Tech: Date order threads

Subject: Tech: Date order threads
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 11:45 AM

Ok, I didn't know this, and I'm thinking it may be a 'little known' quirk.
I saw, some time ago, a comment that to read threads in order (where the Mudcat collapse had caused major problems) it was only necessary to choose the "printer friendly" option from the top of any thread.
This worked fine for a while, and I assumed that eventually the threads would be re-sorted by date order. However,..

Today I viewed a thread with Jeremy Taylor lyrics, and used 'printer friendly' to view it in date order.
I then put a link to it in another thread Lift Girl's Lament
It was only on following my own link that I realised that anyone accessing the thread via my link would also get the date-sorted version. Looking at the link in closer detail I see that it varies from the norm in quoting thread_pf.cfm?threadid=38601. Clearly the addition of "pf" is what makes this possible.

If this is not a well known quirk, then others creating links to old threads may also wish to utilise it.

CHEERS

Nigel

Subject: RE: Tech: Date order threads
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 11:52 AM

I agree it's a good idea-- and I added it to the Tech Tips thread.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Date order threads
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 12:32 PM

The only problem with linking directly to the pf sorted thread is that there's no "Reply to Thread" box there, and no header list of the posts in the thread, to allow you to jump to posts by a particular participant, or any of the useful links we all love and cherish.

I'm not sure that the "return to thread" button will be obvious to some people, so at least the Tech Tips thread should specifically mention the differences in how one must navigate from the linked "special" page.

My general observation (not based on specific verification) is that it is only posts present at and before the crash-that-scrambled-things that are out of order. Any posts since the 'cat came back up are in order at the "bottom of the list." On any currently active thread it's only of benefit to those on a first time visit to a long thread, and to the miniscule fraction who actually read prior posts to have the year-old portions of posts strictly in order.

I'd put this in the "good to know" category, but not in the list of general practices to be used in too many cases. It's good to know that, if needed, it can be done; but I'd hate to see it done as a general thing.

John