arn
Well-known member
Despite my posts about threaded content... I don't actually want Xenforo to move to threading or anything like that. It's just not the same experience, and I think the discussion on flat threads can be deeper than found on threaded replies.
That said... I also feel like really long flat threads become really hard to follow, hard to catch up, and ends up resulting in a lot of repeating arguments.
Backstory: I was thinking how to better highlight or summarize content from long threads. I know Discourse tries to do this, but I really found it hard to follow when posts are just removed from the stream. When I just looked at posts above a certain reaction threshold, it also became weird because a lot of highly rated comments were replies to other posts and frequently the same post. Anyway, it seemed like some level of threading might make that read better.
Anyway... one thing led to another, and I ended up with seeing how any XF thread might look fully threaded. And honestly, it reads better than I expected.
I processed a few sample ones from here:
xenforo.com
Threaded: https://forums.macrumors.com/labs/topcomments/xfdemo.php?thread=1
xenforo.com
Threaded: https://forums.macrumors.com/labs/topcomments/xfdemo.php?thread=3
xenforo.com
Threaded: https://forums.macrumors.com/labs/topcomments/xfdemo.php?thread=4
This is the scenario I was advocating for. In Q&A threads, I think it should be threaded:
xenforo.com
Threaded: https://forums.macrumors.com/labs/topcomments/xfdemo.php?thread=2
I thought it was pretty interesting, and figured it might start an interesting discussion.
Note: threading was inferred based on quotes. messages are stripped of tags and truncated for legibility.
That said... I also feel like really long flat threads become really hard to follow, hard to catch up, and ends up resulting in a lot of repeating arguments.
Backstory: I was thinking how to better highlight or summarize content from long threads. I know Discourse tries to do this, but I really found it hard to follow when posts are just removed from the stream. When I just looked at posts above a certain reaction threshold, it also became weird because a lot of highly rated comments were replies to other posts and frequently the same post. Anyway, it seemed like some level of threading might make that read better.
Anyway... one thing led to another, and I ended up with seeing how any XF thread might look fully threaded. And honestly, it reads better than I expected.
I processed a few sample ones from here:
XF 2.2 - Welcome to XenForo 2.2 / What's still to come
We've spent the last few weeks talking about the new features in XenForo 2.2. Now, it's your first chance to try some of them out and help us put them through their paces. Welcome to XenForo 2.2! 👋 As you may notice, we have started converting some of our forums to more specific forum types...
xenforo.com
Implemented...ish - Making the case for a XF native app
I know XF is forum software, and I understand that forums are fundamentally different than social media. I know that Tapatalk is a viable option for many forum owners. I've tried it but it wasn't the right solution for my site, mainly because it doesn't work with various plugins that website...
xenforo.com
Allow nested replies in Q&A Threads
Context: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/forum-and-thread-types.181789/post-1436044 The Q&A thread naturally lends itself to "post comments". Now, I never thought threaded conversations really worked well in the traditional forum setting -- I recall vBulletin's attempts at it. But, when...
xenforo.com
This is the scenario I was advocating for. In Q&A threads, I think it should be threaded:
Best / Favorite XenForo 2.x Addons?
This is a bit of a test of the new Q&A thread type, but also a useful topic. What are your favorite or most useful Xenforo 2.x addons? One reply per add-on. Can describe why it's useful. Links to said add-on would be helpful. Upvote replies if already mentioned rather than duplicate replying...
xenforo.com
I thought it was pretty interesting, and figured it might start an interesting discussion.
Note: threading was inferred based on quotes. messages are stripped of tags and truncated for legibility.
