A real Forum for D

[Kagamin]

Walter Bright Wrote:

> On 11/27/2011 5:40 PM, Jude wrote:
> > //quote cause I'm lazy
> > Those are all desirable properties. But the forum software I've seen
> > throws out what's good about NNTP news forums:
> >
> > 1. Threaded view
> > 2. Being able to mark messages as "read"
> > 3. Being able to quickly scan read vs unread
> > //end quote
> >
> > 1. Forums can have threaded view too,
> 
> Generally, they suck. They just don't get what a threaded view is. Newsreaders 
> solved this problem decades ago. A thread is not a topic. It's a view showing 
> who replied to which message.

It's not a contract, it's just a convention. I can easily imagine how to reply to two messages in one posting. Some forums even have plugins that merge consecutive posts from the same author.

> Click to expand at each branching point, click to 
> contract, click to see a particular message. At each point, you can see which 
> messages you've read, and which you haven't.

In forum you already have all messages before your eyes.

> > 2. I thought that that was pretty standard for forums?  Highlighting
> > for threads you've seen and threads you haven't... not for individual
> > messages, but the last number (25 or so) messages you've seen.
> 
> Again, the forum software writers just don't get it. It has to be per message. 
> Why? So in a larger thread, you can instantly see what is read and what isn't. 
> This is NOT equivalent to a chronological sort. I do not read threads linearly.

In Soviet Russia... errm... I mean with linear chronological view you do. Think of it as a novel: it has a linear structure, a bunch of plot threads and they intertwine in chronological order. And it's usually not a problem to track them simultaneously.

Chronological order also helps to understand people. This way posts tend to be grouped by author (remember you've posted 4 messages in a row to this topic). This way one can better understand you as your thoughts are concentrated in one place rather than scattered all over sub-threads: will all information at hands it's easier to figure out your viewpoint in all details.