# Please explain "Subscribing to a Thread." **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 26, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389 "2009-04-26T07:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/1 "2009-04-26T07:53:06Z")
OK, so I’ve been here for a few years now but have no idea what subscribing to a thread does for me. Please elaborate. And how would I do this anyway? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/2 "2009-04-26T09:21:03Z")
Subscribing to a thread allows you to receive an email notifying you of any new posts. To subscribe, click on Thread Tools/Subscribe to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/3 "2009-04-26T09:23:18Z")
Also, under Quick Links, you can go straight to a list of all your subscribed threads. It’s a great way to keep track of threads of particular interest to you, as the ‘New Posts’ search can be 12 pages long. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/4 "2009-04-26T10:42:36Z")
Subscribed threads also appear in the User’s Control Panel. If you go to Edit Options in the User Control Panel, you can set the **Default Thread Subscription Mode** to **No Email Notification** , so that all the threads you post to will show up in the User CP without generating a ton of email. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/5 "2009-04-26T12:02:28Z")
To expand on what **Fear Itself** said, “when you post a new thread, or reply to a topic, you can choose to automatically add that thread to your list of subscribed threads” by editing options in your Control Panel. You can also manually subscribe to threads as convered by **NineTo The Sky**. Then, when you next log on, you can check to see which subscribed threads have new posts. You can see all your subscribed threads by going through “Quick Links” (as **sandra\_nz** said), or just click on “UserCP,” which will automatically give you a list of just the threads with new posts. That’s handy for following the progress of threads you find interesting, and particularly so when a thread gets bumped a week or a month later, when you might not normally catch it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/6 "2009-04-27T14:40:23Z")
Also, when you go to a Forum’s main page (where all of its threads are listed), the threads you’re subscribed to have checkmarks beside them. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/7 "2009-04-27T15:33:21Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Also, under Quick Links, you can go straight to a list of all your subscribed threads. It’s a great way to keep track of threads of particular interest to you, as the ‘New Posts’ search can be 12 pages long. I usually open the SDMB with two tabs; one for the board itself and a second one showing subscribed threads. And I don’t bother with emailed notification of new posts, as I check email far less frequently than I do the board. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/8 "2009-04-27T16:51:44Z")
I never subscribe to threads but the software must automatically subscribe you to a thread in which you’ve posted because they show up in the User CP as Subscribed Threads. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/9 "2009-04-28T22:58:12Z")
Not in my User CP - it’s always empty. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/10 "2009-04-28T23:10:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Not in my User CP - it’s always empty. You need to select the option to automatically subscribe to threads when you post. Otherwise, you won’t subscribe. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/11 "2009-04-28T23:11:59Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I never subscribe to threads but the software must automatically subscribe you to a thread in which you’ve posted because they show up in the User CP as Subscribed Threads. You must have that setting activated in [Options](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/profile.php?do=editoptions). (Specifically Options \> Messaging and Notification \> Default Thread Subscription Mode) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/12 "2009-04-28T23:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=IvoryTower Denizen] You need to select the option to automatically subscribe to threads when you post. Otherwise, you won’t subscribe. [/QUOTE] I was responding to **aldibronti** ’s comment that the message board’s software does so automatically. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-subscribing-to-a-thread/494389/13 "2009-04-29T00:01:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I was responding to **aldibronti** ’s comment that the message board’s software does so automatically. right- I was replying that it does so automatically if you have that option selected.