If form determines content, the content of the posts in the new-look forum will change. We are accustomed to the chronologically arranged posts. If we wanted to refer to the posts that were not just above our post, we tended to begin our message with ‘@Mustermann’. Now we are supposed to choose the appropriate place where we put our reply post, and we can write from the beginning what we want to convey without mentioning the addressee.
In the old mode, a thread was like a long-lasting chat. Replies were divided into several pages in chronological order. Some popular threads were divided into more than ten pages. We added replies to the bottom of the thread, usually influenced by a few of the preceding posts of the same page. We did not have to pay much regard to the first, original post of the thread.
(1) Form does not necessarily determine content. If you use only the first level of the nested replies, it’s the same as the old mode of the forum. I suggest that we use only TWO LEVELS of the reply nests.
(2) As I mentioned earlier, in the old mode, a thread was like a long-lasting chat. As with everything else under the sun, the old mode had its own merits and demerits, which we all know well. The new mode has several new traits. The most important change might be the nested reply system and the position of the comment box. This cannot be described simply as a ‘tree view’.
This is a reply to your first level of the reply nests, all in the interest of science. (This is an excuse, I couldn’t think of anything else to write.)
Your second level of the reply nests is the third posting in this thread. I am writing this in the text area of the original comment. Again, in the interest of science.
"We also added the ability to respond to individual comments within a thread. "–mark / This is a good thing.
I think that eight nests are too many. One post and two levels of replies would be better.
The replies should begin at the more-left positions on the window. They do not have to begin at center-right positions on the screen.
The pictures of the members are occupying a lot of space horizontally.
Some members who hate the new nested reply system are very good at using the system correctly. In any case, I will try to use the comment box below the first post of the thread.
I noticed that you cannot insert blank lines between the lines in the first post of the thread. I put two slashes --//-- instead. Except for in the first post, you can put blank lines wherever you want to. Should I have used the ‘br’ code that appeared in the box?
(Replying to Sanne “Continuing the exercise: this is again a Level Zero (LZ) reply.” )
Hi Sanne! You do get up early! Aren’t you in the same time zone as I am? GMT+1 (because of DST?)
Right-clicking @Julz611’s comment, posted “12 minutes ago”, ie 10.27 UK time 5.8.14, did not link to the location of her reply. Hers was a reply to a second-level comment. [I have to add: in contradiction to your request that we should not reply at that level, tut, tut, tut… I hope Tom Foolery is happy.] (This is a Zero Level comment., were Zero is the original post.) I’d better add an :), for the benefit of those not used to the weird humour we are using.