# Spin-off threads.



## maxiogee

Hiya,

Forgive me, please, if I am stepping on anyone's toes here. But is there no way to mark, in the thread listings, that a thread is a spin-off from a previous thread?

This evening I logged into the Cultural Discussions forum and saw at the top of the list a thread called "Going Underground: Subways in your Country" which indicates that I have posted to it. Going to the first unread thread I am taken past the Mod's usual notice at the end of the first post saying "Mod Note: This thread was split from the "Survey Ranks Cities According to Civility" thread."

Could there be a wee icon pasted beside spin-off threads?


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## Etcetera

It would be really helpful, indeed.


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## Chaska Ñawi

This is a question for our fearless administrator - I will pass it along.


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## geve

maxiogee said:
			
		

> This evening I logged into the Cultural Discussions forum and saw at the top of the list a thread called "Going Underground: Subways in your Country" which indicates that I have posted to it.


So you mean you are marked subscribed to this thread? I too have a post in this spin-off thread, and I am not marked subscribed... It is _me_ then!!


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## timpeac

geve said:
			
		

> So you mean you are marked subscribed to this thread? I too have a post in this spin-off thread, and I am not marked subscribed... It is _me_ then!!


If there is thread A that you have posted in, and certain posts in this thread are split out to form thread B I would expect, even if your posts are amongst those moved, that you would stay subscribed to thread A (even if it now contains none of your posts) and not be subscribed to thread B (even if it now contains some or all of your posts). So your case Geve is what I would expect.

Tony - could you confirm the detail of what you mean?


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## geve

I'm thinking... perhaps Tony meant this icon: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 which means "you have X posts in this thread"? (it would be more likely, since I remember now that Tony doesn't subscribe to threads...) In which case, I have it too, so, ahem  - sorry for the interruption. Please continue where you were at.


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## timpeac

geve said:
			
		

> I'm thinking... perhaps Tony meant this icon:
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> which means "you have X posts in this thread"? (it would be more likely, since I remember now that Tony doesn't subscribe to threads...) In which case, I have it too, so, ahem  - sorry for the interruption. Please continue where you were at.


Ah! Well normally when splitting a thread the moderator will make a comment in the old thread saying what has happened. This will make sure that all those subscribed are aware of the new thread. Perhaps the answer then, Tony, is to subscribe if you don't? Is there any particular reason you don't subscribe? I find it a very useful way to keep track of the threads I am interested in.


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## Etcetera

I've just looked through the original thread, "Survey Ranks Cities According to Civility", and there was no mod note of moving several posts into a new thread. Maybe it depends on the moderator who performs the action?


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## lsp

This thread was split from another. My post, for which I was specifically, eagerly awaiting corrections, ended up in a new thread, to which I was not automatically subscribed. 

When a Mod posts a link in the original thread about the new thread, it causes the new-post-in-subscribed-thread tick so anyone subscribed can know, follow and find the conversation of interest. 

When that isn't done, I assume my post was a thread-ender, and wait for it to appear in my subscribed threads again- but unbeknownst to me, it never will.

I've requested before and I do so again, that Mods _always_ add a note that threads have split, so original subscribers know and can post and/or add a subscription to the newborn thread.

Thanks, Lsp


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## maxiogee

Yes, I meant both the "you have posted in this thread" icon was showing, and the blue button icon which, when clicked, takes one to the first unread post.

I had neither posted to any thread concerning subways in your country (we don't have any!) nor had I read posts in any such thread. But I was taken well into the body of the thread when I clicked that button.

This is not something about which I wished to make a big issue, or had anything heavy to say. But I feel that extracting posts from a thread called ABCDE and naming the new one ZYXWV alters the debate contained in the posts and forer@s might like to know that it is a spin-off, and as the thread is actually all new, they haven't (in a certain sense) read any of it before. Starting at post 1 would also ensure that they see (should it not be possible to identify the thread as a spin-off in the thread listing) the Mod's edit outlining that the spin-off has taken place.


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## geve

maxiogee said:
			
		

> Yes, I meant both the "you have posted in this thread" icon was showing, and the blue button icon which, when clicked, takes one to the first unread post.


But as you said, this button takes you to the first post that you haven't read in this post - it's probably not something to which you can attribute different functions depending on the threads (ie., take you to the first post of the newly formed thread).

I like Tim's suggestion, that the moderator splitting the thread posts a comment in the original thread informing about the split - making sure everyone knows that they have a post in another thread they are not aware of yet.


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