Forum layout

Just wondering if there is another way to see all the replies to a subject without having to click on each one to read. I'm a newbie and therefore combing the cooking forum, but it takes a LONG time to open the original comment and then each individual response. Some websites let you see the whole thing on 1+ pages. It is especially frustrating when your computer is slow and when many of the replies are just saying "thanks" or "great food," etc. When you're new, you want to see all the valuaable information here. Also, is there a way to know when someone has replied to your post? With the amount of traffic on the forum, it's difficult to go backward and find the post. Hope I've made sense. Thanks in advance.