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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. It has been suggested that "bump" is an acronym of "bring up my post",[1] however this is almost certainly a backronym and the usage is entirely consistent with the verb "bump" which means "To knock to a new position".[2] It can also be used in personal messages (PMs) or instant messages (IMs) on the Web, to return an older message to the top of the list.
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. Posters who are open about this simply write the word "bump". Acceptable reasons range from wanting to remind others that the question with which the thread started is still unanswered to offering new information that relates to an old thread; doing it simply to raise a thread's profile is generally as unwelcome as spam.
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