Agree with Maggie — also, personally, I am interested in two pieces of information — both who started a thread and who posted in it last. It gives me two ‘handles’ by which to remember where I saw something and whether there’s been a reply.
A way of integrating images would make it more social, probably also having avatars/icons. It’s easier to connect with a little picture than with just a username. It’s funny, because you *can* post images here but there’s a culture of using flickr and a lot of investment in that group. Once discussion was closed there, it seems as though only part of it was rerouted here — the discussion of specific projects people have made (which I think is where a lot of the emotional investment lies) still happened in the comments on each photo. If there were a way of bringing those conversations back to this site, that would make it more social.
Maybe a troubleshooting/suggestions thread, here, where you could post a photo of works in progress and get ideas from the community? Maybe also a challenges forum — a pattern bust thread, a fabric bust thread, a new technique thread, a sewing-for-yourself thread, etc.
Also, based on my previous experience with online communities, it’s the off-topic parts that see the most action. Humans are social creatures with a keen interest in each other’s lives.
