Discussions going off topic?

[/)eathKiller]

Who here likes Peanut Butter Cups?

Wooh!

J/K

Alright so topics are going off topic are they? I haven't seen that... Most IWers are generally good about this sort of thing IMO

[Attalus]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: I DON'T like the threaded system though! Ugh! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Sing it, sister!

[Aelia Jusa]

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I personally find it a bit off-putting to post ON-topic in a thread that has gone seriously off-topic in a spammy way. Almost, like, a wowser or party-pooper or something, actually posting about the original topic and not joining in the spammy fun. I dunno

[Mellagar]

Peanut Buttercups are too bad, as long as there's milk.

[Horatio]

I'm utterly perfect in every way, and therefore have never performed thread-derailment. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Of course, if I had, I would've tried to make my post stick at least somewhat near to the original subject.

[WillowIX]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: Yes, there's a difference between serious conversation off-topic, like in that smoking thread where communism was brought up so naturally a little aside was made about communism. Often the stuff that is tangential isn't really worth making a separate thread over either so I think it belongs in the thread it started in. And serious conversation off-topic that is just spam where someone might make a little joke and it is carried on for lots of posts after with nothing to do with the topic or even tangential. I reckon it's worse even when people who weren't participating in the original discussion add to the off-topic bits then - it's like, I couldn't add anything serious to this discussion, but I can certainly add some spam! And then non-serious conversations that go off topic - not so bad. And it depends whether the originator of the thread is participating, or comes back after starting a serious thread and finds it all spammed up, or whether the off-topic stuff is coming in when the discussion was pretty much wound up anyway. I DON'T like the threaded system though! Ugh! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

This is exactly what I mean. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] A witty comment, a one-liner post, can be a funny addition to a discussion. But when you suddenly find 10+ of these posts in a row at least I get the feeling the discussion is over even though it has only just begun. Threads do evolve, and even though that is "off-topic" I do not think of it as such.

Mellagar's post is a VERY good example of off-topic that is not necessary in a discussion. I can´t add anything to the topic so let's spam some. *hint* And Attalus's post is an example of threads evolving, not a very good example but still. There will always be questions outside the original topic that still is worth debating, although I fail to see how one can jump from my topic to Nazi deposit funds. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 05-10-2003, 05:31 AM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

[Kaltia]

I like spam. As for going off-topic, sometimes that can be a relief-if there's a really heated conversation, going off-topic (As long as it isn't excessive) can help cool people down.

[Horatio]

Originally posted by Kaltia: I like spam. As for going off-topic, sometimes that can be a relief-if there's a really heated conversation, going off-topic (As long as it isn't excessive) can help cool people down.

Whoa whoa whoa! Let's not turn this into a flame war! [img]tongue.gif[/img] Time to cool down...
Right, Nazi Desposit Funds....any speakers? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Kaltia]

I thought I was depositing for the National Automobile Zebra Initiastion Society, Damnit! Nobody told ME until too late!

[Ramon de Ramon y Ramon]

Please enlighten me. I have never been to any internet forum that wasn't organized in a topic-thead way. Are there other possibilities? And if so, how do they work? (You weren't referring to mailing lists, chatrooms or IM chatting, were you, Miss Jusa?). [img]smile.gif[/img]