Are mega-threads ok?

[Haighus]

Are ongoing mega-threads covering a more general topic acceptable, or should we continue to aim for smaller, more specific threads on a more closed question?

It is something we haven't seen much on ETC outside a handful of examples.

Eg: British politics thread vs XYZ bill passes parliament thread. The latter could easily feature in the former.

I can see pros and cons to each. The former is easier to contribute to with new news, but harder for people to jump into if they've missed a bit. They can also feel disjointed with lots of different things being discussed. The latter is more likely to peter out and people are less likely to being up small points that don't warrant an entire thread, but points that could reasonably be added to a general thread.

I ask because I was thinking about starting a fairly generic thread on the NHS, but thought only the COVID measures thread is otherwise very similar. Everything else is focussed quite narrowly I think.

[nfe]

I've thought about this a bit myself. Mostly when some relatively small news item has cropped up that doesn't really need its own thread.

My gut feeling is go for it, but if some specific event comes up that is likely to consume a few pages worth, maybe create a new thread. Say Dido Harding gets the NHS job or whatever.

What do other folks think?

[Haighus]

Yeah, that seems fair. I was going to open with Harding as a nomination, although I agree it deserves its own thread if she actually gets the job.

[BobtheInquisitor]

I would prefer to see more individual threads for discussing specific things, but catch-all threads, such as your proposed NHS thread, seem useful for lots of smaller news updates.

I wouldn’t want the kind of all-encompassing politics mega threads we saw on Dakka and The Wasteland as I found them a hinderance to discussion of important issues when they would clog with the constant churn of smaller stories, talking points, and thread-poopers.

[Haighus]

Ok, so basically large threads are ok, but avoid the really big ones like "X country politics thread".

Thanks for the clarity :)

[Hordini]

I‘m personally not a big fan of mega-threads. They are challenging to keep up with and outside of places like Dakka where they were used to isolate broad topic areas like politics, I don’t see much utility for them in a place like this where the entire idea is to discuss potentially controversial topics in detail, not isolate them in mega threads to facilitate avoidance by members who don’t want to talk politics.

Something like an NHS thread I‘m not necessarily opposed to, just as long as we are okay with the possibility that new subtopics might be worthy of their own thread. I don’t want to be stifling fresh conversation and new threads by regularly directing people to XYZ mega thread.

[nfe]

Probably should have started that NHS thread!

[Haighus]

Because of Hancock's resignation?

I've still been mulling over starting the thread

[Haighus]

Decided against a mega-thread. I think we go offtopic enough as is in discussion!