but before getting into it this is a JAMESJM WORRY.... it will not be used to make the decision on whether to upgrade or not.
with our threads what actually happens is one Thread Topic branches off into "Sub Topics" yet still, and all, basically within the context of the original thread topic. Admins actually have the ability to 'split threads' but we seldom use it unless the 'sub topic' strays very far from the original topic. Moving things, like with a split, complicates things for the users.
To me it seems there simply is no doubt that with a Main Topic - Sub topic discussion, (by far the majority of our threads), Fully Threaded eases the readability considerably. YET... as you point out, having used Flat... you adapted well enough that it's not really a factor... that's pretty much what I was and AM finding out about all our users. IOW, you can't go by me.
By the way... there actually ARE a few, VERY few, new forum software platforms that offer a 'semi-threaded view'... called "Hybrid"..... some still call it "Fully Threaded" but it's not...not like our current software that is. What they do is 'indent' but do not open the reply... requiring a click for each and every reply. But as I said there are few with this feature and I don't 'think' we'd even consider that option.
Ease of "Admining"... Andy brings this up and it's an excellent point... It's difficult, to say the least, to read each and every post to see if the boards TOS has been transgressed. Fully threaded makes it MUCH easier to 'scan' for problems than a Flat view does. OR... so it seems to me...
With all new and supposedly more powerful Admining controls maybe that's not an issue? I really don't know, at this time. - JamesJM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2019 05:17AM by JamesJM.
