Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

MN pleeeeease consider CLOSING OLD THREADS...

181 replies

Userguaranteed · 28/05/2021 09:33

...and only reopen if the OP requests it.

Posters are exhuming threads from ages ago and asking for updates, posting advice, etc. The recent one was from 2012!

I often look at dates now because I've been sucked into zombie threads many times in the past but sometimes I forget, especially if the thread hasn't got too many replies.

Can MN close zombie threads from say a year? There's nothing more to be said - let it go [in Elsa's voice].

OP posts:
missmopple · 28/06/2021 17:11

What BIWI said.

Maybe if we all go onto as many old threads as possible and post that we are just commenting 4 years later so that we can read the thread at our leisure (which is what happened in the most recent thread), something will finally get done.

GreenCrayon · 28/06/2021 17:16

@missmopple

What BIWI said.

Maybe if we all go onto as many old threads as possible and post that we are just commenting 4 years later so that we can read the thread at our leisure (which is what happened in the most recent thread), something will finally get done.

It's blooming tempting. I'm honestly getting so fed up of the sheer amount of zombie threads being posted on. I clicked on one that had been revived the other day that was 16 bloody years old.

There is absolutely no need and it's just stupid that it's possible to ressurect an old thread for no reason at all. MNHQ really really need to start making some changes to stop them being dragged up so often.

Mysterian · 28/06/2021 17:24

Can we keep the "just an add on???????" thread in Dadsnet? It's coming up for it's tenth birthday and we don't want to lose it.

GreenCrayon · 28/06/2021 17:31

@Mysterian

Can we keep the "just an add on???????" thread in Dadsnet? It's coming up for it's tenth birthday and we don't want to lose it.
If MN made a change to lock threads so that no one other than the OP could post on them after it hadn't been posted on in 6 months then this wouldn't mean the thread on Dadsnet is lost.

It wouldnt take much for someone to nip over and make sure it was added to once every 5 or so months to keep it going.

The change would however prevent people googling something, finding a decade old thread and reviving it because they don't understand the concept of the zombie banner as often happens or more frustratingly ressurecting a thread to spam or for no reason other than because they felt like it.

bruffin · 28/06/2021 17:42

Wouldn't it better if op just linked to closed thread rather than posting on it. Title (original post name) update

BIWI · 29/06/2021 11:08

I don't dispute that sometimes the info can be useful/interesting, so keep the threads rather than delete them. But just lock them so no-one can post on them after, say, 3 months.

MNHQ
soniamumsnet · 29/06/2021 15:20

Hi - just dropping in again to say thanks for the comments and feedback which we'll take on board. Flowers

CharityDingle · 29/06/2021 18:53

@ClosdesMouches

I've been asking MN to do this for years. In addition to sensitivity issues, Zombies are timewasters. They frequently are just resurrected to spam, report to HQ to delete the spam, then a few months later the same thread pops up again with more spam. Report to HQ to delete the spam. I know they have more useful ways to spend their time so don't understand why they don't want to lock old threads. I use a couple of other message boards and zombies are locked on both after 6 months.
Same here. On any other board I'm on, zombie threads are immediately locked, if resurrected.

If someone resurrects a thread, because they have a similar query, it gets put into a new thread. If someone resurrects it for no good reason, it's just locked.

SUBisYodrethwhenLarping · 30/06/2021 00:40

I have found the zombie threads about weddings very useful so please leave them up

GreenCrayon · 30/06/2021 06:56

@SUBisYodrethwhenLarping

I have found the zombie threads about weddings very useful so please leave them up
But no one is asking for them to be taken down, we just want them locked so no one can ressurect them. You would still be able to Google or search for them and read them in their entirity, just not post on them.

A thread may still be useful if it can be read years later but it is not helpful to anyone if someone can come along and post on it 20 years after it was created.

