Off topic Stuff from Mentor Thread - and discussion of staying on topic

[Boofo]

Well, you got your way now so why don't you go over there an play and let us grown-ups have some fun here?

[Ohiosweetheart]

Originally Posted by amykhar

Ohio, I am the queen of off topic antics. The original thread was cleaned up though because the original topic was totally lost in the other stuff. Sometimes, threads have to be split. I'm sure you've split a thread or two at your site if it's active at all.

Actually my site is quite active, and no, I've never split a thread. In my experience, they almost always get back on topic eventually, and I see nothing wrong with letting the posters involved with the thread let off steam and joke around a little. The ONLY time I ever close a thread is when they resort to childish name-calling, lol... that's where I draw the line :bunny:

[Lottis]

Originally Posted by amykhar

Ohio, I am the queen of off topic antics. The original thread was cleaned up though because the original topic was totally lost in the other stuff. Sometimes, threads have to be split. I'm sure you've split a thread or two at your site if it's active at all.

You closed the thread, and wrote a message. Witch you rewrited right after.
If you could write, that you are splitting the thread. And that it would be opend after you are finished? (a suggestion at least)
I cant remember in words what you wrote, but it was something like that you closed the thread because it was off topic. Not that you were splitting it!

Personally, i never close threads in my place.
And i do not split them. And i never delete anything.

[tgreer]

Originally Posted by Boofo

Well, you got your way now so why don't you go over there an play and let us grown-ups have some fun here?

Please stay on-topic . The topic of this thread is, is it okay to go off-topic? My point of view is, not in a professional, technical resource forum. For example, imagine a site administrator who is wondering if she should do anything about off-topic posts, comes here, and sees this thread? How would your quoted post benefit her? Instead of seeing a quality discussion on the topic, she'd have to wade through "lol" and childish non-sequitor insults.

[Lottis]

Originally Posted by tgreer

I know I've been negative here, but here's something to be positive about. Thank you very much, amykhar, for policing this thread. Keep up the good work. Split threads. Keep them on-topic. Delete personal attacks. Three cheers for the thread police.

Delete personal attacks?
Why not just drop the personal attacks? If you do so, the world would be a better place. inks skyes:

If this is a policy vBorg is gone drive on with, then this place has a grey future.

Originally Posted by tgreer

Please stay on-topic . The topic of this thread is, is it okay to go off-topic? My point of view is, not in a professional, technical resource forum. For example, imagine a site administrator who is wondering if she should do anything about off-topic posts, comes here, and sees this thread? How would your quoted post benefit her? Instead of seeing a quality discussion on the topic, she'd have to wade through "lol" and childish non-sequitor insults.

The titel of the thread has been changed some times no.
Its actually not so easy to know whats the next topic here is gonne be.
Who gives you the right to bee the only one the stay off topic?
The topic should be, is it alright to go calling other ones childish ore name them other things?
Pls mr,tgreer. Deside what the real topic is here.

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted by Ohiosweetheart

In my experience, they almost always get back on topic eventually, and I see nothing wrong with letting the posters involved with the thread let off steam and joke around a little. The ONLY time I ever close a thread is when they resort to childish name-calling, lol... that's where I draw the line :bunny:

Originally Posted by Lottis

Personally, i never close threads in my place.
And i do not split them. And i never delete anything.

Bravo, bravo.........I totally agree with both of ya. Life is way to short and serious to take "off topic" statement's this serious. Sometime's people need to be able to go off topic and just kind of mess around. It helps relieve stress when a person can say something and get a laugh out of it. Why oh Why do people want everything that is talked about to be so serious?
This thread had nothing to do with coding, it was just some member's lightheartedly talking about having a mentor (a mental mentor in my case) and getting some laugh's out of it.
Please please please, take a deep breath and don't let the little stuff bother ya. If a person doesn't like the way a thread is going, move on.....go to another thread. Just because it get's under your skin doesn't mean that you have to stay in the thread location, there are hundred's of other thread's that you can go be so serious within.


Now, Group hug's...........


And i am still a bit upset that i don't have a mentor........Would it be okay if i pretend i have a mentor? Or would that be off topic? Bwhahahahahahaha

[tgreer]

I'm not picking the topics, Lottis... you can see the topic by looking at the title of the thread. This one is "...discussion of staying on topic". The "mentor" discussion is a different thread. If you, I, or anyone else wants to talk about something else, we start another thread. I'm not being dogmatic, that's just how forums work.

Ok, I'm really very curious. Try, if you can, to forget any impression you may have formed about me... respond to what I'm saying, not that it's me saying it:

Does anyone see the difference between an official, corporate, technical resource site, and a general-purpose (or even niche) site that primarily exists as a self-contained community? If not - then we'll never see eye-to-eye. If so, though:

Don't you think that this site, owned by a software vendor, and used by that vendor as their official site for product customization, needs to have perhaps a different standard, in terms of thread moderation, than, as an example, a gaming clan site? A car fan forum? A general-purpose discussion group?

