Yeah, the timing is bad. The new season is coming up, so this was going to happen around now. I'm just sorry Supernatural spilled over when it did, but that was an organic development, I guess.

For that matter, I'm kind of sorry cable drama came up before network - again, start of new seasons dictated, or at least led - because I think it's contributing to the "new thread mania" feeling some are perceiving with one coming up after another.

Gah. I don't know. I liked the experimental thread. I like fast Natter. I do think there was more conversation, about more shows, with the separate thread. I also think the fear that OMG every show will get a thread - or even every show will be discussed in a thread - is way overblown.

As a "read new" user, I don't see a huge amount of splintering, because I flip from one to another. ymmv.

Frankly, I think the "foldering" on the main page is more splintering - when everything was on one page, I'd click on to the site and see "hey, lots of posts in [whatev], must be something going on" and check out threads I wasn't subbed to, for whatever reason. Now, tv/movie/media threads I'm not subbed to might as well not exist, mostly, for all they impinge on my consciousness.

I think the "foldering" on the main page is more splintering

There are a lot of different ways to use the site. The foldering wouldn't further splinter Nutty's experience, for instance, since she never uses the first page.

Other people use the first page, but don't read past whatever their browser's fold is.

Some use subscriptions and the home pages, some read the whole page...it's a mixed lot.

Even when I'm Reading New, threads feel different to me. I miss the Supernatural energy in Boxed Set, even though I didn't read all of it (and am so not going to chase it to another thread). So even if threads pop up automatically for me, how I read and how I post is dictated by the feel I get off that particular thread.

Even when I'm Reading New, threads feel different to me.

Yeah, I should clarify. It's not like Read New means all one thread. They feel different, for sure. And I'll post differently, depending. But I don't feel a disconnect, exactly.

My inclination is to put the brakes on thread creation.

As a go-go pro proliferationist that's a shift for me.

Natter's not my main thread, but for the people who do use it that way, it does seem clear that the bleeding of volume they feared with show thread creation has happened.

There's a certain tipping point where the volume is not unlike blood volume. You need a certain level to maintain consciousness.

Then again, that's easy for me to say since I don't watch Grey's Anatomy. But I am used to seeing its whitefont in Natter (and scrolling past).

I'm still trying to think about how to structure a whitefont bucket thread that would accommodate people who were spoiler avoidant. But that's just another pressure bleed on Natter.

My inclination though is to not treat the Experimental threads as successful experiments that need to be permanently enshrined, but to Slow Down and see what the subdivisions do to the community before we create more.

I realize that the new season is coming in September(ish), but my gut is saying we could afford to let Network drama be in Natter for that long and just see how things have been changed.

Though I'm not as invested in Network Drama, I would like a Comedy thread (for HIMYM and The Office), and I would still advocate holding off.

I think we have already started one kind of experiment and we don't have any meaningful conclusions yet.

Due South out of Bitches. (Possibly Smallville and Farscape too, I disremember.)

Smallville spun out of Bitches, Due South out of Smallville. Both at WX.

There's been a sort of sea change in the board culture since then, partly due to platform shift, partly in response to Buffy being off the air, and the real shift to Natter and Bitches as the true cores of the community, and I think splintering now has more of an adverse effect than it did then.

Right.

I guess I'm a minority in that I prefer talking in the non-natter/non-Bitches threads.

and the real shift to Natter and Bitches as the true cores of the community,

This kind of makes me think of London with its two central loci: City of London and Westminster.

eta: Randomly, I dig that The Millenium Wheel has already established itself as a focal London landmark.

It's a new Eiffel Tower thingie. It'll be that iconic for the next couple centuries. (Barring alien invasion.)

I guess I'm a minority in that I prefer talking in the non-natter/non-Bitches threads.

Says who? The threads are all passing so far. I think the people that don't want the thread are being more vocal and the people that do want the thread just figure that they'll vote and see how the numbers shake out.

You mean the arguement for threads is more easily understood than the argument against threads?

You mean the arguement for threads is more easily understood than the argument against threads?

No, I just think that you feel like you're in the minority because the people against threads are being the most vocal right now. I think there are many who are for the thread that just aren't arguing the point but will vote for the thread. The majority of the votes for new tv threads have passed, so I don't think that you wanting the thread puts you in the minority.

Although there do seem to be more whitefont issues with this thread, so who knows how the vote will go.