Flagging vs Subscribing

For me, if I flag a thread it is because:
a) I find it interesting and informative - even controversial.
b) I would like the ATS community to provide input. (Which I believe is the intention of flagging)

Either way, I would like to keep informed as to how the thread is going.

I know that it is only a matter of clicking the "subscribe" symbol or adding to the thread and thereafter it appears in myats but why can't the flagging of the thread automatically subscribe you to it?

Most times I just want to monitor the thread..... not necessarily post in it.

I think if a thread is worthy of a comment then it is worthy of a flag.

Sometimes threads I follow which I just like to read but not comment on, I subscribe to but don't flag straight away unless it gets really interesting. I'm following an aircraft projects thread right now I didn't flag for quite a few pages, but then some really cool stuff started coming up and it was then worthy of a flag to it's OP.

I also think people put far too much stock into flagging and starring, especially when it comes to the 'popular' members. I've seen some gold and silver members put in a comment that either doesn't bring much to the table and is sometimes derivative of the conversation at hand, but they still get 20 stars because they are in the 10K+ club.

A lot of the time, and call me biased for thinking so, I see who either created the thread or who is commenting on it and judge a thread as worthy of a read and perhaps a star or flag. Some members (to me anyway) have a very valid reasoning system, and some just talk sense with every post. Those are the people I like to follow, regardless of their star/flag count.

Just my 2c.