# Topic splits vs. creating new topics

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305>\
**Category:** Meta Discussion\
**Created:** [February 16, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305 "2024-02-16T16:48:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mbauman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mbauman/32/31082_2.png) [@mbauman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mbauman)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305/1 "2024-02-16T16:48:53Z")

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Continuing the discussion from [On using `=` vs `:=` for assignment](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/on-using-vs-for-assignment/110302/20):

> [@On using \`=\` vs \`:=\` for assignment](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/on-using-vs-for-assignment/110302/20):
>
> Is that not the point of having the splitting feature? Conversations have a tendency to drift, and it’s seldom obvious in advance that an offhand comment related to the topic will turn into its own discussion.
> 
> …
> 
> Us mere users can’t gather up posts and bundle them into a new topic, so starting a different thread once it’s clear that we’ve drifted into some new interest means posting a new thread, posting a link to it in the old thread, and posting a link to the old thread so people can catch up on the conversation.

We do [ask that folks try to stick to the topic](https://discourse.julialang.org/faq#keep-tidy) at hand:

> Rather than taking an existing topic in a radically different direction, use Reply as a Linked Topic.

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/f/3/f3d20f4e5b1d54ff343e54d675d9a2c9f2fb0885.png)

That’s exactly what I did here. Wide-ranging conversations can be fun to have, but they’re hard to follow in retrospect and as a thread-less platform Discourse just isn’t very well equipped for long-running asides.

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**Author:** ![mnemnion](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mnemnion/32/206596_2.png) [@mnemnion](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mnemnion)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305/2 "2024-02-16T17:08:01Z")

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I withdraw my objection, I have to admit that I didn’t realize that reply as linked topic was an option. In my defense it’s a hidden feature, it hadn’t occurred to me that the arrow icon at the top of a reply was a button.

I’ll make a point of using it in future.

Edit to add: it might be nice to add a screenshot like the one above to the guidelines.

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**Author:** ![mbauman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mbauman/32/31082_2.png) [@mbauman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mbauman)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305/3 "2024-02-16T17:14:43Z")

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I agree it can sometimes be hard to discern in-the-moment when a new topic would be warranted — but it’s just generally helpful to try to keep responses focused.

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**Author:** ![jonniedie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jonniedie/32/12842_2.png) [@jonniedie](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jonniedie)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/topic-splits-vs-creating-new-topics/110305/4 "2024-02-16T17:29:41Z")

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For anyone trying this: you have to first click `Reply` and then you can click the hook arrow icon @mbauman showed to reveal the option.

Took me a while to find it.