Staying on topic in a forum, paradigm shift

[blw2]

I figure there are a couple ways of looking at discussion forums like this...specifically thread organization, staying on track, etc..
Just for point of discussion around the campfire, I'm curious about how others think of it...

It recently came to my attention (on another forum for a completely different hobby) that some folks seek control over threads...meaning in a way that the OP sorta owns the conversation. It's an ask a question then answer THAT question sort of approach.
I was booted off a thread by a moderator... (and I always try hard to be polite, reasonably calm, well reasoned, and helpful...so it wasn't like I was being rude or anything). First time ever for me...

An example would be someone starting a thread about something...let's just say a question directed to folks that own a particular Four Winds floorplan. More often than not most or all of the answers will be from folks who have never owned a Four Winds. Now some folks will get bent out of shape for hijacking the thread or otherwise getting it off track, when in fact many of the answers prove to be helpful. Maybe even by folks that own the identical Chateau plan...or something similar by Jayco.

When I first started participating in forums it was on RV/Camping platforms, so I have always looked at it differently.
Not that the OP owns the thread.... It's more like a discussion around the campfire. Conversations will drift. Maybe it's like the OP lights the fire then other folks come and go pulling up a chair for a while

Sometimes I see the need for something very specific asked that would have only a very specific response, but usually there is a lot of room for other perspectives, slightly different approaches, etc...

Anyway, how do you look at it?

[TurnerFam]

I agree that I think about it as if everyone who might be listening, or might post an answer or comment, is sitting around the 'camp fire' and just having a general conversation, where someone has decided to ask a specific question.
I think we ALL have a choice to listen, to respond, to make a comment, or to even disagree, though the object of these forums is probably more suited to commenting about the 'subject at hand', rather than 'chasing rabbits' sometimes...

What I will disagree with, or will dislike, is when someone poses a question and immediately states that 'no one that doesn't own this make, or this model, or this type of such-and-such should respond!'... that's a little like telling everyone around the camp fire that hasn't done this, or done that, to stay OUT of the conversation!
Ridiculous... you can't, and shouldn't try to, 'control' this forum like that.

Everyone who wants to comment, can.

Now, those who relentlessly make negative comments, this may not apply... though I suppose that we all get a little 'testy' at times when it comes to how someone else has responded, whether we think others 'know as much as we do' about a subject, or those who "quote" our comment in their response, in a way to 'call us out' about something.

There's nothing wrong with conversation, at least until it runs it's course or goes off track.

[Bob Denman]

Think of a thread as if it were an organic life-form...

... Kind of like a virus!

They tend to mutate, and go in whatever direction they want...


And I am MORE than guilty of spinning threads off into unintended places...

[K0LCB]

I like a diverse conversation! Usually a question is answered in first or second comments

[JamieGeek]

The only issue I have with the topic wandering is that sometimes the topic wanders to some other issue which ends up having good solutions for. At that point it would be a good idea to start a new thread as its sometimes difficult to find that item and its solutions if its buried inside an unrelated topic (and many times searching doesn't lead to the solution).

[10scDust]

I agree with JamieGeek about getting off track and you lose that ability for an easy search reading the topic lines.
I find it amusing to myself, when someone comes on with a technical, how do you fix, in the introduce yourself section.
Thinking that they may get a broader audience, and maybe someone very helpful, if they went to maybe the tech forum to begin with.
But it is what it is.

Actually, blw2, I am curious as to what it was, that got you booted.
smile

[blw2]

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

......What I will disagree with, or will dislike, is when someone poses a question and immediately states that 'no one that doesn't own this make, or this model, or this type of such-and-such should respond!'... that's a little like telling everyone around the camp fire that hasn't done this, or done that, to stay OUT of the conversation!
Ridiculous... you can't, and shouldn't try to, 'control' this forum like that........

That's a great example of what I was getting at

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

....There's nothing wrong with conversation, at least until it runs it's course or goes off track.

Yes, there is that point when conversations naturally die....

Originally Posted by 10scDust

I agree with JamieGeek about getting off track and you lose that ability for an easy search reading the topic lines.
I find it amusing to myself, when someone comes on with a technical, how do you fix, in the introduce yourself section.
Thinking that they may get a broader audience, and maybe someone very helpful, if they went to maybe the tech forum to begin with.
But it is what it is....

that's another but related thing.... the "sections". Personally I have never paid attention to what section something is in. I click the "new posts" menu, and scroll through all the titles with new posts since my last visit. For me, it's about time then title. If i'm not interested in the title I move on to the next....then when I'm done I mark them all as read and start over next time. Just a different approach.
but this issue directly relates to what started this whole thing for me.

Originally Posted by 10scDust

...Actually, blw2, I am curious as to what it was, that got you booted.
smile

not a big deal really. On a backpacking forum a mom posted a question to other moms about leaving kids at home with dad to go on a 6 month hike. I chimed in from the perspective of a parent doing the same thing (not mom or dad). Tried to be polite and helpful...offering another perspective, no saying "don't do it" but just wasn't supporting the idea either.
so anyway, it happened to be a post by a mom addressed to other moms in a "women's" section of the forum.
so skimming my unread threads I click into the conversation only to see a warning pop up saying that I have been removed from the conversation....can't even view it. No warning, no message explaining, nothing... So started another thread asking about it which promptly got removed. Eventually I get a PM from the moderator who was doing it.... I got accused of "mansplaining" and a few other rather rude comments. Basically the gist of it was the moderator was looking at it form the perspective of the OP being "owner" of the thread...
It just rubbed me wrong.... first time after thousands of posts on several different forums

Anyway, no big deal, just set me to thinking about the campfire discussion analogy again...

[nosticks]

I like specific responses to a problem asked. I do not appreciate all the Walmart greeters, having nothing to offer, responding and clogging up a question type thread, nor the clowns that do not know how to respond without quoting the entire op's post.

[pstandiford]

I don’t mind the thread drifting a bit. However, I don’t like the threads that never end.

[TyCreek]

Kind of interesting little discussion starter... my observation is that forum/board etiquette, of those I've participated in, have changed considerably since modem connections in the 80's. Today, standalone forums like this one are becoming less utilized. Rules and "proper" behavior have become diluted. Really it's a quite different sort of no boundaries world that has evolved. ADD has definitely come to the forefront

Each of us has their own life experiences and mental adaptations, these shape who we are individually. Awarenesses, respect, genuine integrity, responsibility, rationality are a few characteristics seemingly diluting as social media evolves. Technical logic or science is no longer needed as proof to make posts or claims. Oddly enough people increasingly accept alternate made up "things" as truths or facts and can't tell the difference. Sort of like half truths are shaping our thinking and ^^^ who we are.

Aw well that's about enough for me ... I see a squirrel ....

[gnach]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

The only issue I have with the topic wandering is that sometimes the topic wanders to some other issue which ends up having good solutions for. At that point it would be a good idea to start a new thread as its sometimes difficult to find that item and its solutions if its buried inside an unrelated topic (and many times searching doesn't lead to the solution).

So how about them Yankees? -WINK!

[Lloyd]

The answer to all of this can be obtained by clicking on

Community Rules on the bottom of the page and read what it has to say.


I know it makes searching for past info a lot easier if the thread stays on topic.
Nothing worse or more frustrating then a troll messing up a thread because they they don't have anything constructive to say, but just likes to be funny.