Changing the subject

[Patton Echols]

On 02/27/2010 04:15 PM, Amedee Van Gasse wrote:
> On 27-02-10 22:05, Christian Schult wrote:
>
>   
>> That's not subject changing (in a thread), that's simply starting a _new_ thread.
>> If you start a new thread, there's no need to capture any old subject.
>>     
>
> If you change the subject in a thread, is it still part of the thread? I 
> mean, apart from whatever any header says and how it is interpreted by 
> whatever mail client.
> Because, if it is still part of the thread, you aren't really talking 
> about something else, so why bother to change the subject header because 
> you're not changing the subject at all.
>
>   
In long threads sometimes they "fork" as the conversation goes in two 
directions.  It is actually the same thread, but the subject change 
makes clear which part you are talking about.  We also sometimes see a 
poorly chosen initial subject (eg. "Re: Ubuntu help").  A reply is part 
of the thread, but a new subject gives an idea of what the discussion 
really is.