One mild frustration I have with these forums (and others using this software, so I'm petty sure it is not something with in the adminstrator's control, but I'll never know if I don't ask) is the absolutely horrendous message threading. I'm used to usenet, where threads on specific subtopics are logically separated.
A hypothetical example of what I mean: I ask in the general woodworking forum about the best way to cut an angled mortise. One person answers with a method using a router, and two more chime in with variations on that technique. Then another person who has the secret for starting a new subthread, responds to the original post with a method using a drill press to drill overlapping holes, and paring the sides with chisels. This generates a few comments, and soon someone suggests, in the same subthread, use of the Domino. Later another reader has suggestions about the router methods mentioned earlier, but it gets posted to the drill press/Domino subthread.
Is there any option in the forum software to make proper threading more natural for people to do? I suspect that the problem is the big "Post Reply" buttons. If they were eliminated, folks would have to hit the reply button in the message to which they are replying, where it would get properly threaded. Another alternative (almost certainly software mod, not an administrator setting) would be to have the big "reply" button pop up the tree of messages and ask you to click the message to which you are replying.
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Originally Posted by Doug Shepard
