I hate threaded discussion. People don't bother to read anything and skip to the bottom and say the same thing the last 40 people have said. All it seems to do is hide the substance of a discussion to the point that you can have a half-dozen similar discussions going at once.

Not every reply to a reply is divergent. To me, Slashdot is a pain because the only way to tell if the conversation has forked is to look at the title of the reply, and frankly people suck at titling their responses. To me, threaded discussion is antiquated. That isn't to say it couldn't be done better, but I have used both and I find a lot more misunderstanding and needless repitition in threaded conversations.

Sure there are redundant posts and such in threaded discussions, but if this article had 60 replies and we were in the middle, how would you easily tell that I'm replying to you?

There are a bunch of articles that I've participated on here where the discussion has diverged into technical or specific details that others might not have wanted to read/watch.

Besides, the key is a format that can be threaded, not that one has to choose to read that way.

Generally when I address something I quote it. I think the question is, is what comes after the article a discussion, or a group of people commenting among themselves?

At slashdot, what comes after ends up being a crowded room with little pockets of conversation. Here, there is generally one discussion with a lot of voices. I find that superior, because it brings all the perspectives together. If someone wants to address your point, they address your point in the context of the whole discussion.

I know it seems like things get off topic around here sometimes, but in general this format is a LOT better about staying on topic because a tangent has to deal with the people who continue the main conversation. I respect your suggestion, but I think threaded discussion would just splinter what we have here and invite even more nonsense.

Granted, it could be an option, but I think you'd immediately be able to tell who chose that format by reading their comments. The tone of the discussion here is vastly different than slashdot, and I wouldn't relish the hit-and-run that is so prevalent there.

I agree that the hit-and-run trolling on /. is annoying (plus the nth repetition of various joke fads) but the lack of any/effective moderation and the bizarre and childish flamewars and open trolling just makes me yearn for a decent filter.

say the same thing the last 40 people have said

Which never happens on JU! ;>

Which never happens on JU! ;>

Me too!