OP's post. Weird.

Hi - thanks for all your comments about the warning for zombie threads. We'll take these on board.

Would it be possible to close threads after a certain time but give the option of creating a new thread with the same title and a link to the old thread if someone wanted to resurrect it? It would be much more obvious that it was an old thread, but still link to the backstory if relevant.

Hi @sleepyhead we'll pass that idea on - thanks.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4147158-Zombie-Thread-alert-banner

Sigh, I tried this back in January 2021 as above, I asked for a thread banner like the MNHQ where it tells you they have commented on the thread but a different background colour maybe red as to how frustrating it is. Got the same response. We'll think about it.

There was a zombie thread recently where a woman was talking about discharging herself post c section due to her husband not being allowed to stay with her. That woman gave birth in July of last bloody year FFS.

I know some of you have been on here a long time, is it me or has this resurrection of zombie threads just got way more prevalent recently?

We always get told that this will be 'passed on' or discussed 'with the team' but nothing ever happens @soniamumsnet!

Could zombie threads not be shaded a totally different colour, so it's visually obvious that they're zombies? A light shade of cream, for example - a colour not used by MNHQ or for deleted threads?

I love a zombie thread