IMO, the 50 post rule has become very handy in some scenarios, such as photo threads. It can get pretty annoying to be trying to see that ONE post at the end, but you can't get to it because the loading pictures keep jostling you about. And then, after all this aggrivation, that post says "Nice shots {name}!" (Not against the compliment...just...well, you can infer...)

However, in threads that are all text (such as a simple long discussion, or a game), I personally feel it's pointless to cut off at 50 posts. These threads could go to hundreds and we'd be fine.

From my internet habits poll (which I apparently am "not authorised" to view the results of - I CREATED IT! I AM THE MOST AUTHORISED TO VIEW THE RESULTS OF IT!!!!!!!) not that many people are on dial-up. Now, I'm not one to say "punish the dialupers for their choice in connection," but I feel that the internet has come to the point where making pages dial-up ready is becoming a lowest-common-denominator thing. If you get what I mean.

If there was a way to make the cutoff 50 posts, that'd be a good solution. The one annoying thing about the way that things work with the current system is that posts are very easily split up - part I can get separated (usually permanently) from part II by a few people making the last reply to a few interim posts. A second part that lasts a long time could spend forever a page, or more, separated from its sibling in the annals of CF history.

Every other forum I belong to uses the page system. On one, there's a game that's gone on for 800 pages. It's all text, though, so it doesn't matter. If it was photos, even on my broadband connection, I think I'd die. I want to bring it over here (I've had an idea draught in Games land), but not if I'm creating new threads every 50 posts.

I think, if nothing else, a new, flexible policy towards the 50 post rule might be best. We've let a few threads bleed over lately, and the CF didn't explode. Maybe retain the 50 post rule for threads with many images, and remove it for anything text-based. If it bleeds onto other pages, it'll take just as long to load page 2 as Part II.

Just my sort of humble opinion.