# Are the test threads necessary? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 13, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315 "2005-03-13T11:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/1 "2005-03-13T11:19:58Z")
Is there anything on this board that really needs to be tested that the “preview post” function can’t handle? [sup]Except for the “Submit” button, obviously.[/sup] Sorry if this has been asked before. . ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/2 "2005-03-13T14:14:04Z")
> [@meek](#): > > . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/3 "2005-03-13T17:25:15Z")
I think they’re for when the posters have no actual use for the coding in a post, but want to make sure they’ll be able to do it right if they ever do need to. Also, if they’re doing it wrong and don’t know how to fix it, it’s better to get help in a thread devoted to it than in the middle of some other thread. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/4 "2005-03-13T18:20:16Z")
I think the only thing preview doesn’t handle is the title of a new thread. So if you want to see how something will look in a thread title. Other than that, as far as I can tell, you really don’t need test threads. But they are a limited outlet for some use of smileys colors, sizes, and fonts that would be frowned on in the other forums. Of course, even in this forum, “anything goes” is not the rule. One limit I’ve seen is the mods frowning upon posts with hundreds of smileys (heh). ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/5 "2005-03-13T19:08:43Z")
[test] NO [/test] ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/6 "2005-03-13T21:03:02Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I think the only thing preview doesn’t handle is the title of a new thread. It also messes with the line spacing when you’re using tiny subscripts; like this:[sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub]tiny subscripted text that sometimes doesn’t show right in preview[/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub]. Preview usually works OK, but not always. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/7 "2005-03-13T21:13:56Z")
Well look at that! The multiple subscripting that shows as tiny letters in Firefox, only shows as normal sized, multiply descended text on this POS Explorer 5.0 I’m stuck using this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/8 "2005-03-14T02:38:18Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > [test] NO [/test] Obviously you need more practice with your coding. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/9 "2005-03-14T04:10:35Z")
Signatures? ::previews:: Nope they show up as well. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/10 "2005-03-14T04:11:42Z")
Obviously I previewed before I added “previews” to my post. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-test-threads-necessary/294315/11 "2005-03-14T04:26:29Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Well look at that! The multiple subscripting that shows as tiny letters in Firefox, only shows as normal sized, multiply descended text on this POS Explorer 5.0 I’m stuck using this weekend. It shows as one lines worth of (tiny letter) subscript on my IE6.0.2800