Try it. I used to use that feature often. Until I discovered it's usually quicker posting something short to tag the thread. Click reply to the last post, click the smiley picker, click the popcorn, and click post quick reply. Done. All that is done in javascript. No round trip page loads.
Using the subscribe feature requires scrolling all the way to the heading above the first post on the page, clicking thread tools, clicking subscribe, waiting for the "choices" page to load, making sure the choices are what you want, and clicking submit. And if you're on page 2 or higher you get taken back to the first page after you submit.
The popcorn is quicker and I stay on the same page.
I used to do it that way. I never considered that I would be bumping the thread by posting something. I guess I'll do both depending on the thread.