Threading oddities in MT-NewsWatcher?

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AES - 13 Mar 2008 00:38 GMT

[This msg was originally posted to comp.soft-sys.math.mathematica under
a slightly different title. I thought I had also posted it here in
csma, but it apparently never appeared. I'm reposting it because of the
potential interest in MTNW behavior.]

While reading comp.soft-sys.math.mathematica using MT-NewsWatcher, I
noticed that there seemed to be a fair number of replies to posts that
seemingly should have been threaded with the initial post or with
earlier replies but that were not --- even when there was already a
thread on the same topic in the same batch of posts. These
"non-threadable" replies seemed to originate mostly from a small number
of frequent posters, and a quick look at other newsgroups didn't bring
up any similar examples, as least in a quick scan.

This seems to happen when the replying software generates a reply of the
form "Re:__Some Subject" with *two* spaces after the "Re:" -- although
some replies of this form do seem to thread properly. Does MTNW not
properly thread such replies?

The following recent example of three consecutive headers from the cssmm
newsgroup window exhibits another interesting situation:

XXXXXX <yyyyy@zzzzz> Re: Re: NDSolve Question
JJJ <kkk@yahoo.com> Re: NDSolve Question
XXXXXX <yyyyy@zzzzz> Re: Re: NDSolve Question

The first line, coming from XXXXXX, one of the "frequent non-threaders",
starts a 2-message thread (it has a triangle in front of it in the
window)..The second (indented) line (not displayed until you click the
triangle) is the only additional post in that thread, and is apparently
a reply to the original post, not to the reply from XXXXXX that starts
the thread). Finally, the third line, which immediately follows the
two-post thread is a subsequent reply from XXXXXX.

Apparently "Re:__Re:_xxxxxx" can _start_ a thread for topic "xxxxxx" and
can trap later posts having just "Re:_xxxxx" into that thread --- but
can't trap a later post that's identical to itself?

Reply to this Message

Barry Margolin - 13 Mar 2008 20:13 GMT

> [This msg was originally posted to comp.soft-sys.math.mathematica under
> a slightly different title. I thought I had also posted it here in
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> some replies of this form do seem to thread properly. Does MTNW not
> properly thread such replies?

Do you have MT-NW set to thread by Subject or References? This is set
in the Subject Windows preference, and can be overridden on a per-group
basis in Special->Group Settings?

If you're threading by References, the problem could be that these
posters are using a newsreader that doesn't maintain the References
header properly.

> The following recent example of three consecutive headers from the cssmm
> newsgroup window exhibits another interesting situation:
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> the thread). Finally, the third line, which immediately follows the
> two-post thread is a subsequent reply from XXXXXX.

It's pretty clear that there's something wrong with XXXXXX's newsreader,
since it's adding an extra "Re:" to messages that already have one.
It's probably doing other things wrong with the header that are
confusing MT-NW.

> Apparently "Re:__Re:_xxxxxx" can _start_ a thread for topic "xxxxxx" and
> can trap later posts having just "Re:_xxxxx" into that thread --- but
> can't trap a later post that's identical to itself?

Signature

Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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AES - 13 Mar 2008 23:57 GMT

> Do you have MT-NW set to thread by Subject or References? This is set
> in the Subject Windows preference, and can be overridden on a per-group
> basis in Special->Group Settings?

References was selected; I'll try Subject.

Reply to this Message

Jolly Roger - 14 Mar 2008 05:29 GMT

> > Do you have MT-NW set to thread by Subject or References? This is set
> > in the Subject Windows preference, and can be overridden on a per-group
> > basis in Special->Group Settings?
>
> References was selected; I'll try Subject.

It'll be worse than before. References is the best way to go. As others
have stated, the most likely explanation for the problem is someone is
posting using a news client that is malfunctioning or badly designed.
Nothing you can do on your end will fix those bad posts.

Signature

Note: Please send all responses to the relevant news group. E-mail
sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM filter.

JR

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Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / March 2008

Threading oddities in MT-NewsWatcher?