[No thanks] Threaded Mode?

[Enigma]

Will XenForo support threaded mode? If not, is the parent postid stored in any way, such that a modification could create a "threaded" view of a thread?

 

[Brandon_R]

The author ID is stored, not to sure about the parent post id thought.

 

[Mike]

No parent tracking. I seriously wouldn't expect threaded mode. Not only does it create a lot of challenges technically, it interferes with the interface and often gets in the way of what people want to do (think multi-quote and requiring activation of QR). IMO, it's not worth compromising it for a view that probably isn't even going to be that good if it's rarely used.

 

[Reeve of Shinra]

I remember vb team stating that only a very small percentage of people use threaded view. I hate it myself.

 

[Floris]

I went through all the boards I manage a month or two ago, and threaded and hybrid mode was used by a total of 20 people.
The total members on all these sites together was over 3 million.

Despite that people want it, they don't use.

 

[jmurrayhead]

When I'm searching for something on the net and I come to a board that only has threaded mode (older software)...I immediately click the back button. It's confusing to follow and just plain ugly. I won't miss it

 

[Andrew B.]

Threading works great in a community of threaders using software that works in a fluid way. Those early Internet threaded forums were actually a big step backward for threaders who come for the world of Usenet readers or early Compuserve. Most of us went with vBulletin, because it has flexible threading interface, even though it is only a partial implementation of the complete threaded environment.

I think what it really comes down to is not how many members in your community use threading, but rather how many threading communities are out there. IOW, is it worth it to attract those additional customers. For example, some software companies sell to multi-platforms, even though most customers use Windows. They do it for the extra business.

 

[Mark.B]

No no no no no!!!

hardly anyone uses this, and then mainly people who can't over newsgroups going out of fashion.

Back to 1995 with you all! Away!

 

[Disjunto]

threaded posts is the most annoying thing ever, yet so many blog comment systems use it :|

 

[Ryan Ashbrook]

threaded posts is the most annoying thing ever, yet so many blog comment systems use it :|

Blogs (usually) display the reply to a particular post inline with the parent, thus no need to click around to see replies to particular posts. It works here, because a blog comment thread generally does not, and is not expected too, reach the size of a forum thread.

 

[Mark.B]

I actually agree with Ryan, which hasn't happened since 1972. Must be the "Xen Effect".

Yes threaded mode is appropriate for blogs. Different scenario altogether.

 

[Reeve of Shinra]

Slashdot is the only site I've seen where threading comes in handy but then again, its slashdot and they get hundreds of comments in an hour on some stories

 

[Enigma]

No parent tracking. I seriously wouldn't expect threaded mode. Not only does it create a lot of challenges technically, it interferes with the interface and often gets in the way of what people want to do (think multi-quote and requiring activation of QR). IMO, it's not worth compromising it for a view that probably isn't even going to be that good if it's rarely used.

Thank you for the answer. I'm ok with this.

 

[Tigratrus]

I'd love to see a new and innovative solution to threading that actually makes it intuitive and useful as the concept is good, but I've yet to see one. :: sigh ::

 

[Dragapult]

No parent tracking. I seriously wouldn't expect threaded mode. Not only does it create a lot of challenges technically, it interferes with the interface and often gets in the way of what people want to do (think multi-quote and requiring activation of QR). IMO, it's not worth compromising it for a view that probably isn't even going to be that good if it's rarely used.

I would agree if only because most people don't seem to use threaded mode on either vB or IPB. Threaded conversations work well in e-mail or even Usenet conversations, as those get wildly off-topic quickly, but it's less useful on a board with active moderation and the ability to quickly split branching posts into totally new threads.

 

[Andrew B.]

Having threading doesn't interfere with linear mode. Just look at vBulletin.

 

[AlexT]

Deleted.

 

[Mike]

Having threading doesn't interfere with linear mode. Just look at vBulletin.

That is not a good example as there are compromises, such as those I listed above. Not to mention that if the vast majority of people are linear users, their approach will compromise the "correctness" of threaded users.

 

[Andrew B.]

The "correctness" issue isn't a problem in communities where the members are threaders. I'm a member of two vBulletin threading communities and the problems created by other modes or multi quoting is so insignificant that it never even gets discussed or moderated. Now, obviously, threading cannot work in a community of linear users. They post in a linear way that makes threading useless there. But that doesn't change the way it works in a community of threaders.

IOW, it's two different types of communities, and two different types of customers. And so then the question is whether the additional income from selling to the smaller group of forum hosts (threaders) is worth the time and labor investment. It might not be. But threading does work in threading communities.

 

[Kim]

Threaded mode *shudder*