Conversation threading
Encyclopedia
Conversation threading is a feature used by many email clients, bulletin board
s, newsgroup
s, or Internet forum
s in which the software aids the user by visually grouping messages. Messages are usually grouped visually in a hierarchy by topic. A set of messages grouped in this way is called a topic thread or simply a thread. A discussion forum, e-mail client
or news client
is said to have "threaded topics" if messages of the same topic are grouped hierarchically for easy reading. Moreover, threaded discussions typically allow users to reply to particular posting. As a result, there can be a hierarchy of discussions within the thread's topic. Various types of software may allow this hierarchy to be displayed in what's called Threaded Mode. (The alternative being Linear Mode, which typically shows all of the posts in date order, regardless of who may have specifically replied to whom.)
Another benefit is in the more subtle appreciation of community in hierarchically threaded systems. As responses have to be made to specific posts, they are also made to specific individuals. Threaded conversations therefore tend to focus the writer on the specific views and personality of the individual being responded to. This occurs less in fora where the latest comment is just inserted into the general pool.
When users are able to choose their personal display mode, the hierarchical structure can easily be disrupted and become unusable: users of the flat threading mode may append their reply to the most recent post by default, regardless of what post is actually replied to. This is a significant weakness of the hierarchical display mode on any forum that can also be browsed with a flat display.
post (or, in such cases as Gawker Media
's blogs, hashtag) where readers may comment and discuss any topic that they choose. They are usually more useful on popular blogs with large amounts of traffic
; they are often used when the author of the blog has no subject matter to post on or when there is a lull in posting. Wiki software
allows open posting.
Open threads are also used to break up the monotony of posts on the main pages of blogs. Comments may build up on content-oriented posts; therefore, authors use the open threads so page load times won't be slowed down.
Bulletin board
A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
s, newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
s, or Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s in which the software aids the user by visually grouping messages. Messages are usually grouped visually in a hierarchy by topic. A set of messages grouped in this way is called a topic thread or simply a thread. A discussion forum, e-mail client
E-mail client
An email client, email reader, or more formally mail user agent , is a computer program used to manage a user's email.The term can refer to any system capable of accessing the user's email mailbox, regardless of it being a mail user agent, a relaying server, or a human typing on a terminal...
or news client
News client
A newsreader is an application program that reads articles on Usenet . Newsreaders act as clients which connect to a news server, via the Network News Transfer Protocol , to download articles and post new articles...
is said to have "threaded topics" if messages of the same topic are grouped hierarchically for easy reading. Moreover, threaded discussions typically allow users to reply to particular posting. As a result, there can be a hierarchy of discussions within the thread's topic. Various types of software may allow this hierarchy to be displayed in what's called Threaded Mode. (The alternative being Linear Mode, which typically shows all of the posts in date order, regardless of who may have specifically replied to whom.)
Advantages
The advantage of hierarchically threaded views is that they allow the reader to appreciate quickly the overall structure of a conversation: specifically who is replying to whom. As such it is most useful in situation with extended conversations or debates, such as newsgroups: indeed, for really complex debate, it quickly becomes impossible to follow the argument without some sort of hierarchical threading system in place.Another benefit is in the more subtle appreciation of community in hierarchically threaded systems. As responses have to be made to specific posts, they are also made to specific individuals. Threaded conversations therefore tend to focus the writer on the specific views and personality of the individual being responded to. This occurs less in fora where the latest comment is just inserted into the general pool.
Disadvantages
Imposing a tree hierarchy tends to fragment discussion within a topic: messages tend to be responded to individually. It is arguable that this leads to a more confrontational debating style in forums that use threading.When users are able to choose their personal display mode, the hierarchical structure can easily be disrupted and become unusable: users of the flat threading mode may append their reply to the most recent post by default, regardless of what post is actually replied to. This is a significant weakness of the hierarchical display mode on any forum that can also be browsed with a flat display.
Open thread
An open thread refers to a blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
post (or, in such cases as Gawker Media
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
's blogs, hashtag) where readers may comment and discuss any topic that they choose. They are usually more useful on popular blogs with large amounts of traffic
Internet traffic
-Historical Internet Traffic Growth:Because of the distributed nature of the Internet, there is no single point of measurement for total Internet traffic...
; they are often used when the author of the blog has no subject matter to post on or when there is a lull in posting. Wiki software
Wiki software
Wiki software is collaborative software that runs a wiki, i.e., a website that allows users to create and collaboratively edit web pages via a web browser. A wiki system is usually a web application that runs on one or more web servers...
allows open posting.
Open threads are also used to break up the monotony of posts on the main pages of blogs. Comments may build up on content-oriented posts; therefore, authors use the open threads so page load times won't be slowed down.
Examples
- both MS Outlook and Apple's Mail include the ability to organize email this way
- The Apache Wave protocol
Web-Based
- Yahoo! Groups http://groups.yahoo.com/
- MSN Groups http://groups.msn.com/
- SlashdotSlashdotSlashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
http://www.slashdot.com/ - RedditRedditreddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page.Reddit was originally...
http://www.reddit.com/ - GmailGmailGmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
http://gmail.com/