I just had an idea of being able to subscribe to a forum thread or forum section.

This would mean that when you logon any threads or sections that you have subscribed to (simply by selecting subscribe to thread or section) and have been posted on will appear on a start-up screen.

The idea would be useful for such sections as game queries and computer and internet chat as a user can ask a question and then when logged back in they can immediately see if their question has been commented on.

It sounds good.

But i think it would be better if we incorporated what youtube have, if someone replies to your message an email will be sent saying who replied to it with the link to the thread and post itself.

imagine subscribing to the general chat thread

maybe an option could be placed in your edit profile area where it gives you the choice of whether or not you receive an email for every reply...

....and get shed loads of unwanted emails and clog up your inbox. You would probably get one every 30 seconds on average.

But the idea seems okish to me.

That is why i suggested the option of stopping emails if you wished.

If you read my first post, however, i intentionally did not mention emails because of that very fact

Yes, I did see, I was just stating how many emails you would get as people might not know

Maybe an email for only the first post after your own post.

Otherwise as you say your inbox would be flooded.