Offtopic Posts

Kinda takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it? Waaay down near the end of the AOLer thread is my suggestion to solve the problem.

#70

thats a very good idea. there needs to be a thread called "play pen" or something of that nature. Then there would be a place to put the young'uns.

Well since some changes may be in the works for the messageboard (there is a thread on that here) perhaps we can have a "Rants" section and those OT posts that qualify can be booted over there. And perhaps we can have subsections, Serious rants, Silly Rants, and maybe in the spririt of the great Monty Python an "Arguments" section too.

So.... Anyone like football?

Just kidding Travis! I noticed that too. But hey, for the playpen thread check out the Chatroom thread.
Almost too much playing there.

not my type of playing

by Scribe Frogboy - 4/29/2003 7:06:45 PM I'm a cranky guy. Damn cranky. And one thing that is making me really cranky is that people will make an intelligent post only to see it hijacked by people and turn it into something completely unrelated to what the original topic was about. I've seen this trend growing lately and it is going to stop now. I don't care how long you've been around the community. If there is a conversation on say designing wallpapers and you turn it into a discussion about third party Photoshop filters, you stand the risk of losing your posting priviledges. If there is a post discussing the finer points of stock portfolios and you turn it into a tirade about Enron, you stand the risk of losing your posting access. And that obviously goes for posts that are about somethign relevant that turn into cutesy quasi-private conversations between people inside of posts. And if you want to discuss something, make a post. You can post about pretty much anything you want here in the sense that you can create your own thread. But don't hijack other people's threads. It's rude and it's unnecessary. We will be adding a host of new forum features to help make having discussions easier to participate in over the long haul. But in the meantime, let's show respect to those who create threads by not immediately turning it into a tangential discussion. And yes, obviously at some point in a long conversation you will have topic drift. But if you're on post 5 on a thread about HDTV standards, it's not cool to start posting about whether Burger King's Fries are better than McDonalds. Because 1) They're not and 2) it's off topic.

mutter:need to make people take tests over the rules and regulations of the boards before they can post

#6:

/me pounds this one home...repeating over and over again, "I will not hijack another thread, I will not respond to another OT post by Kona, I will not hijack another thread, I will not respond to another OT post by Kona...."

Travis....you are right....and I am guilty (see So.... What did you get from Santa? thread)


/me looks for absolution and vows to redeem his evil ways

I'm seeing a few threads getting used as a means to say hi to certain other people. It would be better if they just sent email.

But hey, for the playpen thread check out the Chatroom thread.

Actually, the marathon thread is not a 'playpen thread'. If you read through it, you will see it has its own history, its own tradition, has been molded and shaped over time, and is full of good friends who have known each other for quite awhile. Believe it or not, even the marathon thread can and does get hijacked.

strange tradition at that. I think some practices just need to be revised.

This thread is just a way for me to vent my frustration.

I'm ANGRY! >
[Message Edited]
[Message Edited]

Lets don't go overboard people. Nothing wrong with saying Hi. There are a lot of people that don't have there email addy published. Lets just keep it friendly,happy and somewhat on topic. When the problem gets solved then the threads have a tendency to wander.

I suppose we're just lucky it doesnt happen more often.

Justin..it's no big deal...this isn't rocket science No one minds a 'hey' 'hi' or 'yeo' in their threads as long as it doesn't digress into a twenty post dissertation having nothing to do with the subject at hand. It's meant to be fun....so enjoy it.

yep its those long winded digressions that anger me.

OK OK OK>>>> this goes out to those who think I hijacked some threads. I did contribute to some already hijacked threads and I am sorry.

I am guilty of a few but not the AOL thread.
Tech Cat started it:

I hate both AOL and MSN. Both ISPs are for stupid people who don't know how to use the internet.

Now it goes downhill from there. I did contribute and for that I deserve to be beat. I was just defending my ISP.

DT I am really sorry.

If anyone is to blame it should be me for changing the subject. I was offended by the remark that Tech Cat made. I apologized to DT for the change of topic and said that I would not post anymore toward it. Kona, was not to blame, we where just finishing a argument from another post.

....again, one that I started and from now on will try not to.


My Apologies
Keith

#8

(see So.... What did you get from Santa? thread)

...you guy's hijacked my thread??!!

s'orright.... Christmas was pretty much over anyways!

I hate both AOL and MSN. Both ISPs are for stupid people who don't know how to use the internet.

No apologies for that statement. That's just how I feel and I am not going to be politically correct for anyone. Hijacking the thread? I'm not sure since the topic was an AOL translator and the low intelligence level of AOL users evident in their inability to type correctly. I didn't say much after that statement. The whole ugly mess was mostly Kona and Meyend Tripp arguing with each other back and forth.

Actually, it wasn't necessarily AOL-specific. The same speeling talents apply across a wide range of users. It was supposed to be fun instead of degenerating into an ugly back and forth flame war. I begin to suspect that the only real solution to the problem is to confine people to a specific place on the message boards until they've proved they're fit for polite society.

A lot of this material is connected. 'Third party filters' are within the realm of 'wallpapers'. Copyright is related to the well being of commercial sites, and the costs of running them. Perhaps the author didn't clearly relate what they were saying to the original post? Perhaps they saw the connection as obvious?

I've seen conversations here and elsewhere wherein someone politely and astutely said something like "Ah, yes, you make a valid point there, but how does that effect [insert real topic here]?" Maybe we need the admins to be good conversationalists and just ask what makes us feel so strongly that our tangent is relevant to the original concept?

Granted, sometimes a heavy hand is necessary. To "Moderate" isn't a good term for stolidly holding people within a fixed point, though. It more related to 'mediate' than 'enforce'. The final, heated reaction we often see here has very little to do with 'moderation' and much more to do with 'authoritarianism'.

**

Moderate:

Main Entry: mod·er·ate
Function: verb

1 : to lessen the intensity or extremeness of
2 : to preside over or act as chairman of
intransitive senses
1 : to act as a moderator
2 : to become less violent, severe, or intense

A relatively 'light-hearted' topic such as the AOL translator going off-topic is less of an issue than one which originated with an important subject of relevance to our community...[eg, my 'Editorial'].....though in that case accusations of 'power-mad' admins, etc sort of ties your hands.....damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Besides...[yes, THAT IS THE CORRECT WORD, Kona]...it was my own thread that was hijacked and I wasn't personally fazed.

It IS important though to respect the general direction or 'plot' of the subject as posted, otherwise it's akin to rudely interupting another's conversation.

It's the responsibility of everyone to keep things 'ontrack', not necessarily solely for admins to wade in banging heads, etc...

One of my thread got hijacked, a request for a Nemo fish for DX... it's still a request!

On a serious note, I'm a moderator of a forum (nothing to do with skinning), and I've notice that ANY topic will go offtopic if not monitored carefully, including the serious topics.

#22 by Jafo... I agree. A "light-hearted" topic going off-topic shouldn't be an issue. Can't say the same for the more serious topics. Admins/moderators.... damned if [we] do, damned if [we] don't.... so true. Complaints creates more stress than solutions, including backhanded suggestions.

I have promised not to take another post offtopic, but can I plllleeeaaaasseeee interrupt FLAME'S thread.

joking of course, unless

Join me?