|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
macfalk
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 6:46pm
Post #1 of 57
(1122 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Yes, its time again! Flat or Threaded?
|
Can't Post
|
|
When I first took part in one of these discussions a couple of years ago when I was new here, I was very surprised that a lot of folks here prefer threaded. Flat has been the natural choice since day one and it's also the traditional layout on most forums. I did make a try with threaded but it lasted only 10 mins - I found it so slow and it requires so much clicking if one wants to read all or many posts in a big thread with many pages. Just not my preference at all, but I can see why some like it because it is very organized.
Speak out!
(This post was edited by macfalk on Sep 15 2012, 6:50pm)
|
|
|
DanielLB
Immortal
Sep 15 2012, 6:54pm
Post #2 of 57
(533 views)
Shortcut
|
I like to read everything (or at least skim read) and the only way of doing it (quickly and efficiently) is through flat. Threaded does have it's advantages, but just isn't for me.
What I want to know is what is "partially expanded"? Occasionally when looking on Who's Online, it will say someone will be reading using "partially expanded mode".
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 6:59pm
Post #3 of 57
(527 views)
Shortcut
|
Sometimes, though, it gets confusing about who's replying to who. The "in reply to" links are great for that, but sometimes I still miss replies to me.
Occasionally I'll look through threaded to check replies, but that's about it. Otherwise, it's just way too difficult to follow a thread IMO.
|
|
|
macfalk
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 7:04pm
Post #4 of 57
(504 views)
Shortcut
|
It works fine for me, it doesn't always 'work' but you can almost always guess who replies to whom. And if guessing is not enough, you could just change to threaded quickly and them change back.
(This post was edited by macfalk on Sep 15 2012, 7:05pm)
|
|
|
DanielLB
Immortal
Sep 15 2012, 7:04pm
Post #5 of 57
(519 views)
Shortcut
|
|
If you want to keep up with people who have replied to you
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
You can change your settings in Edit Profile > User Profile > Reply notification to send an email everytime someone responds to your post. 
It's a great feature during busy periods.
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 7:24pm
Post #6 of 57
(496 views)
Shortcut
|
it works wonderfully. Only occasionally do I change to threaded.
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 7:25pm
Post #7 of 57
(494 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Oh, yes, that is a wonderful feature
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I have it set up, and I get them sent to my phone. I would definitely never know if anyone was responding to me without it 
|
|
|
DanielLB
Immortal
Sep 15 2012, 7:28pm
Post #8 of 57
(494 views)
Shortcut
|
I have a lazy habit of not deleting these e-mails ... you should see the number of them in my inbox  
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 15 2012, 7:36pm
Post #9 of 57
(522 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Considering you're never not on TORn
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I can only imagine the e-mails! 
|
|
|
DanielLB
Immortal
Sep 15 2012, 8:01pm
Post #10 of 57
(502 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Something's wrong if I'm not on TORn ;-) /
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 1:24am
Post #11 of 57
(473 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I'll be sure to send the police
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
If you haven't posted for more than 24 hours! 
|
|
|
Elizabeth
Half-elven
Sep 16 2012, 1:26am
Post #12 of 57
(493 views)
Shortcut
|
It's the best way to see a conversation as a conversation. There are many sub-threads that I am not interested in, and it's much easier to see them in threaded mode.
I'm baffled by the comment that it's slow--I don't see any delay at all, even for some of the mega threads in Hobbit nowadays. And I almost never want to read all posts in a thread; if I do, it's very easy.
|
|
|
Magpie
Immortal
Sep 16 2012, 1:41am
Post #13 of 57
(489 views)
Shortcut
|
read every post and thread?
why?
Forget not having the patience to click on all those links. I don't have the patience to read all those posts!
And if I want to, flat mode is just confusing, I can't tell who's responding to who unless I backtrack which takes more time.
This is kind of related to how I do research. I might get tons of results from a search and I have to make quick decisions about which ones to check out and when I do, I have to make quick decisions how pertinent that page/site is to my search needs. If I don't think it's pertinent, I'm out of there and onto the next. I can't afford to linger. I got dozens more to check out or work to get back to if I determine I can't find the info I seek.
I do the same thing in threaded mode. I make quick decisions about where the conversation is headed and can sense multiple tangents and tracks that are occurring. And I have my favorite people I always want to read and others not so much. I look at the page and decide whether to open up a thread. Then I look at the subject heads and decide which posts to open or subthreads to check out and which to avoid (because they are about a subject I'm not interested in or because they're a bit chatty or because they're getting contentious.)
