Replying to old threads--"bumping"

Hello. I'm a new member & don't know the policy here re: posting on old threads or "bumping". Some forums consider this a faux pas. Others get mad if you create a thread related to something that's already been covered & want you to add on to that previous thread rather than start a new one.

So what does TDPRI prefer?

Thanks.

The mods here do not want you to bump old threads, or as they are referred to here, "Zombie threads.". In fact, they will close them. If you want to follow up an old thread, no problem, but start a new one and add a link to the old thread if you think that is pertinent.

In my experience TPRI prefers you to start a new thread than reserect an old thread of more than say 6 months to a year old.

Others may be able to advise in a more official capacity.

Officially, it's a faux pas here. We've been in operation for over 12 years and we have nearly a decade of posts in our database (the database was started in 2003). Those posts are full of information, but they are also full of expired information, old disagreements and post by banned, deceased and departed members.

Our members NEVER check a post date and they assume any thread on the active page or in "New Posts" is a current new thread full of posts from today.

So, as the others have said, please don't post on Zombie threads. We will remove the new posts and lock the thread to keep from further confusing folks. So, start a new thread or post in current threads.

By the way, we have a forum that contains active "old" threads called "Epic Threads."

PS. Whenever this subject comes up, folks feel the need to offer suggestions of ways to block posting in older threads -- but we have looked at all methods of doing this and they all have unintended side effects that we don't want. This isn't a big problem here, and so we've chosen to live with it as is and deal with it manually. So, we ask folks to please not offer up suggestions for "fixing" this "problem." Thanks.

It might help if there was a set amount of time that constituted a "zombie" thread, and that we knew what it was. Sometimes it seems pretty arbitrary. Btw, just a suggestion, not a complaint! :mrgreen:

The antipathy to zombie threads is relatively new. The time-scale is arbitrary.

Tip - start a new thread but reference the old zombie with a linky.

I thought you had to cut their heads off...?

The antipathy to zombie threads is relatively new. The time-scale is arbitrary.

Tip - start a new thread but reference the old zombie with a linky.

6 months inactivity is an approx cut off point.

If it's not a current thread on the new post list or showing on page 2 or 3 of the forum index then it's better to start a new thread.

If you find it via a search then check the OP date if it's older than a couple of month then start a new thread.

The "antipathy to zombie threads is relatively new" statement is false -- this has been our stance since the forum was old enough to have zombie threads.