How many threads would there be if....

Browsing through the threads, I had a terrible thought...

What if...?

There was one thread for anti-vax.
There was one thread for pro-vax.
There was one thread for election engineering.
There was one thread for Biden B*tching.
There was one thread for Trump B*tching.
There was one thread for "Look Who's Gone Woke Now".
There was one thread for .....

Would the search actually work?

a reply to: gspat

No because there are so many various topics under each of those. So it would be hard to follow the subtopics on one long ass thread.

originally posted by: shaemac
a reply to: gspat

No because there are so many various topics under each of those. So it would be hard to follow the subtopics on one long ass thread.

It couldn't be any harder than following along the current 100+ similar threads right now.

(Gave you a star for replying!)

a reply to: gspat

I see what your are asking. The problem is there is no standard for thread names.

Consider the following threads.

Blue object found
Red object found
Square objext found
Cube found
Cube made of squares fond
White object found
Multicolored cube found
Restoring the colors to the sides of a cube

All these threads are about a Rubix cube but the only thing that would get most of them in a search would be the word 'found' and that would not leave out anything else 'found'. There is no way to get around this without a strict thread name standard and I don't think everyone will give up the ability to make the names for their own threads.

I get what you are saying, but that's why there are mods right? right?

I remember not that long ago I, personally, got berated here for making a new thread because there was a previous one that was somewhat similar.

What's different?

No.
ATS is for current information. Come here and read the post and then an enlightenment shall be in your spirit of life.

a reply to: gspat

No. Mods do not judge the names of threads. They do check for repeats of the ones that are basically the same thred. They keep things more or less civil in the threads, less so in the mud pit. They keep posters from attacking each other. They check for some forbidden things that are not allowed.

originally posted by: beyondknowledge
a reply to: gspat

They (Mods) do check for repeats of the ones that are basically the same thread.

You haven't checked the quality of many of the posts lately have you?

Quite a few of the newest threads could be merged and, well, nothing of value would be lost.

I have no issue reading super long threads I have an interest in. (Of course I have to FIND them first).

originally posted by: gspat
I get what you are saying, but that's why there are mods right? right?

I remember not that long ago I, personally, got berated here for making a new thread because there was a previous one that was somewhat similar.

What's different?

You shouldn't have been berated. That's bad acting on a members part. I've searched many times and couldn't find anything then lo and behold there was a thread on it. Please overlook the harsh treatment and move past it.

a reply to: gspat

While reading through a really long thread seems reasonable, have you ever tried to find a particular post in a really long thread. That is very, very dificult.

I have no explanation for your considering some threads to be basically the same other than they might have just beem missed or there was something different about them that you did not catch.

As already mentioned, you should have not been berated for starting a second thread that you did not know of the other thread unless you tried to make that thread repeatedly. I did notice someone try that not too long ago.

OPs often have a certain spirit and/or motive involved.

The creators (at least me, I'm certain others as well) want to keep that spirit and possible motive intact, which would be lost if we just had mega threads.

OPs have personality and the signature of their creator.

I like the uniqueness of each OP and the intent of the authors intact.

I see where you're coming from, since searching is atrocious.

originally posted by: gspat

originally posted by: shaemac
a reply to: gspat

No because there are so many various topics under each of those. So it would be hard to follow the subtopics on one long ass thread.

It couldn't be any harder than following along the current 100+ similar threads right now.

(Gave you a star for replying!)

I go to NEW and look at the topics from there. I follow things pretty well. *shrug*

a reply to: gspat

I would just start a thread on my lawyer, Joe Mama.

Joe Mama sucks.

The

a reply to: gspat

I don't get what you're saying, you could have just posted here
ATS Should threads exist that are similar to eachother?

a reply to: gspat
Whose threads would be shut down by compulsion in order to achieve this?

a reply to: gspat

folks like me probably screw things up a good bit. I put everything in the mud pit so we don't have to have mods put that "this is not the mudpit" note in each of my threads. I tend to be a dick, and it's not welcome outside of that place.

So all these similar threads on a singular umbrella topic were to be gathered into a few mega threads, how many would there be...how many forums are there? Because that is kinda the same thing right? Topically similar threads gathered into one area?

And an internal search function that reads your mind as to which particular post you want to read would be cool and all, but you can achieve the same thing by clicking the Link button in the top right of this post and then copy and paste the url into a document titled “Posts on ATS that I would like to read again.” every time you read a good post like that.

But if you knew the thread and the poster, you can click on the little green man in their avatar and find their posts in that thread. Or scroll through their last 500 (maybe) posts by that user from their profile page.

a reply to: Ahabstar

So we're not getting the Read Your Mind Search Function?

FFS whatever

a reply to: MykeNukem

Probably just as well. The staff version would have a function to find crap posts to keep us bitter and jaded.