I'm in... I'm out, unless I find a reason to linger.
|
|
|
Elizabeth
Half-elven
Sep 16 2012, 2:18am
Post #14 of 57
(526 views)
Shortcut
|
I suspect people who work only in flat mode and read every post are the ones who don't see a point to Subject lines. But, like you, I look at the whole thread, with its sub-threads, and pick out the subject heads and/or authors to decide which posts to read.
I do hang out on a couple of boards that are organized with independent threads, all of which are displayed flat, so I know how that works. But I like the way threads work here better.
|
|
|
Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 3:15am
Post #15 of 57
(487 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I'm one who likes to read all the posts
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
So threaded really isn't the way to go. I like to know what everyone is saying, so flat works better for that. I can still follow conversations, but overall flat is more suited to me.
I really appreciate the different options, though. I'm glad that we can choose what works best for ourselves rather than have it forced upon us.
|
|
|
Spencissimus
Lorien
Sep 16 2012, 4:58am
Post #16 of 57
(459 views)
Shortcut
|
I only use threaded if I'm trying to find a specific post/dicussion that has been referenced in another thread. Usually that's when someone starts a new the thread discussing something, only for it to be locked because that topic is being discussed 6 pages deep in another more general thread.
|
|
|
RosieLass
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 6:45am
Post #17 of 57
(472 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I've never done anything but threaded at TORn.
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
It's easier to keep up with the subthreads and replies that I'm interested in, and skip the stuff I don't care about.
|
|
|
imin
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 7:07am
Post #18 of 57
(458 views)
Shortcut
|
Just seems more natural and i cant be bothered clicking a million times just to read one thread. I skim read some replies but if im honest i read pretty much all replies in a thread that interests me - though i think you can tell people who are threaded as they will make the same post as someone did about 20 posts ago, haha.
I think the younger generation on here as in people who have joined TORn more recently - prefer flat, old timers prefer threaded, generally speaking.
Perfect forum for me would be flat and when someone posts in a thread it bumps that thread back to the top. 1/2 is fine by me :)
|
|
|
macfalk
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 7:58am
Post #19 of 57
(477 views)
Shortcut
|
I don't mean "every" post, of course, but if I want to skim through all the posts in a mega-thread like The Hobbit board offers, then Flat is really the way to go. In flat, one can just scroll down and you have skimmed through the entire thread in a very short time. In threaded, that would require endless and endless clicking. Yes, I want to read most posts in a thread I am interested in - I don't want to miss out on some discussions.
I know a lot of threaded folks likes to raise the "Subject head" and how good it is. Yes, it is great, but it does not work if you want to skim through a thread.Why? Because there can be a lot of text hidden under that subject line, or it could be nothing. You never know, unless you open it. In flat, one will always know.
|
|
|
macfalk
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 8:01am
Post #20 of 57
(460 views)
Shortcut
|
Slow - as in it taking so long to open posts in Threaded, if they are several. I'm not talking about delay, I am just talking about the unnecessary clicking & waiting that Threaded Mode has to offer.
|
|
|
DanielLB
Immortal
Sep 16 2012, 8:20am
Post #22 of 57
(466 views)
Shortcut
|
I'm someone that reads everything, but also appreciates a useful subject line. One that just contains "." or something similar do my head in. It's still part of the conversation, so use it! And I try and take considerbation of all you threaded users.
|
|
|
Alcarcalime
Tol Eressea
Sep 16 2012, 11:36am
Post #23 of 57
(484 views)
Shortcut
|
Threaded is my default and if I see a thread I think might be interesting based on the subject lines, I switch to flat -- like I did for this thread!
I wonder how this question would shake out age-wise?
|
|
|
Magpie
Immortal
Sep 16 2012, 1:46pm
Post #24 of 57
(470 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I think it might be just as much - how many used the old boards a lot
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
but then, I think those of us who migrated from the old boards to the new ones were, at the time, an older age demographic than many of the folks who have joined in since The Hobbit has become newsworthy.
But I think those of us who got used to threaded on the old board learned to *think* that way. Like, I can technically use a digital clock but I can't quickly tell time by it. I use the spacing of the hands on the analog clock to tell me many things. I don't have the geometrical feature on the digital clock and I literally have to translate what the numbers tell me into an understanding of what that means in terms of spans of time.
A good portion of my being able to spell words correctly came from body memory of how I moved my hand to form the word in cursive. When I switched to keyboard, my spelling deteriorated drastically.
|
|
|
macfalk
Valinor
Sep 16 2012, 1:55pm
Post #25 of 57
(448 views)
Shortcut
|
I wonder how this question would shake out age-wise?
I'll start! 20 years old and proud Flat Mode user!
|
|
|
|
|
1
