OFF-TOPIC... AAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHH

Don't know what's happening with this forum lately, but I'm getting a bit p1$$ed off with every single thread that contains an off-topic message being squashed by an "OFF-TOPIC", followed by a discussion of what is or isn't off-topic, which makes the whole thread more and more off-topic... aaaaaaaaaaaargh!

What's changed? We're all Elbow fans, so we should be intelligent enough to work out what is and isn't off-topic without it being pointed out with a 50 foot high flashing pink neon sign.

Now here's a challenge for you all - if you see an off-topic post, just ignore it and post something in the thread that's on-topic!

Right, I'm off... somebody wake me up when it starts getting interesting in here again.

[/rant]

I'm with you, lee.

The dynamics have certainly changed a bit.

Anybody see the match the other night?

mmmm...perhaps some of our newer younger members need a clip round the ear !
...sorry, your not aloud to do that anymore. We need to send the culprits on an all expenses paid holiday, welcome them back with open arms and then admit it was us that was wrong in the first place and that we won't do it again. Then pay them some compensation for the unnecessary upset we caused them and give ourselves a bloody good talking to.

lee spoons wrote:

Now here's a challenge for you all - if you see an off-topic post, just ignore it and post something in the thread that's on-topic!

Yes, I think that's the best thing to do: just ignore the off-topic-ness and try and steer it back on topic.
However, I do think there should be a little bit of give in the whole thing.
After all we're only human and in conversation very often one subject leads to another...

Jones wrote:

lee spoons wrote:

Now here's a challenge for you all - if you see an off-topic post, just ignore it and post something in the thread that's on-topic!

Yes, I think that's the best thing to do: just ignore the off-topic-ness and try and steer it back on topic.
However, I do think there should be a little bit of give in the whole thing.
After all we're only human and in conversation very often one subject leads to another...

that is the most sense ive heard the whole time ive been in here

leo wrote:

that is the most sense ive heard the whole time ive been in here

And for me that is a rare occurrence!


Sorry, looks like i'm off topic again

I agree, and maybe I have been a bit harsh but I am only trying to get the point across.

When I get an email notification about a topic I am subscribed to, and I click the link to read it, but the new reply has nothing to do with what I am interested in, it's annoying for me, and off-putting I imagine for new members.

I am prepared to see topics fly off for a reasonable number of posts (dependant on context), but after that I consider that the tangent has taken over.

As I stated when I started this forum, the success is entirely dependent on the community, so I don't want to be seen to be cracking the whip.

It's YOUR forum, not mine, but it needs to be coherent if it is to grow.

MagicalTrevor wrote:

I agree, and maybe I have been a bit harsh but I am only trying to get the point across.

When I get an email notification about a topic I am subscribed to, and I click the link to read it, but the new reply has nothing to do with what I am interested in, it's annoying for me, and off-putting I imagine for new members.

I am prepared to see topics fly off for a reasonable number of posts (dependant on context), but after that I consider that the tangent has taken over.

As I stated when I started this forum, the success is entirely dependent on the community, so I don't want to be seen to be cracking the whip.

It's YOUR forum, not mine, but it needs to be coherent if it is to grow.

Well said man - I agree with you there.

People blame the younger members for this "problem" (that as far as I can see, manifests itself as a mere speck of dust in the goblet of glorious wine), yet - I believe we've all been a tad childish. Why is it that, as Lee said, "there is a resounding OFF TOPIC"? Why is it that we can't converse just a little - we are HUMAN. I admit, I've been to blame for some of this - who hasn't: As MT said "this is a community", so we take responsibility together, and rectify things together.

We are all similar people, in our love for great music; so let's just have a good time and not ostracize anyone who happens to, say, comment on a recent post's grammar for example.

It's just a bit of fun so everyone lighten up. For Elbow's sake!

Well, said Leo, you just made me cry

I admit it's probably been mainly my fault, so i apologise profusely for that.

I totally understand why you had to get tough, MT. I myself have always appreciated going off on tangents every now and again, but as of late, things were getting obnoxiously rambly. In almost every post/thread. It started off being kind of silly and humorous, then it just got old. So yeah, I agree that something had to be said.

Just my two cents.

