the option to load the pages of the threads in reverse order

Jo - here's a quick handy hint (well, if I'm understanding you correctly):
Edit your profile so that Default Sort Order is Descending Date.
This will mean that the most recent posts get shown first.

Incidentally, I don't like Flat Mode at all. You lose the structure of the thread and the ability to respond to particular points. It would be fine if a thread really were a linear progression, but that's only occasionally the case. More often a tree structure is most meaningful.

HTML/HTTP (i.e. The Web) is very much geared up for downloading "little and often". Threaded Mode caters for that scenario better, so in theory at least should provide better performance

As people may have noticed , I have been known to respond almost simultaneously to posts at different points in the same thread. I see no problem with this as long as the responses relate to the appropriate "sub-thread" and aren't repetitious. However, in Flat Mode this kind of thing can look strange, and (worse) thoughtless.

Another Tip: in Threaded Mode, you don't have to wait for the entire thread to download except on the first view. After that you can hit the Stop button on your browser as soon as the new post appears. Then hit the Back button to view the thread again.

I really do mean to get all these Tips together at some point! But it'll have to wait a week or so...

Busy Fisk