Our BetterMost Community > The Polling Place
How do you feel about OT posts?
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: Scott on January 09, 2008, 03:22:21 pm ---Probably...so shoot me...LOL
--- End quote ---
Not my job, pal. ;D
And, boyoboy, am I glad to hear it!
And speaking of job, I have to get back to mine. ... ::)
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: brokeplex on January 06, 2008, 05:08:50 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.
--- End quote ---
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.
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: ineedcrayons on January 09, 2008, 04:15:13 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.
--- End quote ---
Amen to what you said sistah :)
nova20194:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 09, 2008, 03:19:56 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)
--- End quote ---
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.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: nova20194 on January 09, 2008, 04:59:26 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.
--- End quote ---
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.
--- Quote from: ineedcrayons on January 09, 2008, 04:15:13 pm ---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.
--- End quote ---
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"?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version