Ken Brunt said:
That’s where I find the “Mark as Read” button comes in handy. Annoying people, annoying subjects, uninteresting stuff, the “button” avoids all that…and with some people I use it alot…let’s me be my own “moderator” on here…
Ah ha… That’s why Ken never replies to my entries…
““Mark as read”” me, again, ken… 
Yep you guys get it…
There is no off topic forum, so it gets dumped in general.
Don’t most of you remember the “off topic” experiment here? It failed, but I wish it was back, so I could ignore the forum completely.
I think there is a “home” for stuff that has nothing to do with trains, and wish it was separate.
Most of you that are looking at the spirit and the subject agree, let the subject reflect the contents. Those of you who just want to give me a hard time, even if you understand, you’re going to throw it back and exaggerate it into me trying to take control or censor or something bad.
(Yes Steve, if you REALLY don’t understand my subject and first post you are dense, but I KNOW you are not. )
Greg
I would be all for the off topic section again. I would even go as far as having it anything goes. For the sensitive people they should stay out of it. If feelings are hurt then a hurt feelings report can be filled out and sent to me so I can use it for starting my fires.
Sorry but society has become way to sensitive and im sooooooo sick of it.
Andy Clarke said:
Ken Brunt said:
That’s where I find the “Mark as Read” button comes in handy. Annoying people, annoying subjects, uninteresting stuff, the “button” avoids all that…and with some people I use it alot…let’s me be my own “moderator” on here…
Ah ha… That’s why Ken never replies to my entries…
““Mark as read”” me, again, ken…
OK, consider it done…
Shawn (the CAD) Viggiano said:
I would be all for the off topic section again. I would even go as far as having it anything goes. For the sensitive people they should stay out of it. If feelings are hurt then a hurt feelings report can be filled out and sent to me so I can use it for starting my fires.
Sorry but society has become way to sensitive and im sooooooo sick of it.
In the military, that’s referred to as your "Tough S**T card, and you take to the chaplain to get it punched…
Steve Featherkile said:
Well, call me dense, then, but I still don’t know what Greg wants an opinion on, nor do I know on what subject he is seeking a consensus, since he still hasn’t asked. He has hinted, but that is all.
I see no reason to change the way we interact with each other, simply to satisfy Greg’s engineering mind. I find the the thread drifts entertaining, and frequently educating. I understand that Greg’s, and other’s minds are linear, and the drifting can be frustrating to them, but I don’t think that the majority of the folks here have linear minds, and would find what Greg is proposing very stultifying. As far as a thread title, its function is to generate interest, like a newspaper headline, not necessarily to disclose the subject matter of the thread. If it does disclose that, so much the better, but it is not necessary.
I am the Administrator of a website (NautilusSubmarine.com) and this subject comes up from time-to-time. The consensus is that most members are fine with the darting off topics and “fun” posts - as long as there is enough specific discussions to keep the forums interesting to the people who seem to have no interest in anything other than the narrow central topics.
Most of the members over there have a wide eclectic set of interests that cover other topics, so the divergences are welcome. Some prefer to only join in when they see a topic that they feel is germane to the main theme. I am of the “anything goes within reason” camp.
I think this website is very well balanced as far a posts are concerned. Of course, there will always be people who gripe when anyone is having fun, or going off topic. The thought police, so to speak …
Up scope for a quick lookaround, rig for deep! Take her to — feet, rig for red, report all leaks!
Mac Man TM2(SS) 1969!!
Shawn, I agree, have an off topic forum where funny videos and shut up rooster threads are just fine, no rules.
By the way I would LOVE to have a high resolution copy of that form, I could use it at work!
Sometimes my job seems to be head babysitter, not running the company.
Greg
We had an off topic forum once. It did not go well, if you remember. It became a free fire zone. I don’t think that Bob will be willing to go there again. Nonstarter.
Greg Elmassian said:
Shawn, I agree, have an off topic forum where funny videos and shut up rooster threads are just fine, no rules.
…
Oh, in that case I have a suggestion; put it way at the bottom as a new section after “Website”. Just above “Ads by Google”.
Something to think about:
Now those posts are in the General Discussion forum.
So I would entreat Bob to re-establish it. At least they would be in one spot, and ones started in other forums could be moved.
We already know there is a forum called Purgatory where bad threads go to become invisible.
Greg
Steve Featherkile said:
We had an off topic forum once. It did not go well, if you remember. It became a free fire zone. I don’t think that Bob will be willing to go there again. Nonstarter.
Greg Elmassian said:
Also in the “request” category, please never make a post shorter than your signature.
This is (I think) a bit clever… clearly one-liners are useless other than seeing your name in print, and long signatures with your breakfast plans a year in advance, and 3 lines to put up one link, quoting someone famous about simplicity and your signature is almost 2 inches high on the screen…
Greg
Taking shots at people’s signatures does not seem, to me, to fall under the realm of asking for opinions or building a consensus.
Clearly, asking for opinions, and fishing for those that agree with you, are not one and the same.
Time will tell which you are doing. As I’d say the majority of replies have spoken in favor of “friendly banter” and “one liners”.
There, you have your consensus
Ralph
I’ll bet dollars to dimes that the OP’s frustrations are due to mobile devices…
Those of us using larger devices don’t have that aggravation.
My feeling… tough luck, you made your choice.
Happy Holidaze
David Maynard said:
Seriously, between what you are saying, and thread derailments for personal conversations, that are in no way related to the subject, like “hey are you coming to the…?” the content has been watered down.
But, since this is Bob’s baby, maybe he should be the one to do the spanking.
Now well down the second page here but I believe the above post by David sums it up quite adeptly.
Good point John.
Alan, so we cannot comment on what we like/want? No spanking was called for, just asking a question and by way of asking, I guess giving an opinion.
More asking the question, what does everyone else think. If you ask the question “can we do without this stuff”, I guess that sort of implies an opinion.
If I had said “hey I like one liners, and huge signature blocks and subjects that have no information”, what do you think? … well I think I would still be accused of expressing my opinion, because no one would take the comment seriously… then I would be further accused of a hypocritical remark, etc.
The thinking people who are objective will think.
Those who think I am the borg and trying to assimilate them, will continue to believe so.
Greg
Alas. Too much to ask. We all like topic titles that indicate the subject, but we often don’t make them.
Guilty.
You mean you’re not? Here, I’ll assimilate you. Now, isn’t that better?
Greg try this for the report. If it doesn’t work just google hurt feeling report. It will come up that way. http://www.redonkulas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DA-FORM-IMTWF1.pdf
Steve Featherkile said:
We had an off topic forum once. It did not go well, if you remember. It became a free fire zone. I don’t think that Bob will be willing to go there again. Nonstarter.
I say let it become a firing zone. If someone cant handle it then they should not be going into that thread or forum. It amazes me that people would bug Bob about something that was written. I would never in a million years do such a thing. If I dont like what I hear i fight back or just laugh. As I always say suck it up buttercup.
I’m with Shawn. If you can’t handle the heat or it does not float your boat then just bypass it or ‘mark as read’. Simple. No need to whine and snivel. So the thread gets derailed, big deal, so what, life is too short to get your panties in a knot. As always…MHO.
Seems like the off topic conversations are the one that get the most attention. Just like this one (has zero to do with trains) and who cares how long a signature is. Greg yours is one of the bigger ones on here and I am glad cuz I clicked on your link and looked around.
I agree a consensus has been reached the majority like it the way it is. Dead thread. And because it s so easy to navigate the site I am free never click on it again.
