Reply to...?

[JimD]

Apologies if this is the stupidest query ever, but is it possible to identify froma post which earlier message is being replied to...I can't see how to find this information and quite often it would be useful. It was possible on the much (technically) maligned BBC R3 boards.

[french frank]

I haven't investigated too far, but I suspect if you use the 'thread view' rather than the linear one it is clearer. Otherwise it's best to quote just a small bit of the post you're replying to, as that then has a link back to the original post (as on the BBC boards).

[Bryn]

Naughty frenchie. On the old BBC boards if you replied to a post there was a link back to it whether you included a quote or not. However, most posters paid no attention to the "Reply to this message" legend and simply replied as if they were replying to the thread in general, rather than to the specific message to which the reply button was associated. Such lazy behaviour ruined the traceability of a thread's developing discussion.

[french frank]

Naughty frenchie. On the old BBC boards if you replied to a post there was a link back to it whether you included a quote or not. However, most posters paid no attention to the "Reply to this message" legend and simply replied as if they were replying to the thread in general, rather than to the specific message to which the reply button was associated. Such lazy behaviour ruined the traceability of a thread's developing discussion.

I was merely suggesting that it was 'best' to include a bit of the original quote (i.e. 'Reply with quote'), as then there would be a link. Not wishing to suggest our humble forum had all the admirable facilities of the old BBC boards of which I was always a considerable fan . I can't see that using 'Reply' is more useful than the Reply to Thread button, unless, like JimD, I'm missing something. The 'threaded view' doesn't seem that useful when you have long threads.

[JimD]

For the avoidance of doubt...I wasn't complaining: like everyone else I am very grateful to french frank. But, if there is such a facility available in the software, I for one would appreciate its being activated.