I've noticed this for a while, and it's finally bugged me enough for me to ask. A typical mudcat thread URL is:
mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=[ID]&messages=[number]

I'm just curious, what's that for? If I opened a thread with 40 posts in it but had messages=10 (or indeed leave it out) the thread loads fine with everything. Does mudcat have some secret use for this number, does it count the number of gerbils that need to run in wheels to make the server run faster, or is it just a throwback to the days when it was used?

I find these things fascinating, so could anyone shed any insight? Inaccurate answers (such as confirmation of gerbil myth) are also welcome - hence why I didn't just email Max, plus I didn't want to bother him with such a niggling question.