[stuntgoat]

It seems that comment contribution dissipates after a thread leaves the front page. There are valuable comments hidden from weeks and years ago only in that they are out of sight to us. The only way to check if someone has replied to a thread you are interested in, is to check that thread for updates ( or actively search for a topic ).

I propose thread subscription. If I want to watch a thread for new comments it would be convenient to get a digit on my nav bar regarding how many threads I am watching that have new comments.

I believe this would keep threads more active. Perhaps it would encourage quality posts, rather than quantity ( people might submit often in attempts to get on the front page ( even if for an hour ) ).

For instance, this is a great topic and I would like to subscribe to this thread-