Hmm. This post triggers one of my buttons. For as it is my impression that forum software desperately tries to get where NNTP (and its most visible incarnation, Usenet) has arrived decades ago.

Yes, I guess that qualifies me as an old-timer.

But think of it: one client keeping track of multiple sources of discussions, presenting to you just the newly posted messages, but allowing you to track back in a thread if something piqued your interested. That's what good NNTP clients did.

And all you needed to do in order to participate in a truly global conversation was to fire up your NNTP reader in the morning, and press the spacebar.

Now, NNTP (and its most visible incarnation, Usenet), is far from perfect. All the social stuff of avatars, inline pictures, up- and downvoting - yeah, it's not really there.

But it solved the problem of how to get people involved into a discussion (assuming they want to get involved in the first place) and how to let them concentrate on what they want to say -- by lowering the bar of entry.

Start up the client. Press spacebar. Occasionally press 'r' and start typing words.

At least that's what I want from forum software.