This happened here. I was trying to test your threading in the Testing & Trashing forum here.
I posted a message and someone replied it. So I posted a reply to that message. Then I replied to my own message and posted it. I didn't multi quote. But MyBB merged my two replies into one.
Then I posted a reply to my merged post, and it merged my reply into that post. IOW, it didn't create another post.
There
the thread
This is not what I'm used to seeing in threading. I'm used to seeing a tree-like structure created as people reply to posts, no matter whose posts. And if I saw it, then I was hoping maybe there's a plugin that gives it the usability of the thread-tree window in vBulletin 3.x.
Can someone tell me if theres a way to have it not merge posts unless I multiquote. And do you think it's possible to get a vBulletin-like navigable thread tree window?
You'd have to turn off post merging in your own forum then. However, MyBB's threaded mode is not really useful in general, so if you absolutely want a threaded mode forum system, you'd either have to use something else or change MyBB code / make a plugin that does threaded mode right. Mind you, it's not easy to get right, especially not with MyBB.
That's what the post merge feature does, merges consecutive posts into one, so it only shows as one in threaded mode as it is only one post.
(2010-06-03, 09:59 AM)frostschutz Wrote: [ -> ]However, MyBB's threaded mode is not really useful in general, so if you absolutely want a threaded mode forum system, you'd either have to use something else or change MyBB code / make a plugin that does threaded mode right. Mind you, it's not easy to get right, especially not with MyBB.
Hmmm. Oh well. There are just not many choices for threading communities. There are more of use than some think. Unfortunately, most boards that have threading don't implement it in a practical way. vBulletin, however, did. But now they crippled the thread display in version 4.x.
I turned off the merge feature and did a few test posts. It looks like MyBB knows how to build a tree, although I didn't test it for very far. So maybe a tree window interface could be made with a plugin. I just wish I didn't have a mental block for PHP. I tried to learn it but failed.
Anyway, thanks for the heads up on the merge feature. I turned it off on our test board.
Problem with tree support is that tree forum users usually expect post level read status tracking and a notification when someone replies to one of your posts specifically. MyBB does not do any of that. You can only subscribe to whole threads, and if you click a thread, the whole thread is marked read. It's just not made with trees in mind.
If you use MyBB, switch to linear mode. Otherwise it won't make you happy.
(2010-06-03, 03:06 PM)frostschutz Wrote: [ -> ]Problem with tree support is that tree forum users usually expect post level read status tracking and a notification when someone replies to one of your posts specifically. MyBB does not do any of that. You can only subscribe to whole threads, and if you click a thread, the whole thread is marked read. It's just not made with trees in mind.
I see you understand threaded communities. And thanks for explaining this. If it's not in the engine, it's not in the engine.
One thing I don't understand, though. The quote feature can put your name, your post id, and a link to your message into my quote. Would it be possible to have a plugin make a second line in message headers that automatically include that, with the word "To:" in front of it. Prospero modified their software to do this when they installed it for CompuServe, as a compromise for not offering threading.