What Are the Most Popular CR4 Threads of All Time?

That one is what prompted me to suggest the creation of a 'break room,' actually - a place where (theoretically, anyway) a BBT would be welcome and not disappear into oblivion at the stroke of an Admin's key.

"... a BBT would be welcome and not disappear into oblivion at the stroke of an Admin's key."

Regarding the shutdown of the BBT: I honestly suspect there was some wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth going on around the CR4 admin water cooler, hardly a cavalier stroke of a few keys.

^{Notice the smooth insertion of another hot but not linear topic here at CR4.}

I don't think it was cavalier at all, but the decision carefully weighed between the BBT's obvious popularity and CR4's chartered purpose as an engineering forum. If I gave the impression that the decision was made lightly, I apologise. It was not. They'd been kicking it around for months by the time the decision was made.

Unfortunately the BBT had been deadzoned by the time the Break Room was instituted. The thread could have been moved there instead.

Oh yes! The Koken Barber Chair! My bad. How could I have been so remiss!!?

Broken Cavilers (are there any other kinds?) are an ongoing and popular topic, to be sure, but I'm here asking which are the all-time most popular threads.

Global warming threads have been popular.

So was the thread from that Canadian dude that was asking about relativity theory but knew everything better.

There should be a statistic as thats how they move threads from view or keep them on the first page besides teh ones that they take off manually because they are scrap!

The ones that cut through the BS and delve into reality.

Mine.

Nope! They are generally fine with you but not from you!

I was kidding.

All threads about government scams are popular. Global warming continues to get clicks...both from the idiot disciples and those that know better.

Dont think I fell for it! I knew you was kidding!

I think there is a couple of 3 pagers threads. Havent seen a four pager yet.

Global warming always hits home but I still have to find that Canadian dudes one. He was almost not funny.

Oh here this one. Seems to be a two pager now!

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/85023

Ouch. My head started hurting just reading the OP.

I get amused by the senseless threads that get the dreaded single star rating by one of our volunteer hall monitors, then end up getting 500 views and 80 responses, and remain on the front page for days.

Don't forget over-unity devices. Or floating energy barges. Or even cable sizing.

Remember earthing. Lot of folks have asked 'bout that one.

Perhaps some combination of how many members have subscribed to the thread, number of comments, number of good answers with a correction for number of topic comments. Something like:

ranking = Subscribers + Comments + GA's - OffTopic + (number of members submitting comments)

So the highest number wins.

Also we could weight the significance of the contributing factors. Should GA's be given more weight than a non-GA comment? Or less? Should number of members submitting comments carry equal weight as the total number of comments?

I favor equal weighting for all factors.

"almost always see particular older threads being read, usually by unregistered guests."

Does the above statement include CR4 registered member browsers that did not bother to log-in before browsing?

Anyhow my 2-cents thinking states that sensible postings(questions or issues) that garnered a fairly good amount of sensible comments and a number of differing technical solutions to the given problem merits to be given a good ranking... CR4 rules conformance included!

If by most popular you mean the thread repeated the most, it would be all the ones that start "Dear gurus, I ask why (whatever - fill in the device, usually something electrical and very hazardous) does this (again fill in the action - usually something not related to what the device should ever be doing) (and, of course no supporting information is included)

I believe we see that at least 4 times per week.