Hi there,
we are a small non profit organisation in software development that uses Mattermost as our main communication tool. Although I’m super happy with it, I sometimes find myself lost in large threads. Therefore I’d like to propose a feature:
Mattermost limits discussions to a single linear thread per topic. This creates several challenges:
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Context mixing: When multiple aspects of a topic are discussed simultaneously, messages become interleaved, making it difficult to follow individual conversation strands
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Lost contributions: Valuable insights get buried when conversations branch into multiple directions within one thread
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Reduced participation: Contributors may hesitate to post when their comment might derail the current conversation flow
Proposed Solution
Implement a multi-thread system where users can create sub-threads or conversation branches within a topic, similar to platforms like Reddit.
Key Features:
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Branch creation: Allow users to start a new thread branch from any message
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Visual hierarchy: Display threads with clear visual distinction (indentation, color coding, or collapsible sections)
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Thread labels: Optional naming/labeling of thread branches for quick identification
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Independent notification controls: Subscribe to specific threads within a topic
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Thread overview: A summary view showing all active threads within a topic
Use Cases
Software Development Teams:
- An issue report thread could spawn separate discussions for root cause analysis, proposed solutions, and implementation timeline without mixing conversations
Project Management:
- A project kickoff topic could have parallel threads for budget discussion, timeline planning, and resource allocation
Support:
- A feature discussion could branch into technical feasibility, user research findings, and design mockups as separate trackable conversations
Looking forward to your response!
Best wishes from Berlin,
Tietje