Starting a new thread with a reply to an old or existing thread. (Was: Twitter)

[Ric Moore]

On Sun, 2009-02-01 at 15:50 -0500, Art Alexion wrote:
> On Sunday 01 February 2009 15:24:30 Ian wrote:
> > Derek Broughton wrote:
> > > golephish at gmail.com wrote:
> > >> Any of you fine folks on twitter
> > >
> > > Please stop starting new threads by replying to something completely
> > > unrelated.
> > >
> > > Beside the annoyance factor, it is likely to get your question completely
> > > ignored by people who have already decided they have nothing to add to
> > > the original thread.
> >
> > I used to start a new thread by replying to an existing thread just
> > 'cause I was too
> > lazy to type in the list address (not this list, one from years ago.)
> > However, in my
> > defense, I had no idea that it caused problems in certain email readers
> > - even if I
> > completely changed the SUBJECT line.
> >
> > Perhaps this individual is new to lists.  Maybe someone could offer an
> > explanation
> > as to /why/ this is a bad habit.  I would do so myself, but I am not
> > quite sure of
> > the details and technicalities behind.
> 
> OK.  I'll take the bait.
> 
> As this is a Kubuntu list, we can assume that almost all subscribers are using 
> KDE.  The default mail user agent in KDE, kmail, threads messages into what 
> gmail calls conversations.  If you use Thunderbird or even Evolution, they 
> can thread messages as well.
> 
> Kmail does its threading based on the in-reply-to header which does not depend 
> on the subject line.
> 
> People who like to read their mail threaded don't like to see unrelated 
> messages in a thread.  Derek's point, and one I have made before, is that it 
> not only screws up those of us using a threaded view, but also can harm 
> the "threadjacker".  For instance, if someone posts on VMware, I don't use 
> VMware, so I will ignore it, deleting the entire thread before reading it.  
> Suppose someone posts a question on getting an external USB hard drive to 
> mount in kde by threadjacking that thread.  Even though I have experience 
> with that problem and could have offered some suggestions, I will never see 
> the question because I have deleted the entire VMware thread.
> 
> Does that make sense?

Plus there is the "posterity" angle that if someone, in the future,
googles to find an answer, completely off-topic posts to that retrieved
thread are plumb annoying, and makes the poster, as well as everyone
else on the list, look like boobie heads. :) Ric

-- 

My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
Linux user# 44256 
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