Threads are a stopgap measure. But the problem is using a chat app for extended-scope conversations.
We don’t have a good way to switch from chats to more forum-like conversations, and email is perceived as too complex (and has other issues in current implementations)
Threads are the most horrible and broken feature in Slack ever. So much that I wish we could disable them altogether. The visibility is bad, notifications are bad, the UI is confusing. I don't even understand how can some people use it.
A lot of people don't get threading. I'm in a small but active channel for our work team. It's roughly 15 people in a large company so it works well for us to engage and share. The problem is two others thread correctly, the rest just SPAM the main thread and when they do get the inkling to thread a reply it's often a new divergent thread off of a small conversation that someone threaded out earlier to be polite to the main.
But the worst... The worst offender on our team thinks all of their replies must be seen by everyone. So they use the "Also send to #mainthread..." for every message they send. It's almost as if training on async chat is required for some as there's a total disregard for etiquette from some.
I think the problem is not with threads themselves but with Slack's implementation. Threads provide a much-needed way of creating a discussion around a specific topic that doesn't pollute the main channel. In Slack they seem like more of an afterthought than a primary communication tool.
If people use threads more, messages in a channel should be less of a mess. From what I’ve seen, only a few use threads and they’re either a moderator or a prominent member.
Threads are an extremely important asset in large channels to maintain organization. Less important in ad-hoc quick conversations in small DM groups for sure. I've never experienced any issues with people not using threads and the UX around it has always seemed fairly smooth to me.
Really happy for this, threads are a life-saver and a completely required tool for conversations. The linear conversation works, but then when you have 10+ people all vying to speak to each other and you have six different conversations it become a mess to keep up with. This is a happy change.
The interface and user experience of threads is pretty awful so it also does a good job of being boring and painful enough that you won't want to use it.
reply