threadstarter

A threadstarter is a person who initiates a discussion thread on an online forum, message board, or similar platform. The term is used to distinguish the author of the initial post from later participants in the conversation. In many communities, the threadstarter is effectively the original poster (OP).

In practice, the threadstarter’s opening post sets the topic, scope, and sometimes the guidelines for discussion. A well-crafted threadstarter provides a concise title, sufficient context, and any relevant details or questions to invite constructive replies. The quality of the opening post often influences the tone and engagement of the ensuing discussion.

Etiquette and guidelines for threadstarters include using a descriptive title, stating the purpose clearly, avoiding vague or sensational language, and including necessary information for others to participate effectively. Threadstarters should be prepared to follow up or clarify as the discussion unfolds. Moderators may expect threadstarters to maintain the thread by updating with outcomes or relevant information, and threads that become off-topic may be moved or closed under community rules.

In programming contexts, the term threadstarter is less common, but it may be used informally to refer to code or a function that creates and starts a new thread. In such usage, a thread starter encapsulates the action of initiating concurrent execution, often by constructing a thread object and invoking its start method.

See also: Original poster, Forum etiquette, Online communities, Thread (computing).