The first time I used a non-threaded, jump-between-comments forum was on another site. it was confusing and intimidating to me, but once I started using it, I greatly preferred it.
this is a forum for a website for people who think a bit differently. Every member of the editorial staff are outspoken in their love for utility and good design. They can also code, and a majority of the sites users do, too (for the record, I don’t code.) Calling them the “techy ingroup” is missing the point. This is a site on the internet, in large part about the internet. The internet is links. your mind is links. this forum maximizes the potential of linking conversation(s) in different ways. It sacrifices some little traditions in trade for increased utility. A lot of drivers prefer a stick, but learning is always intimidating. (yes, I made a computer/car analogy. sorry.)
but… it shifts back to where you were when you click the little arrow.
i get that it’s jarring to you, but you do understand why it is used, right? I can explain it, or any other questions, if you want.
also, you can practice using Discourse in the sandbox, too.
