Re: Following Threads . . . what are they after all? [tlug]

[Jim <jep200404@example.com>]

Michal Hajek wrote: 

> I am now back at the philosophical definition of a thread. 
> I mean, not how it is done technically, but what are threads factually. 

Oversimplified: 

   Threads are replies. 

Less oversimplified: 

   Threads are postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   and the replies to those postings, 
   ...

The topic may drift, but the replies are tied together. 

To see who replied to whom, and in what sequence they did so, 
a hierarchical or tree view of threads, 
is handy for following threads. 

Check out the "Message-id:", "In-reply-to:", and "References:" 
lines in the headers of email. 

   http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2822.txt
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threaded_discussion