Why can't you have threads in a chat app?

This article is really, "We couldn't adapt our processes to Slack, so we blamed the tool and replaced a chat app with processes, because we're special snowflakes and how could anything Not Invented Here apply to our totally unique problems of communication?"

Sure, they ended up with a series of other tools to cover their workflows, the thing they "invented" was how those tools work together to cover the gaps created by not actually having a comprehensive and well-configured chat app.

You can, but it's not the default; you need discipline and moderators to force people to thread conversations and structure their thread starters in such a way as to optimize for searching.

IMO just use forum software if you're going that way. Much more low volume, too (generally).

You don't need moderators, just policy. Where I work we have threaded conversations and no one needs to moderate anything.

Further, "optimize for searching" isn't a thing. Teams gives full text search, and you can find any word or phrase you need to instantly.

I think you're optimizing for familiarity.

Zulip has topics and it's absolutely amazing, but I still don't think it helps reference years old messages.

You can reference years old messages.

For example https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/3-backend/topic/Vagran...