I use the word "professional" a lot, and I use it mainly as an antonym to "amateur". Note, I'm placing no value judgments on either term. I'm an amateur at lots of things which I enjoy immensely: publishing haibun, writing for school textbooks, playing guitar. I'm not insulted when someone calls me an amateur at any of those things, and I'm not insulting anyone who runs an amateur forum.

I'm a professional, though, at programming, and at site administration/moderation, and have been for decades (I ran some very high-traffic Compuserve Forums, pre-internet). One of the tools I use in my profession is vBulletin. When I visit either of their sites, I expect professional-level help and support for the software I've purchased.

In my opinion, part of the problem with .org is that it is not professional-grade. It's run more like a gaming clan for vb hacks. I think that needs to change, and that part of the change from an amateur hacker club to a professional software support forum, is better thread moderation.

How you run your site really isn't relevant to how this site should be run, is it?

[Ohiosweetheart]

T... this is not a professionally run site sweetie. It's a site run by volunteers, for people to offer modifications to vB and for others to come to, to get those modifications. While doing so, people "hang out", enjoy each other, talk about their sites, compare notes, pick up ideas, make friends, joke and kid around, etc.
.Org never was, isn't, and never will be, a professional site, that I can see. And truthfully, that's ok with me, and most others.

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted by tgreer

part of the problem with .org is that it is not professional-grade.

Originally Posted by tgreer

I expect professional-level help and support for the software I've purchased.

Okay, let me ask you a question: "What exactly have you purchased from Vbulletin.org?" I personally have purchased other software from "user's" of vbulletin.org for my website, but everything else i have on my site from vbulletin.org was/is absolutely free.
Now, if you go to Vbulletin.com and tell them you are having problem's with you software, what is the first thing they ask you? "Do you have any hack's on your site?" is what they ask you. If you answer yes to this, they then tell you they cannot help you and that you need to go back to the source of your hack's, and start asking question's of the hack's author, I know this for a fact.
So, if you paid for software and you EXPECT professional-grade service, then go to the site of which you paid for this service. If you go to a site that add's hack's or mod's to your site and you don't have to pay for this service, why can't people then talk about off topic subject's? Are you having a software issue that was caused by one of the hacks/mod's from vbulletin.org?
Anyways, you know the ole saying, "you get what you pay for!!!" and i seriously doubt that you paid to participate in vbulletin.org. I know Most of the hack's and mod's that i have on my site, came from vbulletin.org and were at no cost to me, which i am very thankful for.......

Hotwheels

[Lottis]

Originally Posted by tgreer

I'm not picking the topics, Lottis... you can see the topic by looking at the title of the thread. This one is "...discussion of staying on topic". The "mentor" discussion is a different thread. If you, I, or anyone else wants to talk about something else, we start another thread. I'm not being dogmatic, that's just how forums work.?

Like i said. The topic og THIS thread has been changed, 2 times at least.

Originally Posted by tgreer

Ok, I'm really very curious. Try, if you can, to forget any impression you may have formed about me... respond to what I'm saying, not that it's me saying it:

You disaids what impression other peopel gets of you, not anyone else.
And the fact is, that you already have given me a impression of your self.

Originally Posted by tgreer

Does anyone see the difference between an official, corporate, technical resource site, and a general-purpose (or even niche) site that primarily exists as a self-contained community? If not - then we'll never see eye-to-eye. If so, though:

Don't you think that this site, owned by a software vendor, and used by that vendor as their official site for product customization, needs to have perhaps a different standard, in terms of thread moderation, than, as an example, a gaming clan site? A car fan forum? A general-purpose discussion group?

I use the word "professional" a lot, and I use it mainly as an antonym to "amateur". Note, I'm placing no value judgments on either term. I'm an amateur at lots of things which I enjoy immensely: publishing haibun, writing for school textbooks, playing guitar. I'm not insulted when someone calls me an amateur at any of those things, and I'm not insulting anyone who runs an amateur forum.

I'm a professional, though, at programming, and at site administration/moderation, and have been for decades (I ran some very high-traffic Compuserve Forums, pre-internet). One of the tools I use in my profession is vBulletin. When I visit either of their sites, I expect professional-level help and support for the software I've purchased.

In my opinion, part of the problem with .org is that it is not professional-grade. It's run more like a gaming clan for vb hacks. I think that needs to change, and that part of the change from an amateur hacker club to a professional software support forum, is better thread moderation.

How you run your site really isn't relevant to how this site should be run, is it?

I give you the same answere here as Ohiosweetheart wrote;

T... this is not a professionally run site sweetie. It's a site run by volunteers, for people to offer modifications to vB and for others to come to, to get those modifications. While doing so, people "hang out", enjoy each other, talk about their sites, compare notes, pick up ideas, make friends, joke and kid around, etc.
.Org never was, isn't, and never will be, a professional site, that I can see. And truthfully, that's ok with me, and most others.

The software, witch you have purchased. Its not from vborg.