Bump (Internet)

To bump a thread on an Internet forum is to post a reply to it purely in order to raise the thread's profile. This will typically return it to the top of the list of active threads.

Motivation

Many Internet forums show as their first page a list of the 20-50 topics or "discussion threads" most recently posted to. Someone wishing to keep a thread on this first page, or bring an old thread back to it will post a reply to it purely to do this. If they are open about this, the post may simply be the word "bump".

Netiquette

Thread bumping is commonly considered a breach of netiquette and some moderated forums forbid it. Users may get around that by posting what is ostensibly a genuine reply. Sometimes this will mockingly contain the word "bump" in it, such as "Wandering the forum, he bumps into this thread...", or be a trivial question or response such as "Anyone?". Bumping old or inactive ("dead") threads is occasionally called "necroposting" or "thread necromancy", and the bumping posts referred to as "frankenposts". "Dead" threads that are reawakened are often called "thread necros". People who resurrect old threads are often called "threadomancers". On some boards, bumping a new thread with no replies in order to elicit a response is tolerated, but resurrecting an old thread that has run its course and has been inactive for a period of time (usually anywhere from a few days to a month) is prohibited. The acceptable practice is usually to start a new thread and link to the old thread so that readers can become familiar with the background information.

Sticky threads

Many forums now have features allowing administrators to make a thread "sticky", meaning that the thread will remain at the top regardless[1].

In a similar way a few forums create an area specifically for bumping (which usually does not count for a user's postcount). The thread is usually used as a way for forum goers to post on nothing in particular, or just pass time talking to themselves, and allows the moderators to lessen the clutter of pointless threads.

References

• http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/guidelines.html
• http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/policy.htm
• http://www.vbadvanced.com/forum/announcement.php?f=70&a=2

See also

• Sage (Internet)