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

[Lottis]

Ohh, i already started a new one. :mumbel:

[Ohiosweetheart]

LOL @ Lottis

[Lottis]

Originally Posted by Ohiosweetheart

LOL @ Lottis

Im getting confused.

[tgreer]

Originally Posted by Ohiosweetheart

WOW... tgreer you really DO need to lighten up hun. It's not your place to tell people where to post, nor what to post. If you want to jump on Boofo for lightening up the thread, then you better jump me too, since I was playing as well. And I shall continue to do so

Agreed. It's not my place. It is, however, the place of a moderator to do exactly that. I merely stated my agreement with the administrator's post to "get back on topic". My complaint was that so many threads go off-topic here that it is nearly impossible to follow-through on anything. The original thread didn't need any "lightening up". It was a good thread that was immediately hijacked into off-topic nonsense. That seems to be the norm with all "Site Feedback" threads. Someone has a legitimate idea or complaint, and rather than addressing and discussing it, we get either 1) pages of one-liners or 2) personal attacks.

I mean, the vBulletin software we all know and love has moderation features for a reason, and we all have moderators on our sites. At least on the sites I moderate, the site owner didn't tell me "whenever there's a serious post, a negative criticism, or a post that goes off-topic, your job is to jump in there and act silly!".

I don't want the power to tell people where or what to post. I do want the staff here to exercise that power when necessary, rather than being part of the problem. Amykhar and I definitely do not see eye-to-eye on some things (such as the private Coders' Forum), but I applaud the way she stepped in and split this thread up. Better late than never!

Play all you want... I just hope that when you do, and the playing is off-topic or disruptive to the thread, that a moderator will quickly correct the situation.

[Ohiosweetheart]

no doubt Lottis. Now we have thread police. Don't you dare have any fun, or do any kidding around or teasing on these threads, because sure enough, it'll be either deleted or the thread will be closed and the "silliness" split off to another thread.

I stated in another thread today that I was in support of the staff here 100%, but after seeing the BS happening in the past hour or so, that support has diminished greatly.

Like noppid said in the closed thread... it's no wonder that staff here is fleeing. Add to that, the fact that y'all just lost noppid, one of the best coders, mentors, helpers you have... and I see not such a good future for .org

sad

[tgreer]

Man, you and I are diametrically opposed on this one. And you know it isn't personal, since we get along great on the other site. There is a lot wrong here, I'll agree. The site is disorganized, the best coders discussion can't be seen by everyone, there is a "hacker club" mentality, etc.

The one positive thing I've seen recently, which gives me hope for the site, is that the staff is finally, actually, doing thread moderation!

What's wrong with thread police?? I'd much rather have good thread police than the anarchy that's been the norm.

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.

[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.

[hotwheels]

well damnit........I don't want to stay on topic, i hate that.........I also don't have a mentor now.......aughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[tgreer]

"I'm sure you've split threads..." All the time. Actually, I don't let them get off-topic in the first place. I'm ruthless .

It can be tough (note, I'm trying to stay on the "off-topic" topic), since on one hand casual conversation between members does help build the community feel. On the other hand, it makes it very frustrating for new members, or potential new members who find a topic through a web search. They end up wading through pages of humor they don't understand from people they don't know, when all they really want is information the thread is supposed to contain. Sloppy and unprofessional.

My philosophy has always been to keep threads high-value and on-topic, and to keep the humor and casual conversation in a "lounge" area.

[Ohiosweetheart]

Originally Posted by hotwheels

well damnit........I don't want to stay on topic, i hate that.........I also don't have a mentor now.......aughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

lol....