# Shouldn't we have a sticky for "disaster" threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 14, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690 "2011-03-14T19:20:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/1 "2011-03-14T19:20:20Z")
I’m reading all the threads about the earthquake in Japan. I recall threads about other disasterous news stories, especially 9/11 and the Viriginia Tech masacre. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a sticky that links to such threads, as they are history-in-the-making? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/2 "2011-03-15T12:01:44Z")
Yea no kidding, we need some cleaning up, as there are currently 8 running threads about the earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear reactors. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/3 "2011-03-15T12:20:04Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Yea no kidding, we need some cleaning up, as there are currently 8 running threads about the earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear reactors. Why is that too many? A thread about the tsunami is very different than a thread about a nuclear reactor meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/4 "2011-03-15T12:39:09Z")
I like that idea, **Annie**. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/5 "2011-03-15T16:18:29Z")
Concur. I am using GQ as my main technical news source, and members are update-ing frequently. I check in there very frequently. Which brings me to a second question: I’d like to be alerted whenever there is a change in [the unified?] thread/s, but I am only a lurker. Can that be done for a specific thread? Thanks, Leo Bloom ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/6 "2011-03-15T16:23:58Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Concur. I am using GQ as my main technical news source, and members are update-ing frequently. I check in there very frequently. > > Which brings me to a second question: I’d like to be alerted whenever there is a change in [the unified?] thread/s, but I am only a lurker. Can that be done for a specific thread? > > Thanks, > Leo Bloom Yeah, if you go to the top of the thread where it says “Thread Tools” there’s an option in the drop-down menu so that you can subscribe to the thread even if you haven’t posted to it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/7 "2011-03-16T14:26:39Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Yea no kidding, we need some cleaning up, as there are currently 8 running threads about the earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear reactors. I don’t know if that’s such a bad idea. They are obviously independent topics with questions and answers peculiar to each one. The bottom line is it saves time sorting through posts looking for answers and such. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/8 "2011-03-16T16:25:13Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I don’t know if that’s such a bad idea. They are obviously independent topics with questions and answers peculiar to each one. The bottom line is it saves time sorting through posts looking for answers and such. Ugh, but sorting through one 500-post thread and reading intermingled discussions about nuclear reactors, earthquakes, tsunamis, rescue efforts, and the like could be much more time consuming. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/9 "2011-03-16T16:31:43Z")
I use this place for news too. There is too much misinformation out there. I wanted to link a thread to a friend of mine who is over-concerned but had trouble finding it again. So count me in as ‘good idea’. I don’t think the threads should be merged unless they are of the same topic. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/10 "2011-03-16T17:32:26Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > I don’t think the threads should be merged unless they are of the same topic. I thought that was pretty much how it was done–two threads in the same forum on the same topic are often merged together with a mod note explaining the initially confusion cross-conversation. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/11 "2011-03-16T18:23:35Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I thought that was pretty much how it was done–two threads in the same forum on the same topic are often merged together with a mod note explaining the initially confusion cross-conversation. Yeah, I know. I was responding to **EvilTOJ** ’s post that seemed to insinuate that they all need to be merged. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/12 "2011-03-16T18:50:50Z")
Gotcha, ya. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/13 "2011-03-17T07:57:32Z")
Not all of the threads need to be merged, but the conversations all seem to be mingling between nuclear reactors, earthquakes, tsunamis, rescue efforts and disaster porn. It would be easier to read about just one topic at a time and have the relevant topics all sorted together. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-we-have-a-sticky-for-disaster-threads/574690/14 "2011-03-17T18:44:05Z")
Gotcha, ya. 😉