On-topic? Off-topic?

[Ken Anderson]

Although I know that some of you would like every category, every forum, and every thread to be a free-for-all, this is something that should matter to all of us because it is much easier to find topics of interest when they are reasonably well-ordered, and you are much more likely to get relevant responses to your topics when they aren't mixed in with a bunch of other things.

In my life right now, I can't afford to spend the amount of time that I once did looking for things that need to be moved around, but I appreciate those of you who have pointed off-topic threads and posts to me, not for disciplinary reasons, but so that they can be moved to a more relevant area.

 

[Don Alaska]

I think @Tony Page's diary has been taken over by horses.

 

[Hedi Mitchell]

I think the way it is set up here is fine. We all do need to make an effort to stay on topic of the thread

 

[Beth Gallagher]

Although I know that some of you would like every category, every forum, and every thread to be a free-for-all, this is something that should matter to all of us because it is much easier to find topics of interest when they are reasonably well-ordered, and you are much more likely to get relevant responses to your topics when they aren't mixed in with a bunch of other things.

In my life right now, I can't afford to spend the amount of time that I once did looking for things that need to be moved around, but I appreciate those of you who have pointed off-topic threads and posts to me, not for disciplinary reasons, but so that they can be moved to a more relevant area.

Maybe it's time to reinstate your moderator team to help with the Cleanup on Aisle 5. All the cat herding is difficult for one person.

 

[Faye Fox]

I think @Tony Page's diary has been taken over by horses.

Diaries are exempt from the off topic rule. It is up to the diary author to steer the direction of their diary.

 

[Faye Fox]

Maybe it's time to reinstate your moderator team to help with the Cleanup on Aisle 5. All the cat herding is difficult for one person.

Or just one "leader" that plays forum flute, to entice the off topics to the edge of the pier, where they fall off and disappear into the abyss.

 

[Ken Anderson]

Diaries are exempt from the off topic rule. It is up to the diary author to steer the direction of their diary.

True enough, although if the diarist would like the off-topic stuff moved, I would surely entertain that, and if "diarist" isn't a word, it should be.

 

[Faye Fox]

True enough, although if the diarist would like the off-topic stuff moved, I would surely entertain that, and if "diarist" isn't a word, it should be.

Diarist sounds good to me hahaha! Hopefully there won't be many request to move diary post, I would think most if off topic should be deleted rather than spend time trying to find where to move them. Maybe the diarist should PM the poster and ask them to move or delete.

 

[Faye Fox]

I think @Tony Page's diary has been taken over by horses.

Not anymore! He says he is leaving. He is the kind of member we need to keep here. Not only is he kind, but intelligent and has actually accomplished a lot of things in his life. He post from experience, rather than Google. Maybe I am the odd person out, but I like posters like Tony. They build a quality forum rather than one flooded with info that anyone can search and find. Original content, is my preference over copy and paste.

 

[Ken Anderson]

When it comes to off-topic posts, whenever I bring it up, it is intended as a reminder rather than a reprimand. I take threads off-topic sometimes, too, as this is the natural course of conversation, although it doesn't work well in an Internet forum. One thing that I try, but don't always remember, to do when I have introduced or participated in a discussion that was off-topic, is to conclude my post with something that is on-topic. A joke, an anecdote, or a comment that is off-topic doesn't ruin a thread - the thread is ruined when that is followed up with a whole line of replies relevant to that off-topic post.

 

[Ken Anderson]

Keeping political news and opinions in the politics, news, or opinions area, as well as conspiracies (true or theoretical) in the conspiracies area, would make the forum look more inviting, particularly to people who are visiting the Seniors Only Club for the first time, and even regular members might appreciate it.

This doesn't mean that you can't make a political comment or reference a news item, and so on, in context with another discussion, but news, politics, conspiracies, and so on, should be restricted to their appropriate area. This is true of all topics, as pertaining to off-topic stuff, but these subjects are more sensitive than some others.

Your politics and views are welcomed here, whatever they might be, but when these topics are all over the forum, the appearance is that this is what the forum is all about and many people, probably more than not, don't want to get in the middle of a politically charged topic. Restricting these discussions to the provided areas make it easier for other members to find or ignore them, whichever they please.