Deciding on forum software - Help with an elementary question

[etbrown4]

In looking at comparisons of various forum software some are 'flat' like Simple Machines and some are 'threaded'.    If I go with flat, what does it mean, and what if anything would I be giving up?

I've also looked at "MYBB" and "NextBBS" as other possible forum software to consider.  They are both 'threaded'.   

Curious if anyone might be familiar with these and what the advantages or disadvantages might be.

Many thanks from a pre-newbie!

[Arantor]

Flat means you have topics and replies to a topic are done to the topic as a whole, while threaded invariably means you don't reply to the topic as a whole but to an individual reply, so you can follow subconversations.

It really depends on the style of forum you're going to create.

Some subject matter naturally sparks side discussions that are kind of related to the parent, so the threaded view would be more useful, since you can split the conversation in slightly different ways, other kinds of discussion don't fit so well.

[etbrown4]

Ok,
So you say the threaded may be more useful and will allow for side conversations.

Is it true that Simple Machines is the flat style as I've read in some comparisons?

[Arantor]

The best answer to your question is to have a look at this very forum - and decide for yourself if that's the style of conversation you want.

I'd say it is flat; each topic is just a series of posts, not replies to individual posts. With work it could be made to be threaded if you wanted. SMF is flexible enough that that could be done - but it wouldn't be a 5 minute job.

[Darkly Cute]

Most forums are "flat" style. If you want to see how threaded works, look at the popular site Slashdot [nofollow]. Another site, [http://www.digg.com/]Digg [nofollow][/url], used to use the threaded style for comments, but it's moved to a flat style.

The problem with a threaded style is that it can be really confusing to follow the conversation since there can many "forks" that you have to read down for replies, and then you have to go back up and start down another one. With flat, there is a problem that tangential conversations can interrupt discussion on the original topic.

I'd say it is flat; each topic is just a series of posts, not replies to individual posts. With work it could be made to be threaded if you wanted. SMF is flexible enough that that could be done - but it wouldn't be a 5 minute job.

I know I saw someone provide code on this forum to make SMF function in a threaded style, but I can't find it.

[Arantor]

I think I know the code you mean but if it still works it'll be limited to 1.1.x as far as I remember.

[TheDisturbedOne]

Do you know where it is?

[Arantor]

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=255510.0 seems a likely starting place.

[Darkly Cute]

Do you know where it is?

Found it!

Threaded view

[TheDisturbedOne]

Thanks, both of you.  It looks like a heck of a lot of edits.  Might pass this on to others who are looking for threaded, to get them to SMF.

[Arantor]

Yay, we both hit the same page!

Yes, it is a lot of edits because it's a long way out from SMF's structure - but as you can see, it's something that can be accommodated, proving as if there were any doubt just how flexible SMF is.