TDPL a bad idea?

[BCS]

Hello Roman,

I disagree:

> Here is why. A linear thread extends only at one point - messages are
> added at the end.

I see this as a down side. That is because having messages only added at 
the end means that the only information I get aside from the content is chronological 
order. I can't see what stuff is in reply to.

> So when you try to keep track of some discussion,
> you only need to keep track of one thing: the last message you have
> read.

My NG reader (and every non-web interface I've ever seen) keeps track of 
what I've read for me. That is not a problem that I care about.

> 
> In a tree-like forum, a discussion can be extended at any point, and
> the bigger the thread grows, the more points there are.

I see this as a good thing.

> It's more
> difficult to keep track of, and it's /much/ more difficult to see the
> "current" state of an entire discussion that you haven't read from the
> start. 

You may be right about see the current state but I think this is because 
a tree thread system doesn't have *A* current state, it has many. And despite 
mental overhead I, again, think that is a good thing

> You can't just read the last 10-20 messages, because they could
> be from entirely different, unrelated branches. Linear threads insure
> that users are on the same page of a topic, both figuratively and
> literally.

Why would I want to artificially constrain a discussion (one that involves 
up to dozens of people and response loops >24hr long) to a single line of 
thought? I like the tree model /because/ it allows "entirely different, unrelated 
branches". (Keep in mind that the 4-6 most interesting threads I can remember 
on this NG where not on the original topic of the thread)

> 
> Also, with a threaded interface topic indexes are much less useful.
> You can't just look at topic titles and say "ah-ha, that interesting
> conversation I've read yesterday has more replies," because a topic
> can be bumped by any of its branches.

I see the issue you cite as more of a problem in the linear model because 
I can't tell what conversation in a thread has new replies. I have a view 
that shows only the portions of the trees that are unread By looking at the 
author and the root unread post I can decide if I care about that subtree. 
If not I can mark it as read and go on to the next subtree. 

I'll grant that for some of that, you /might/ have a point for pure web based 
forums. But that's like complaining that a steering wheel is a miserable 
way to use your feet to steer a car. Newsgroups were not and are not intended 
for use from a web browser. If someone can replicate the intended interface 
in a browser, all the better but please don't complain that it does a bad 
job of something it isn't supposed to be good at.


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<IXOYE><