Whinge · 30/06/2021 09:37

@SUBisYodrethwhenLarping

I have found the zombie threads about weddings very useful so please leave them up
I'm sure they're useful for planning, but there's no need to post on them. There's no way of knowing if the OP is still married. Reviving the thread after many years has the potential to cause upset and distress to the original poster, just like the cat thread a few weeks back. Sad
MikeWozniaksGloriousTache · 30/06/2021 10:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BIWI · 30/06/2021 11:11

I agree @MikeWozniaksGloriousTache

It's like your parent telling you 'we'll see' - it always means 'hopefully soon you will have forgotten all about this and I'm not going to do anything about it'

Insulting and patronising.

BIWI · 15/07/2021 09:48

And look here's another one

As if it wasn't bad enough having regular threads from the poo troll, now we have people resurrecting poo stories as well.

PLEASE MNHQ AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH HERE!

BIWI · 16/07/2021 20:29

I'm going to keep posting on this thread so that it rises to the top of Site Stuff until MNHQ actually make a coherent response

BIWI · 16/07/2021 20:29

... rather than just ignoring it

LiliesAndChocolate · 16/07/2021 21:02

I am not sure I agree on this. I am not bothered by them, quite the opposite actually.

Sometimes, in the health section, or parenting or anywhere, there is a very specific, very unique issue, and I really like the ability to build on what was said, even if it was years ago. Can also be a specific holiday destination.

I like how unique MN is on this, and other features that make it different than other boards.

I am on other boards and hate how quickly discussions are closed. MN is not reddit, inspire or other forums. It is different and for me it is an added value.

There are warnings that a specific thread is old.

So zombie threads are not a problem for everyone. Does everything have to be fast and short lived?

I find pestering more annoying than zombie threads, to be honest. Once someone has made their point and presented an opinion, no need to scream and make a tantrum.

MNHQ has already replied on this discussion that they have taken on board the comments. Good now we can move on.

BIWI · 16/07/2021 21:06

Thank you for your considered contribution.

EarringsandLipstick · 16/07/2021 21:16

@LiliesAndChocolate

I am not sure I agree on this. I am not bothered by them, quite the opposite actually.

Sometimes, in the health section, or parenting or anywhere, there is a very specific, very unique issue, and I really like the ability to build on what was said, even if it was years ago. Can also be a specific holiday destination.

I like how unique MN is on this, and other features that make it different than other boards.

I am on other boards and hate how quickly discussions are closed. MN is not reddit, inspire or other forums. It is different and for me it is an added value.

There are warnings that a specific thread is old.

So zombie threads are not a problem for everyone. Does everything have to be fast and short lived?

I find pestering more annoying than zombie threads, to be honest. Once someone has made their point and presented an opinion, no need to scream and make a tantrum.

MNHQ has already replied on this discussion that they have taken on board the comments. Good now we can move on.

I agree with everything here. Very well put Lilies
bruffin · 16/07/2021 21:18

There are warnings that a specific thread is old.

Not really , there is a earning for one post, there are no warnings once its been bumped.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 18/07/2021 18:15

Patronising response of the year there MHHQ

You can lock old threads and you did so the other day
But for some reason this seems
To be a hill you want to die on

Hobnobswantshernameback · 18/07/2021 18:17

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Chemenger · 20/07/2021 09:48

Just wasted 10 minutes on a zombie that someone pointlessly resurrected. Lots of responses to the original OP (for an issue that they were obviously upset about and probably don’t want to be reminded of) and absolutely none for the person who tagged on their question to the old thread. I assume the people who do this are new users who don’t realise what they are doing but it’s a colossal waste of time for everyone.

BIWI · 20/07/2021 10:03

Three times now, @soniamumsnet, you've posted to thank us for the feedback, and that you'll 'take it on board'.

In MNHQ parlance, what does that actually mean?

Please could you explain why you seem so resistant to closing threads, or doing something that prevents pointless resurrection of old threads?

LiliesAndChocolate · 20/07/2021 11:39

It doesn’t really matter. Each forum is different. On some you can follow a member, upgrade or even downgrade a comment, and so many features.
Some don’t like the fact that discussions are not close, some love it and appreciate the feature. C’est la vie.

Swipe left for the next trending thread