I full well understand the rules and consequences of old thread bumping. However, is it generally considered necromancy to comment on a thread that hasn't been commented on in several years, ie. a 2004 thread? I'm unsure if this qualifies as "raising the dead", so to speak.

That sounds like a bit of a stretch. Many of the people who commented in that thread may not even be active anymore. Which thread are we talking about, exactly?

Didn't have a particular thread in mind when I was writing this. I was just diving around a large amount of old threads and found some topics that looked intriguing.

Generally, I found a good rule of thumb to be within the four year range to be a limit. So by my rules, try not to post in anything beyond 2009-2008.

Sounds like a good rule of thumb to follow to me. Thank you.

There are many threads discussing similar things, if you find a thread that hasn't been posted on since 2004 it is very likely that whatever was being discussed there can be found in newer threads, if you're willing to search, no need to go digging for fossils.

As long as you aren't bumping several threads with something unsubstantial it's not illegal, per se. If you have something worth adding to the discussion it's not necessarily a problem. However, it might be prudent to look for something more recent where the same things are being discussed or bring up your thoughts in a more recent thread first.

As stated in the rules

D. Necromancy:

Bumping threads as described in A. is fine. However, gratuitous necromancy — bumping old threads for no constructive reason — is inappropriate.

where it is referring back to

A. Considerations:

Before creating a new thread, there are some considerations that should be made.

It is always better to post in a preexisting thread than to create a new one.

Actually, why do people care about necromancy so much? It's just bumping an old thread, i don't understand why some forums apparently consider it a sin of sorts.

Because it's really annoying when someone sets out to bump every old thread in sight just to be a dick?

Good point and i agree, but i don't see how that is strictly connected to necromancy. I suppose mis-used necromancy is where such a dick behavior can more easily arise but...

The problem comes when a bunch of threads get revived with just a "me too" post; and you hope someone has found something new to say, and it turns out that they haven't. If the same posts are in active threads, they soon get buried, which isn't so bad.

Dream wrote:Good point and i agree, but i don't see how that is strictly connected to necromancy. I suppose mis-used necromancy is where such a dick behavior can more easily arise but...

If it's recent threads, at least when someone bumps a half of a page worth of threads, people who are currently active had recently posted in them.

When someone bumps a half of a page of threads where hardly anyone who's currently active had posted in, let alone were even a member when the last post was made in the thread, and the only content in all the bump-posts are stuff like "I agree with this guy", "I like anime too", "Shinji is my favorite", then that's not only not condusive to further conversation, but it gets annoying because the first page of threads that are actually active got pushed off the page.

That's why this bumping is noted under the necromancy section. If someone bumps all the current threads, that everyone was posting in anyways, with short one sentence "Me too" posts, then it's a blip in the radar that just gets overlooked in all of the current conversations. It's different when all the threads are 5 years old.

Ah, i see. That certainly makes a difference, thank you.

Well I was on the safe side always by not posting in threads where the previous comment was 1year+ old because I thought that would be considered "necroposting". So it IS okay to post if the few comments b4 me are up to a year old right?

Stan wrote:Well I was on the safe side always by not posting in threads where the previous comment was 1year+ old because I thought that would be considered "necroposting". So it IS okay to post if the few comments b4 me are up to a year old right?

Sure it's fine, like it says a few posts above yours:

Mr. Tines wrote:The problem comes when a bunch of threads get revived with just a "me too" post; and you hope someone has found something new to say, and it turns out that they haven't. If the same posts are in active threads, they soon get buried, which isn't so bad.