Re: Flat vs. Threaded?
neither of those statements were intended as personal attacks. if somebody told me i had a fundamental lack of understanding of something and proceeded to illustrate their point, i could agree with them and i not be offended. i can see how you interpreted my statement in that way. slashdot and 2+2 are truly apples and oranges, though, and i think i have elucidated that point fairly well. the veteran comment was a generalization, and i still believe it to be accurate.
i am completely supportive of threaded stuff in 'news' contexts like slashdot, by the way. i wouldn't want to see slashdot turned into a standard forum, and i think it's a bad way to have directed conversation about specific subjects in short bursts. i think the 2+2 MAGAZINE would be better off if it were done exactly like slashdot - summary of article, you click it to read more, and threaded discussion would be on the same page. it's kludgy and non-intuitive to read something, then go to a separate shoehorned place to discuss it.
the vast majority of DEDICATED FORUMS that i am aware of employ flat mode by default, and i believe the reason why is that it is superior in terms of usability. i never disagreed that some people enjoy threaded mode. my suggestion is that catering to that minority when evaluating alternative forum software would be a bad thing. it's not a standard feature, and a forum of this size should not be limited to less proven/scaleable solutions.
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