Threads: Flowing Conversations?

[Cognitive Gear]

I've seen a few complaints about this recently, and it got me curious as to what people think a thread should be. I've always been of the opinion that threads will naturally flow around the topic, while also talking about related ones. It has recently become clear to me that some people create threads with very specific intentions, though. So:

Should a thread be allowed to move and flow wherever it may?

Or

Should a thread stick very closely to the intentions of the original poster?

Or

Something else (please explain).

[Yuki-Anne]

I think natural flow is best. We all have such different opinions and ideas about topics that it seems like sheer tyranny to lock a thread into one incredibly specific box. Strong restrictions do a boring thread make.

[Nate]

This thread reminds me of a holiday i spent with my family in Springfield back in ’53. The holiday was Broom Tuesday and the whole town celebrated with a marathon game of checkers, which in those days were called buckets.

My opponent was about to trounce my last bucket when I distracted him by pointing out the embiggening line up over at the kissing booth, which is what we called port-o-potties back then. As he turned his head I pulled the old switcharoo on him. A switcheroo was what we called hats back in those days and I had squirrelled 3 extra buckets in my switcheroo for just this kind of situation. I quickly dropped those buckets into strategic places all over board, and as he turned back around to complain about his tiny bladder I crowed ‘Swedish Pants’ which was the popular term for ‘check mate’. Which brings me back to my original point.

[Yuki-Anne]

See, what'd I tell you? This thread is not boring at all.

[TopazRaven]

I agree with Yuki-Anne, go with the flow. It annoys me to no end when people complain that the thread is getting off topic. There is still plenty of interesting conversation going on that still ties into the original thread to begin with so why does it matter? I'm obviously not a people person...I get annoyed so easily.

[blkmage]

If a thread cannot flow naturally while staying within the intentions of the original poster, then the original poster made a bad thread.

[Tsukuyomi]

Yay multiple voting

Should a thread be allowed to move and flow wherever it may?

My honest opinion is that I think there's nothign wrong with going with the flow. Sometimes, a topic does go a little off course (or something relating to it), but I also think it should go back to the original starter ^^ If everyone goes too off topic, it becomes a totally new topic.. Or, something close to a new topic ^_^

Should a thread stick very closely to the intentions of the original poster?

This should depend on the OP really ^_^ At times, the OP has a specific question and that will never be answered if others are talking about something else ^^

Something else (please explain).

Pherhaps a compromise ^_^? Not sure what that may be, but I'll get back to you on this one lol

Any suggestions would be welcomed ^_^

[Rusty Claymore]

I think threads should flow, but not be derailled intentionally. If the original point was hashed out satisfactorily, then flow keeps it alive.

[Furen]

If a thread cannot flow naturally while staying within the intentions of the original poster, then the original poster made a bad thread.

[SIZE="1"]Agreed[/SIZE]
100%
22%
22%
Weird, it's like it adds up to 12*12...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

If a thread cannot flow naturally while staying within the intentions of the original poster, then the original poster made a bad thread.

Do you feel that this maybe puts other posters to less accountability?

[ABlipinTime]

[SIZE="1"]Agreed[/SIZE]
100%
22%
22%
Weird, it's like it adds up to 12*12...

Hahaha
Sorry I had to spoil that.


Flow can be good if you're trying to demonstrate a point, but I think it's good to finish making the point, ending the tangent and getting back on the original topic. I don't want to go to a thread named "Anime Convention" and find people exchanging recipes. I can see how it'd be related, but the tangent shouldn't make others feel like their talking out-of-place if they decide to post on the original topic in the middle of a conversation about dark-chocolate cake. Am I making anyone hungry yet? jk

[shooraijin]

The only things I ask as a moderator is that, whatever the discussion is, it should be earnest, serious and civil, and that if I or another mod stipulate that the discussion should or shouldn't go in a certain direction, that it be followed.

Otherwise, I find threads very organic things and topics similarly fluid. I'm not too interested in pursuing strict topicality except as a means to keeping a thread out of hot territory.

[Okami]

The only things I ask as a moderator is that, whatever the discussion is, it should be earnest, serious and civil, and that if I or another mod stipulate that the discussion should or shouldn't go in a certain direction, that it be followed.

Otherwise, I find threads very organic things and topics similarly fluid. I'm not too interested in pursuing strict topicality except as a means to keeping a thread out of hot territory.

On the board I moderate, I tend to follow the same sort of guidelines. It sort of carries over as a member here, that I look at the flow of a conversation and watch it take its place. (I'll often find myself lurking in certain threads, not that I don't have anything to say or that I can't keep up, but because I'm so interested in what others have to say about the topic at hand!)