Yes, Bert - they do "interrupt" by adding to the sheer number of threads to scan. Say you are a first time user directed to the Forum from the home page. You call up the "Create a Thread" link and look at the prefix list and scratch your head, because they seem redundant and/or inexplicable. So you call your thread "Song about Cheese", and post your first request. The next day, you get back on, the Forum comes up - and you can't see "Song about Cheese" ANYWHERE! There are 30-40 other threads listed with the 1 Day default, but your request is nowhere to be found. What do you do now? (Remember, this is the first time you've used the Forum...)

I'm just using this as a worst-case example. As a fairly regular user, I know how to filter the threads, or search for words in the Subject line, or Trace threads I'm interested in or reset the time default, etc. But for newer users, this is not obvious. The greater the number of threads you have to scan for something interesting, the harder it is.

While we have been discussing this, someone has started a thread about "The Simpsons". I don't have to read it - but it's yet another line I have to search past to find something else in the long list of threads. I wish that folks would try just a BIT harder to keep talking about music, that's all.