Putting aside the play on words, and seriously considering this subject, it seems to me that some threads need more nurturing than others. Without nurturing from the thread starter or some other person or persons posting to that thread, the thread may fade away sooner rather than later.

How does a thread receive nurturing? One way is that the threadstarter or another poster or posters moderates the conversation, interjecting comments and questions directed to a specific person or to the thread posters at large. The thread starter-or some other person who takes on the role of nurturer/energizer of that particular thread-also might post informational links or move the conversation to a tangential but promising area of consideration-thus giving that thread a new lease on life.

Pity the poor thread that has no nurturer to look after it. It's hard for a thread to be out there on its own for how can a thread live all alone?

But on the other hand, it depends on the nature of the thread.

Some threads are more independent than others. These threads don't care-at least don't act like they care-how many posts they get from other people. What they care about is whether the information they want to share gets out there in cyberspace.

Sometimes the only person who post to these types of threads is the threadstarter. And that threadstarter may post information that she or he thinks is worthy of sharing-again and again and again.

What motivates these threads is the knowledge that they never really die {that is, unless someone with the power kills them}. These threads are patient. They know that five weeks, five months, five years or more from the time of their last post, someone somewhere may read them and have an Eureka moment or maybe not. Maybe that person will vehemently disagree with the information, or comments, or opinions carried by that thread. Maybe that person disagrees so much that he or she will find the energy to post on that thread and in doing so gives that thread a new lease on life.

This, too, is the life of a thread.