> It also doesn't help that one can't "bump" an old discussion to the front page on this forum like one can on others. You have to hope people are checking the "recent messages" page to notice.

Something somewhat related -- I think it also has a lot to do with this forum's format (not that I'm asking for it to be changed).

Look at this whole thread. One beginning post, 6-7 replies to the "parent" post, but none (excepting this) to any of the second-level posts. Why?

The "threaded" format to this message board makes you feel like you have to respond to a specific person, not to a general idea. On UBB-type message boards (sheesh, is it possible to date yourself on the internet?), you can reply to a thread without it being so personal: you're just throwing your ideas into the mix, not responding to a specific person (unless you choose to do so explicitly).

That's inhibitory, in a way, both psychologically -- fear of potentially offending someome by misstating things or responding with a tangent -- and practically, in that if you have general ideas on the subject (or a tangent) that have been touched on in more than one place, you're going to have trouble figuring out where to place your ideas. The strict structure can inhibit conversational progress, to an extent, while a looser structure would allow people to expand more freely on the given subject.

Again, I'm not suggesting the RinkForum should change formats like that. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable, and I'm not sure it's appropriate for the purposes here. :) But it does seem to be a factor in the sleepiness (in a way) of the forum, here.

Ria