[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

I would say that a successful thread is an interesting thread, and an interesting thread throws a new light on some aspect of its subject. Sometimes a lively debate can provide the interest, but often a lot of people who agree can build on one another's insights to create a fascinating read. Sometimes heated debate simply turns an interesting question into a string of posts that quote each other in detail as a prelude to tedious hair-splittings; an approach which is only gripping if you happen to be a combatant.

Perhaps success should be measured in terms of intent: the longest-running thread that I ever started has become at best a list and at worst a chat room, so I suppose that it wasn't thought out as well as it could have been. Strangely, my favourite among threads that I started only received very few responses, most of them from yours truly; but those few posts from other members justified the whole exercise, even if they all languish unread forever.