"Do a search" vs. "Zombie Thread!" What's the deal?

PluckyThump · #1 02-12-2011, 09:01 AM

I've seen people start new threads and get flamed for not searching, and I've seen people add to old threads and get flamed for Zombie.

So at what age does a thread qualify for Zombie status? One year? Two years? Five years? One month?

Joe Nerve · #2 02-12-2011, 09:03 AM

People just wanna flame and complain.

254 stringer · #3 02-12-2011, 09:06 AM

I'm sure this has been covered before do a search before you start a new thread

Jonyak · #4 02-12-2011, 09:11 AM

the sad thing about this is, that in the time the responder took to post "do a search" they probably could have just answered the question.

RNV · #5 02-12-2011, 09:21 AM

I've seen it before. You go and do the right thing by searching, and the only thread relevant to your search is an older one. You read through it and your question isn't completely answered so you add on to it. Then you get teased for bringing up an old thread. It is a valid question.

gjbassist · #6 02-12-2011, 09:23 AM

Another issue is that the search engine on TB isn't very good. You have to fish through a lot of irrelevant stuff to find an answer.

Beersurgeon · #7 02-12-2011, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

People just wanna flame and complain.

+1

C.Linton · #8 02-12-2011, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonyak

the sad thing about this is, that in the time the responder took to post "do a search" they probably could have just answered the question.

+1. So what if a question has been asked and answered a hundred times. Either answer the question one more time (It probably wouldn't kill ya) or just shut up.

kesslari · #9 02-12-2011, 10:38 AM

I can relate to "do a search". Some questions have just been asked the previous week, and the week before, and the week before that. And have relatively long answers.

If the poster can't take the time to look to see if the answer is there (especially if it IS easy to find), why should I take the time to write out a long, detailed answer again?
That said, I don't tend to be a search nazi, but I can relate.

I don't get weirded out by people adding questions to an old, on-topic thread - to me, that's not a zombie issue.
It's the folks who add their very pertinent "this'll answer your question, bro" posts - 5 years after the OP. *that's* kinda almost creepy in a zombie sorta way.

My name is Mudd · #10 02-12-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjbassist

Another issue is that the search engine on TB isn't very good.

You have to wonder about a search function that won't recognize the word 'bass' on a bass forum.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #11 02-12-2011, 12:02 PM

A safe bet is to start a new thread if the last thread on the topic is over a year old.

C.Linton · #12 02-12-2011, 12:13 PM

That seems a fair criteria for new threads. Any info in a year old thread is more than likely to be well out of date.

JTE · #13 02-12-2011, 12:31 PM

It depends. The seemingly monthly threads about pan pots versus two volume controls, how to use modes, whether you should use rounds on a fretless, whether stringing through the body adds tensions compared to top-loading, etc. really don't need any new threads. There's nothing new ever discovered in those threads, and they pop up so often that if you actually did do a search, your questions would be answered just as well as if you started a new one.

But if there's not been anything about it for a long time, AND there's something new to add to the discussion start a new thread. Even if it's been a year since the last discussion of who played on "Bernadette", all a new thread or a post on the the old threads is going to do is incite heat without knowledge.

John

thesilence · #14 02-12-2011, 12:39 PM

I get the "do a search" but when I do a search and look through 5 pages of threads and can't find one that answers my question, so I create a new thread and then someone tells me to "do a search"-that gets frustrating. Usually before telling someone to do a search I do a search myself and if I don't see an answer on the 1st page I answer their question and if I do see an answer I post the link to the old thread and ask them to do a search next time; this way I'm helping them and everyone else who answers the same question over and over, and not being a complete jerk about telling them to do a search

My name is Mudd · #15 02-12-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesilence

I get the "do a search" but when I do a search and look through 5 pages of threads and can't find one that answers my question, so I create a new thread and then someone tells me to "do a search"-that gets frustrating.

I have made new threads after searching unsuccessfully now and then, and the first line is something like "I did a search, but couldn't find what I was looking for..." and that seems to pacify the Search Nazis.

Jazzdogg · #16 02-12-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

A safe bet is to start a new thread if the last thread on the topic is over a year old.

My perspective is slightly different. I'd rather search through fewer threads, than have to read a multitude of threads to find the same content. I loved well-edited sticky threads. I am in favor of merging threads to combine relevant content. And I don’t see a downside to so-called zombie threads as long as they stay on topic and new content is relevant.

I also acknowledge that the folks who operate this site are likely to have a different set of equally valid priorities.

**BullHorn** · #17 02-12-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjbassist

Another issue is that the search engine on TB isn't very good. You have to fish through a lot of irrelevant stuff to find an answer.

+9000

ggunn · #18 02-12-2011, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PluckyThump

I've seen people start new threads and get flamed for not searching, and I've seen people add to old threads and get flamed for Zombie.

So at what age does a thread qualify for Zombie status? One year? Two years? Five years? One month?

Don't worry about it. If you have a question, ask it. If you feel like putting in your two cents on a three year old thread, do it. Anyone who complains about it should get a life. This is an open discussion forum.

My opinion, of course.

FunkyMan · #19 02-12-2011, 08:29 PM

So we can ask what's the best bass for metal every time we want??

boynamedsuse · #20 02-12-2011, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My name is Mudd

I have made new threads after searching unsuccessfully now and then, and the first line is something like "I did a search, but couldn't find what I was looking for..." and that seems to pacify the Search Nazis.

I do the same, but only if I can't find an old thread I would rather resurrect.