User talk:Pidgeot/threads

Synchronous Threaded Discussions

A discussion (or "thread") is placed into a subpage (like on VFD) which is then transcluded into each page that it appears on. In effect, a thread works just like a template.

Using threads preserves context across User_talk: pages without needless copying.
History is easily viewable, and isn't cluttered with edits to other ongoing discussions.
Additionally, history is preserved when archiving, as the edits are made to a different article.
If someone wants to follow a thread, they can either put it on their watchlist or just add it to their own talk page.

It is a relatively complex procedure to start a thread, and users who are used to adding a comment by clicking the latest [edit] link will accidentally add a new comment to the thread instead. This clutters other user pages needlessly, although a copy/paste will easily fix that.
Updating a thread doesn't alert a user the same way updating his talk page does, nor does the affected talk pages always clear their cache when threads are updated. This can be worked around by adding threads to your watchlist and including {{purge}} on your talk page.
Some people don't like the concept of people putting templates on their talk pages.

Go to the end of my talk page (using Edit this page, not a section edit link) and type the following: {{/new|(2-digit number starting at 01)}}
Preview the result. If you see a thread instead of a redlink, this number has been taken, and you need to try the next one.
Copy and paste the text of the resulting redlink to replace the {{/new}} (eg. {{User talk:Pidgeot/2024119-01}}). The number needs to have a total of 10 digits - 8 before the hyphen, 2 after. This means you'll have to manually add a 0 during the first 9 days of the month. (Note: Months are not affected by this, only days.)
Save the page
Click on the redlink, and leave your comment in a new section there by using a level 2 heading (eg. == Regarding the edit you made to (some article) ==). Save the page. (Optionally, you may wish to place a mark in the heading to indicate that this is a threaded discussion.)
Go to the end of your talk page, and:
1. Type {{}}
2. Paste what you copied to get something like {{User talk:Pidgeot/2024119-01}}
Save!

If everyone uses the "edit section" link, the discussion will be synchronised on both pages.
To easily see when a new comment has been posted, add the thread to your watchlist. You may also request that I do a null edit to your talk page (and optionally purge it) when I reply.
You may wish to insert the template on your talk page. This is generally a good idea.

Alphax, from whom this idea was taken, has created a JavaScript (available at his personal monobook.js) to help a little with this. This would go into your personal monobook.js file, and is called by typing javascript:startThread() into your address bar or using monobook.js to add a tab to User_talk: pages (look for addlilink() and morelinks() in his script).

If you're posting a message on my talk page, you've got nothing to worry about. I won't thread other people's posts (though I may copy their posts to their own talk page, if they request I reply there). You just need to click the + at the top of the page, or the "Start a new talk topic" link, also found at the top of the page. This will add a comment the regular way.
If I've placed the thread on your talk page, do the following:
1. Post your reply to the thread as usual. This will let me know that you've replied. In this reply, be sure to note that you are disabling the threading.
2. After you've done this, go to your own talk page and edit it. Find the inserted thread tag and place subst: inside the tag (changing {{User talk:Pidgeot/2024119-01}} to {{subst:User talk:Pidgeot/2024119-01}}). This will be substituted for the current contents of the thread.
3. From then on, I will be watching your talk page for replies and reply there. You should never reply directly to my talk page after this, in order to preserve context. If you wish, you may copy your reply into the thread. If you don't, I may choose to copy them into the thread myself.