Nested Thread Mode

ThreadMode gets unreadable pretty quickly with the usual techniques outlined on WikiInterpolatedComments. There are two main concerns when organizing a ThreadMode page: continuity and locality.

Continuity means that you can tell the order in which the conversation happened. It may not be necessary to know the total order of the whole page, but it is very helpful to know the order of the replies along one line of discussion. Locality means that replies are close to the text that is being replied to.

NestedThreadMode has these rules:

1. Each comment fits into exactly one paragraph.
2. Each comment depends only on its ancestors (never depends on its siblings).
3. Reply comments are indented one level more than their parent.
4. Reply comments are inserted immediately following the last existing reply to their parent.
5. Indentation is done using one or more asterisks at the beginning of the comment.
6. Top-level comments are in plain unformatted text.
7. The first level of indentation is italicized, and every other subsequent level is also italicized, regardless of the author.
8. If signatures are given, they are placed at the end of each comment (but ConsiderNotSigning)

It works because:

1. Thread depth is gently limited by the decreasing horizontal space at each reply level.
2. Replies that are too complicated to fit in a single paragraph are forced to be simplified, or re-rooted on a new page or new section of the same page.
3. Continuity is preserved due to strict nesting.
4. Locality is preserved due to strict nesting.

From the rules listed above, you can derive the following usage patterns:

1. An individual may reply to the same comment more than once, as long as each reply stands on its own and doesn't depend on the other replies. This way, if you are replying to a compound comment with more than one point, you can branch the discussion by addressing each point with a separate reply. Each reply may be refactored separeately or removed without affecting the others. If signatures are used, each reply should be signed separately.
2. Entire branches can be easily removed if it becomes clear that they have no lasting contribution.

See NestedThreadModeExample for an example.

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This is my attempt to deal with some of the rampant ThreadMess I've encountered lately. I'm interested to hear what everyone thinks. -- MichaelSparks

But Wiki limits indentation by this markup to four levels.

The four-level indentation limit is gone as of 18/01/2006. Are there any other issues that would cause NestedThreadMode to either not work or not be workable? -- MichaelSparks

I've found that lengthy thread mode leads to many paragraphs expressing few points of substance. I would be against any convention that implied that an editor did not have the right to bring the points forward and leave the conversation behind. Hint: paragraphs that specifically address other authors are almost always just noise. -- WardCunningham

How could your concern be addressed? The "anyone can edit anything" principle should be universal, requiring no specific authorization. Maybe this page could specifically encourage refactoring of NestedThreadMode conversations, and even provide some guidelines? -- MichaelSparks

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CategoryWiki CategoryWikiEditing