One big epic thread or multiple specific threads?

Many of the questions I'd like to ask here cover different specific aspects of the same expansive long-term project. I'm trying to decide if I should continue to ask each question in the particular area of the forums where it is most relevant, or if I should just start one big general thread that keeps everything together.

I can think of pros and cons for the "big epic thread" idea:

Pros:
- I could provide a better sense of continuity in terms of where I'm at in my project, without having to keep reminding people
- I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself as much when it comes to relevant details & particulars
- Most of the knowledge shared here comes from a relatively small set of "regulars" anyway
- The thread itself would become a kind of document that tells the story of my journey

Cons:
- Might disturb the website's organization schema
- Would be harder for random people with the knowledge I'm seeking to find my thread and share their knowledge
- "Regulars" would still have to be directed to the thread somehow

I see a few "big epic threads" on the site already, similar to what I envision, so I know at least they are allowed, but that doesn't tell me whether they are preferred, nor whether they are generally effective in terms of helping people share and receive information.

Having written this, I think I've pushed myself from "probably will start a big epic thread" to "probably will not start a big epic thread", but I'm still open to hearing your thoughts, plus maybe someone else is experiencing this dilemma and will be helped by my thinking through it out loud.

Hey Ned,
I think it depends on what your main purpose is. If your purpose is to document your journey, then the Ned's Big Epic Thread Documenting The Permaculture-Submarine-Building Journey might be the way to go. (you can have a nice browse through other people's journeys in the Projects forum, https://permies.com/c/permaculture-projects )

If your purpose is more to ask questions as they come up, then I'd say make a new thread for every individual issue (which will probably get you faster responses when you need them). Often threads get added to different forums anywhere when there's overlap.
And if you're concerned about being able to find them all again to access information, because you made all the threads, you can access them easily enough (by searching your own posts) without having to make them all in the same place.

That's just my 2 cents, maybe some other folks have better ideas.

I do both. I have several project threads, but if I have an interesting question I would like more focus on then I start a new thread. Personally I think if a question is quite general, like 'how do I stop water getting in my basement' or 'how much rainfall can I capture off my roof' then a new thread is the best place. If is something that is very specific to your project and only someone that has read along so far will understand it then the project thread might be better, but I think almost all problems are universal and it is good to learn from each other. I like to keep my bigger projects all in one place like my 'blog used to be, but that does make them a bit unwieldy after a while.

I must admit if I think a thread is closely related to a previous thread someone has started (particularly some older ones) I will often merge them together as I think it helps the story flow. Like 'I am thinking of digging a pond' goes with 'here's my pond in spring' and 'look at the cool frogs I've got'

So it depends.

You can always link to your new thread from your project thread, which is probably the best of both worlds.

People seem to enjoy epic project threads here.  They get more engagement over time.  Major source of inspiration and, as you say, helps build community.

However if a question is more general, it often gets a quicker response to ask in a new thead.

This is the format for question threads that i find gets the most success:

1. Question alone (phrased like how we would search in a search engine) and the understanding that humans will human and might only read this sentence before replying.

2. A few sentences of history, link to epic thread (thus giving the epic thread more love and context for new readers)

3. More indepth version of the question.

Epic thread could have a post about this stumbling block, here's a link to the question.

...

I find it helps to imagine how would a reader 10 years from now view the thread.  Permies began in 2005 and some of these threads still make it to the top from time to time.  Think of it as planting a perennial conversation.  If a project is scattered over many threads, it's not difficult for someone 15 years from now to find all the pieces and they get frustrated and give up

Like a youtuber saying "last week I talked about this important first part" and not bother to link to the video snd now we have to try to sort through years of back videos to find the first half of the video we want to watch.  Aint no one got time for that.

My vote:

A big epic thread with picture of your project showing the progress with links to your threads with individual questions.