It had a mode for selecting threads to read (based on seeing the subject line). Having selected which threads in a particular newsgroup to read, the user would

It had a mode for selecting threads to read (based on seeing the subject line). Having selected which threads in a particular newsgroup to read, the user would then switch into reading mode. Threads that the user didn't want to read could be "junked". This could work in the context of HN as a way of sorting posts into interesting and not interesting on a per-user basis. Rather than just navigating a set of threads, trn gave the user tools to productively keep up with discussions they were interested in, and not have to worry about other discussions at all (after dismissing those discussions once). Here's a basic explanation of the interface: https://www.einval.com/~steve/software/trn-faq.html https://www.einval.com/~steve/software/trn-faq.html