think of sth v. think about sth

[Jaro7788]

Whenever I saw this topic raised on the Internet, everybody tried to prove that these two phrases do not mean the same thing; that "to think of sth" implies pondering quite thoroughly, whereas "to think about sth" is just a short thought. However, I have came across numerous instances of using both versions more or less interchangeably (that is, I was unable to detect any change of meaning). What's your opinion?

[Dozy]

Did you mean that the other way around: "to think about sth" implies pondering quite thoroughly, whereas "to think of sth" is just a short thought?

[Jaro7788]

[Dozy]

Well, my opinion is that "think about" generally implies a longer and more thorough pondering (i.e. the opposite of what you had in your original post).