I don’t think we need to complicate it in the way that Jardine suggests. Even when there are several subconversations going within one thread, the linear listing of posts works perfectly well, as far as I can see.

It would be great to have a forum that dealt with
good old-fashioned discussion, free of toxicity.

A set of policies in place that
disallowed:

1) To openly attack another poster who had opinions
that differed from one's own.

2) Posts that contained the name of a specific individual used
in a negative connotation.

3)Posts that promoted racial/ethnic hatred and or - violence.

4) Creating threads for the sole purpose of causing
forum unrest.

5) Ongoing harrassment to specific or other posters.

6) Insultingly refer to other posters.

7) Allowing threads that consistenlty attack only one side
of politics.

That's it for now.

Hmmm Foxy you are proposing something close to banning anything that
offends another.
It is not possible to have a true discussion if you have to avoid
offending someone else.

On the contrary Bazz,
what I am proposing is good old-fashioned informed
discussion, free of toxicity.

I'm not concerned about
having things said that may offend some people,
kindly re-read my post. I'm talking about deliberate
and wilful acts.

Foxy,
you're talking nonsense but I don't want to offend so I'm not saying it deliberately.

Dear Individual,

What do you regard as nonsense of what
I have suggested for the new On Line Opinion?