Why not Threaded?? Scoop is a great idea afterall!

[Dr. Fireater]

I haunt Kuro5hin http://www.kuro5hin.org and am of the opinion that SCOOP http://scoop.kuro5hin.org/ thats runs it is a great piece of software... A classic in its own way.

As a new comer to yabb, I found that it lacks Threaded mode for display of messages. (An Admin let me know that Threaded mode is outdated and that most Bulletin Boards are dropping Threaded mode display)

Now, I feel that yabb must have enough flexibility to be able to use it just like scoop.. in other words, yabb must evolve into a fully configurable and customisable package that can be used either as a old fashioned Bulletin Board or as the new fad: Weblog (or Blog).

Threaded modes have their own advantage: visitors can reply and comment on a particular message and have their comments replied to (supported/protested)

In the flat mode, if the discussion board is about long and confusing themes/topics like philosophy or evolution, to make a valid point or objection or commentary, one is forced to make a lot of quotes to draw enough continuity and relevance to the points raised... A threaded mode can solve this problem.

I would like to listen to comments on the pros and cons of threaded mode in yabb.

Afterall, adding a threaded mode will atleast do no harm if the option is given to enable it or not to the administrator. Or better even, the visitor can be given the choice to read the board in flat mode or threaded mode.

I am adding a poll too.. please vote. Thank you,

Dr. Fireater

[Jeff Lewis]

I just looked at that Scoop (had NEVER heard of it before) and really it looks like a poor mans PHPNuke/PostNuke.

The comments are threaded like the Nuke things.  Perhaps if we added a CMS there would be threaded...but let the people provide feedback

[Dr. Fireater]

I just looked at that Scoop and really it looks like a poor mans PHPNuke/PostNuke.

I must humbly disagree. A glance is not enough.. may I try to convince you to try to participate in a scoop driven weblog site? like for instance.. the Kuro5hin.org?

I am sure you will find that while scoop does not look sophisicated or graphically beautiful, it does have a working system of collaborative moderation of posted articles which add liveliness to a vibrant community. Just try it and let me know if you had been atleast a bit impressed with any of its features.

Afterall, Yabb of 2003 will nevertheless be more powerfull and I don't see any reason as to WHYNOT seek newer features and make them a part of YaBB?

Dr. Fireater

[Daniel Hofverberg]

Although I can occasionally see advantages of threaded modes, I personally think it would be too complicated to implement this to actually be worth it...

[Joseph Fung]

It's not a matter of complication.  It's dead simple.  It's a matter of taste.  I know from here - I did it and disliked it strongly.  

[Dave Smulders]

Actually, I hate it.  

[Spaceman-Spiff]

i dont like threaded style too...
specially when u have to read a topic with many replies >_<
it takes ages to click one by one...

[iamdamnsam]

his idea is to make it so a user can shoose to have a threaded or flat style.  So short threads would be perfect the way YaBB is, but for long threads you can read just from the people you want to read from.

I like the way things are now, but I have had alot of members ask about the old threaded/collapsable style.

[Dave Smulders]

It's almost impossible to integrate the two into one BB.

As of now, posts are just put into a topic, without storing on who someone was replying. So, it is impossible to create the threaded view from the current data. Also, it is not logical to present the post-reply button for each and every post in the the flat file view, since it wouldn't matter.

Well....anyways, let's assume we change all this, so we store on who someone did reply, and we will have the reply buttons in each and every post. Now a threaded view is possible. So, a lot of people view the board in threaded view, and post replies.

Then the user group with flat-views come around again...and try to understand the discussion going on. Because their views are ordered by date, all messages will be in chronological order. Since it's clear for people using threaded view to who they reply, they will not bother to use the quote function to make clear to what exactly they are replying. And therefore, the discussion will be a mess for the flat-view people.

[Joseph Fung]

Thanks Dave - that's the best point I've read yet.

[Greg Robson]

Yeah, nice one Dave - I hadn't realised there was a flatwards compatibility issue

[Michael]

It's almost impossible to integrate the two into one BB.

Mm, I disagree, although I haven't looked into it, truth be told. 'Sides, didn't Joseph say it was very easy and that he'd done it already? I'm thinking you'd probably want to do something like store an id for each message (like an id is stored for each topic right now), then store the id of the message that was replied to. When the thread is displayed, it will just have to be structured according to what message was in reply to what other message. Not too bad, I don't think, but I also think there's better things the devs could be spending their time on.

Also, it is not logical to present the post-reply button for each and every post in the the flat file view, since it wouldn't matter.

Actually, I do this on my site anyway, so the user can reply the instant they feel the urge.

Because their views are ordered by date, all messages will be in chronological order. Since it's clear for people using threaded view to who they reply, they will not bother to use the quote function to make clear to what exactly they are replying. And therefore, the discussion will be a mess for the flat-view people.

I like this point.

[Dave Smulders]

Mm, I disagree, although I haven't looked into it, truth be told. 'Sides, didn't Joseph say it was very easy and that he'd done it already?

Implementation of one system is not the problem, as I stated. The problem lies in intergrating both of them into one system.

Because their views are ordered by date, all messages will be in chronological order. Since it's clear for people using threaded view to who they reply, they will not bother to use the quote function to make clear to what exactly they are replying. And therefore, the discussion will be a mess for the flat-view people.

I like this point.

Actually, my post was just one point. This last part is just the conclusion.

[Jeff Lewis]

I don't think it would be as hard to do as everyone thinks...

[Hypocrite]

I don't think it would be as hard to do as everyone thinks...

Famous last words