Application-wide discussion settings govern useful but performance-intensive features such as read tracking and thread mode. You can also set some aspects of how threads marked as questions should be handled.
Admin Console: System > Settings > Discussions
Enable read tracking to have messages marked as read the person who has viewed them. You might also want to have them marked as read automatically if you have a lot of traffic and want to ensure that more recent messages get attention from readers.
Select threaded for thread mode to have thread messages organized hierarchically, with replies indented. This can help to make longer threads easier to read. Without threading, people must rely on the text and links in replies to discover how replies are organized.
If you're seeing slower performance, try disabling read tracking and turning the thread mode default to "flat." Both of these features can tax performance on some configurations. (Note that users will still be able to set thread mode to either flat or threaded in their preferences.)
When a thread is marked as a question, the person who originally posted it can mark certain replies as "Helpful" (they can also mark one as the answer to the question). These signals make it easier for people reading the thread -- especially those coming along later -- to see which responses were on track. This could save them time if they've got the same question.
You can specify how many helpful answers are allowed in a single thread. You might want to keep this number small if you feel that a large number of helpful responses might dilute the meaning of "helpful." Also, keep in mind that Jive SBS is designed to award status points for helpful answers; you can increase the value of these points by keeping the number small. On the other hand, increasing the number could encourage people to respond more frequently if they think it's more likely their response will get marked as helpful.
Depending on what's best for your community, you might find it useful to have every new thread start out marked as a question by default (the person creating it can un-mark it if they want to). You might want to have them be questions if your space is intended as a place where people go for answers (such as a support-related space). Contrast this with a space where people go to make suggestions or merely share information.
For settings that govern how people should be notified when a question has been unanswered for a while, see Configuring Discussions for a Space.