Author Topic: How do you feel about OT posts?  (Read 30595 times)

Scott6373

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2008, 03:08:25 pm »
I agree darlin', but if a topic is taken over by another, then what should be done?  Nothing?

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2008, 03:19:56 pm »
I agree darlin', but if a topic is taken over by another, then what should be done?  Nothing?

Well, it is possible to ignore a would-be hijacker and just carry on the conversation. ...  ::)

Too bad we don't have an "Ignore" button anymore.  8)
« Last Edit: January 09, 2008, 05:13:03 pm by Jeff Wrangler »
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Scott6373

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2008, 03:20:33 pm »
Well, it is possible to ignore a would-be hijacker and just carry on the conversation. ...  ::)

Do bad we don't have an "Ignore" button anymore.  8)

It's going to make its triumphant return soon

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2008, 03:21:37 pm »
It's going to make its triumphant return soon


Did you just tell a secret "out of school"?
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Scott6373

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2008, 03:22:21 pm »

Did you just tell a secret "out of school"?

Probably...so shoot me...LOL

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #15 on: January 09, 2008, 03:24:25 pm »
Probably...so shoot me...LOL

Not my job, pal.  ;D

And, boyoboy, am I glad to hear it!

And speaking of job, I have to get back to mine. ...  ::)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #16 on: January 09, 2008, 04:15:13 pm »
Either one of two solutions needs to be adopted:

1) clear rules involving off topic comments need to be established and enforced on all forums all of the time,

or

2) the OT rules need to be ignored and only personal attacks or hate speech needs to be restricted. 

So far, most voters seem to prefer some happy medium between rigid adherence to topic and total free-for-all. So if the preference is for something in between, what might such rules entail? "Off topic comments are allowed/prohibited unless ..." what? I'd like to hear any suggestions anyone might have.

However, I'll have to say that IMO the goal of their being established and enforced on all forums all of the time is a pretty high bar, considering the forums are moderated by different people, who do the job as part-time volunteers and aren't always online, and probably would each have their own individual interpretations of the rules.

As someone who occasionally posts OT comments myself, I'm not averse to some OT discussion. My biggest objection is when an OT conversation is interesting enough to deserve its own thread. If it's kept in the original thread, people who might like to comment on the subject, but who aren't following the original thread, won't find it.

Otherwise, OT posts bother me only when they're SO unconnected to the topic at hand, or even the forum they're in, but draw enough other comments or counterargument as to distract people from the subject under discussion, that the original conversation gets completely derailed.

But moderating to eliminate these would require case-by-case judgment calls.



Offline Penthesilea

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #17 on: January 09, 2008, 04:22:55 pm »
As someone who occasionally posts OT comments myself, I'm not averse to some OT discussion. My biggest objection is when an OT conversation is interesting enough to deserve its own thread. If it's kept in the original thread, people who might like to comment on the subject, but who aren't following the original thread, won't find it.

Otherwise, OT posts bother me only when they're SO unconnected to the topic at hand, or even the forum they're in, but draw enough other comments or counterargument as to distract people from the subject under discussion, that the original conversation gets completely derailed.

But moderating to eliminate these would require case-by-case judgment calls.


Amen to what you said sistah  :)



Offline nova20194

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2008, 04:59:26 pm »
Well, it is possible to ignore a would-be hijacker and just carry on the conversation. ...  ::)

Do bad we don't have an "Ignore" button anymore.  8)

I think straying briefly OT is OK, but it needs to be controlled.

I like the ignore idea, and I don't know how the "Ignore" button functioned, but you certainly don't need a button in order to ignore.


Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: How do you feel about OT posts?
« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2008, 05:18:33 pm »
I like the ignore idea, and I don't know how the "Ignore" button functioned, but you certainly don't need a button in order to ignore.

I forget exactly how you set it up, but when we had an "Ignore" button, what it did was block out the posts of the individual or individuals you wished to ignore, so you couldn't even see the text of the posts.


So far, most voters seem to prefer some happy medium between rigid adherence to topic and total free-for-all. So if the preference is for something in between, what might such rules entail? "Off topic comments are allowed/prohibited unless ..." what? I'd like to hear any suggestions anyone might have.

Maybe figure out a way to phrase it positively--"You are encouraged to stay on topic"--something like that--rather than negatively--"Off-topic comments are not allowed"?
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.