# Suggestion: Thread Indexing and Categorization **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 3, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295 "2015-12-03T06:40:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blackstock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@Blackstock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackstock)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/1 "2015-12-03T06:40:38Z")
This is just a suggestion to create a ‘Browse Threads’ button in each section of SDMB according to topic or category. I realize this is going to be a massive effort, but I think it would be worth it. There is just an incredible amount of information on many threads, and there are a lot of duplicate threads that just start because it’s easier to start a new topic than go back and look for an old one. I have learned a lot from SDMB and I know it would be a much easier experience for me if I could just find what I’m looking for rather than randomly finding threads according to the date of the last reply. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/2 "2015-12-03T09:19:21Z")
Ain’t happening. TPTB won’t even support the effort to make petty changes. We went through this the last time the board upgraded the vBulletin version, and most of the smilies got changed to the versions you see now. The current “roll-eyes” smiley was especially poorly received. But no amount of complaining by the users could convince them to simply re-install the old smiley images in place of the new ones. They just wouldn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/3 "2015-12-03T09:20:28Z")
BTW, this probably belongs in ATMB. Reported for forum change. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/4 "2015-12-03T13:21:53Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > BTW, this probably belongs in ATMB. > > Reported for forum change. Relocated. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/5 "2015-12-04T17:50:41Z")
There is a sticky thread in the ATMB forum that shows [how search the forum using google](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051). I have found it very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/6 "2015-12-04T18:48:16Z")
> [@Blackstock](#): > > This is just a suggestion to create a ‘Browse Threads’ button in each section of SDMB according to topic or category. Just curious: How many topics/categories do you think there might be? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/7 "2015-12-04T20:38:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Just curious: How many topics/categories do you think there might be? I know the answer to this question of questions. What a great question by the way. The answer to your question is 7. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/8 "2015-12-04T20:52:44Z")
The Board has a search function that (allegedly) allows us to search by keywords. Shouldn’t we direct our disgruntlement toward getting that to work better? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-thread-indexing-and-categorization/739295/9 "2015-12-04T20:53:58Z")
Good luck with that, too. Regards, Shodan