Barring vroom implementing this in the core code, this is a prime job for 'botware.

I imagine a process that grabs the newest nodes XML, maintains the database, has a user ID that so it can send /msgs, and maintains a user interface of what nodes you've already seen, delselecting the thread following, etc.

One possibility might be using the message box to /msg the 'bot to monitor the nodeid. Another more interesting possibility would be to have a link at the top of each article. The contents of the link would be populated from a field in your user settings, so if multiple people wrote 'bots, you would select the one you would like to manage your threading.

The current nodeid would automatically be included as a parameter in the URL, as would your user node number. A HTML target of "_blank" would be used so a new browser would be opened when you linked (or an option. Can't have too many options!). Clicking the link takes you to that thread manager, and a smart thread manager would know if you're already monitoring that thread, or it's parent, and ask if you want to select it or deselect it. I'm not 100% sure of how to handle the passwording. An option might be to have YAF (Yet Another Field) on the user info that would be the 'bots password, and this would be passed in the URL. Not netsniffing secure, but then, you're not passing credit card data, either, so a compromise wouldn't be a major problem.

Luckily, the XML already has provisions for what the parent ID of a response is, so maintaining threading across subject line changes is a non-issue

Let's see... Today is Friday, vroom should have the user info settings and links in by 3:00 EST, got all weekend to write the UI... Next Tuesday OK with y'all? <G>