Why was the "beer smiley" thread locked? Why are posts randomly deleted?

Hmmm...not sure, just unlocked the beer smiley topic.

Which posts are you referring to? Any posts deleted should be for a good reason.

I haven't deleted any posts, so "not guilty your honour".

There were some posts deleted a few days ago at the request of a certain member who had become embarrassed by what he had written. If you were involved in that MY, surely you can understand why these posts were nuked?

MagicalTrevor wrote:

Which posts are you referring to? Any posts deleted should be for a good reason.

I'm mainly talking about the Glasgow posts in the football thread that went the other day. Overzealous censorship?

But also, some perfectly legitimate posts I put in the Other Bands forums a week or two ago which went missing a good few hours later.

MagicalTrevor wrote:

There were some posts deleted a few days ago at the request of a certain member who had become embarrassed by what he had written. If you were involved in that MY, surely you can understand why these posts were nuked?

Oh, ok. But then doesn't every member have the delete option, or at least edit, on their own posts? Perhaps a lesson in thinking before pressing the send button?!

If I remember right , the delete button (or the edit button) goes after you have posted again elsewhere. Don't quote me on that. I just seem to remeber that from an instance a whil ago where I wanted to change my post, but couldn't.

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

MagicalTrevor wrote:

Which posts are you referring to? Any posts deleted should be for a good reason.

I'm mainly talking about the Glasgow posts in the football thread that went the other day. Overzealous censorship?

No, as I said, this was on request. I deleted your responses as leaving them would have meant they were out of context

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

But also, some perfectly legitimate posts I put in the Other Bands forums a week or two ago which went missing a good few hours later.

Was this after the Sunday crash of the servers, when the restore from backup lost all posts from Sunday - Monday last week?

MagicalTrevor wrote:

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

But also, some perfectly legitimate posts I put in the Other Bands forums a week or two ago which went missing a good few hours later.

Was this after the Sunday crash of the servers, when the restore from backup lost all posts from Sunday - Monday last week?

Could well have been. Well that's me put in my place! Can we delete my posts to hide my idocy?!

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

Could well have been. Well that's me put in my place! Can we delete my posts to hide my idocy?!

Nope

In light of recent events in another topic, albeit an unrelated one.

Off topic is simple in my view, you exercise some discipline, if you want to talk about something else, start a new topic on that subject, easy!

Imagine if you subscribed to a magazine about computers say, and every month you got sent something almost totally unrelated, a soft pron rag full of pictures of scantily clad ladeees licking joysticks for example (*cough* PC Format *cough*), you'd be annoyed right? Well maybe not that annoyed in MT's case, but you get the idea... most people, me included, don't have time to wade through pages of random musings to get to the thing they are actually interested in.

It would be sad to lose members over this but if you feel you can't stick to the rules then so be it (jedi).

Well said.

I disagree. There has to be a degree of flexibility.

I'm sure, had there been enough discussion about Ross Noble in the Boosh thread, then someone would have started the Ross Noble thread, but the discussion was killed before there was a chance to find out.

I'm yet to see a thread where there are "pages of random musings"

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

I disagree. There has to be a degree of flexibility.

I'm sure, had there been enough discussion about Ross Noble in the Boosh thread, then someone would have started the Ross Noble thread, but the discussion was killed before there was a chance to find out.

And you think this will happen based on topics posted in the past? This has never happened before. The point that I think you are missing is that there should be NO Ross Noble discussion in the Mighty Boosh thread, unless it is in context (i.e. comparing them etc.). The introduction of the Ross Noble topic was at odds to the rest of the thread, and the correct thing to have done at that point was start a new thread!

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

I'm yet to see a thread where there are "pages of random musings"

What about the Manchester Meet up thread? That was off topic for at least 2 pages despite my continued requests to steer it back on.

Where do you draw the line anyway? At 2 pages? 5 posts?

There IS a degree of flexibility here, and I am prepared to allow a small degree of off-topicness, but when it gets to the point where all contributors to the thread are not discussing what the thread started out as, I fail to see the point of the thread continuing.

I'm happy to be less strict in "the hole", but all other parts of the forum should stick to these rules where possible. It's not hard to start a new topic, and it just makes sense.