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Bill Bensburg
January 20th, 2012, 03:21 PM
OK, apparently you can change the subject of a thread mid-stream.
Isn't this confusing? How can you tell what threads you've read, what
threads you've posted in, if there are replies to any of your
messages, etc.

Thanks for the help!

Bill

Steve Dixon
January 20th, 2012, 03:32 PM
Bill,

Are you writing on the Tapcis Forum website?

steve d

Paul Keating
January 20th, 2012, 03:59 PM
Bill

It does rather depend on whether you read the thread on http://groups.google.com/group/dixonary or in your mail client.

On the Google website the thread is headlined with the last subject that was assigned to it, but all the messages hang together. If the topic is amended, you don’t have to look too closely to see an annotation such as (today, 15h00 my time) Discussion subject changed to "Has anyone heard from Toni?" by Dodi Schultz. What your mail client makes of that depends entirely on what its programmers thought was a good idea. From Google there is adequate information in the in-reply-to: header for the mail client to construct the thread properly, but if the mail client instead relies on matching up subject lines and timestamps, then a reply with a new subject line is going to look like a new thread.

So it may appear as a thread continuation in my mail client, but as a new thread in yours. Or vice versa.

Oh for Tapcis 6, that had the best conversation threading ever. Alas.

P

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bensburg
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 10:21 PM
To: Dixonary
Subject: [Dixonary] Confusing navigation....

OK, apparently you can change the subject of a thread mid-stream.
Isn't this confusing? How can you tell what threads you've read, what
threads you've posted in, if there are replies to any of your
messages, etc.

Thanks for the help!

Bill

Bill Bensburg
January 21st, 2012, 12:22 AM
Hi, Steve! No, I access this ... stuff via the internet, using
Chrome.

Thanks, Paul, I did gather that (just poking around), but perhaps we
could use some discipline (is Section 8 still extant?) in terms of
starting new threads as opposed to changing the subject in an old
thread. I don't seem to be the only one confused. I get around it by
reading everything and clicking everything until I find everything,
but it seems there should be a simpler way. A nice example is the
current word; it was given in the results thread (I think).

Time will make things easier, I suppose.

Nice to be back!

Bill

Daniel Widdis
January 21st, 2012, 03:19 AM
BB> but perhaps we could use some discipline (is Section 8 still
BB> extant?) in terms of starting new threads as opposed to changing
BB> the subject in an old thread.

This is a known problem with the Google Groups threading. Emails carry an
attribute called a MessageID, and replies are typically tagged with that
MessageID, even if you change the subject. While most (but not all) email
clients will separate the email thread, Google Groups rather stupidly
keeps the thread together and changes the subject line of the entire
thread.

For those who wish to play the game on the web rather than via email, I'd
recommend the Parlor section at tapcis.com, which at least tries to thread
properly (I've spent more than a few hours tweaking it to do so!). For
those who play via email, most clients will start a new
thread/conversation with a new subject line.

For those who play via google groups: be aware this problem exists, and
hope that dealers start a new email to post the new word, rather than
replying to an existing messages.

--
Dan

>

Guerri Stevens
January 21st, 2012, 05:32 AM
I guess this explains why the announcement of AEOLIST is linked, as I
see it in Thunderbird, to the thread announcing PEENGE. In Tbird, it has
the correct subject, but is incorrectly threaded and shows up with "Re:"
in front of the subject.

Guerri

Daniel Widdis wrote:
> BB> but perhaps we could use some discipline (is Section 8 still
> BB> extant?) in terms of starting new threads as opposed to changing
> BB> the subject in an old thread.
>
> This is a known problem with the Google Groups threading. Emails carry an
> attribute called a MessageID, and replies are typically tagged with that
> MessageID, even if you change the subject. While most (but not all) email
> clients will separate the email thread, Google Groups rather stupidly
> keeps the thread together and changes the subject line of the entire
> thread.
>
> For those who wish to play the game on the web rather than via email, I'd
> recommend the Parlor section at tapcis.com, which at least tries to thread
> properly (I've spent more than a few hours tweaking it to do so!). For
> those who play via email, most clients will start a new
> thread/conversation with a new subject line.
>
> For those who play via google groups: be aware this problem exists, and
> hope that dealers start a new email to post the new word, rather than
> replying to an existing messages.
>

MICHAEL HARRINGTON
January 21st, 2012, 09:42 AM
No, not really, Guerri. I am embarrassed to say that the fault is all mine.
I am a dummy! I used the last rounds format without even thinking about the
way it sorts in Dixonary. In my haste to keep the game rolling, I used the
reply button and just modified everything else except the RE: part. I
apologize for my stupid error, and wonder now if it is why I have received
12 defs so far, and no responses from regular contributors.

(groan/sigh) Mike Harrington

-----Original Message-----
From: dixonary (AT) googlegroups (DOT) com [mailto:dixonary (AT) googlegroups (DOT) com] On Behalf
Of Guerri Stevens
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:33 AM
To: dixonary (AT) googlegroups (DOT) com
Subject: Re: [Dixonary] Re: Confusing navigation....

I guess this explains why the announcement of AEOLIST is linked, as I
see it in Thunderbird, to the thread announcing PEENGE. In Tbird, it has
the correct subject, but is incorrectly threaded and shows up with "Re:"
in front of the subject.

Guerri

Daniel Widdis wrote:
> BB> but perhaps we could use some discipline (is Section 8 still
> BB> extant?) in terms of starting new threads as opposed to changing
> BB> the subject in an old thread.
>
> This is a known problem with the Google Groups threading. Emails carry an
> attribute called a MessageID, and replies are typically tagged with that
> MessageID, even if you change the subject. While most (but not all) email
> clients will separate the email thread, Google Groups rather stupidly
> keeps the thread together and changes the subject line of the entire
> thread.
>
> For those who wish to play the game on the web rather than via email, I'd
> recommend the Parlor section at tapcis.com, which at least tries to thread
> properly (I've spent more than a few hours tweaking it to do so!). For
> those who play via email, most clients will start a new
> thread/conversation with a new subject line.
>
> For those who play via google groups: be aware this problem exists, and
> hope that dealers start a new email to post the new word, rather than
> replying to an existing messages.
>

Guerri Stevens
January 21st, 2012, 05:31 PM
Well, the format is not why you haven't heard from this regular
contributer. It was a busy morning and I was so enraged by the
candidates endless phone calls that I was practically incapcitated.

Don't worry, remember the general rule that the dealer is always right!

Guerri

MICHAEL HARRINGTON wrote:
> No, not really, Guerri. I am embarrassed to say that the fault is all mine.
> I am a dummy! I used the last rounds format without even thinking about the
> way it sorts in Dixonary. In my haste to keep the game rolling, I used the
> reply button and just modified everything else except the RE: part. I
> apologize for my stupid error, and wonder now if it is why I have received
> 12 defs so far, and no responses from regular contributors.
>
> (groan/sigh) Mike Harrington