OFF Topic threads

[DaveSW]

Since we're not allowed off topic threads on weekdays, could we possibly have another new forum called the 'lounge'?

We could then keep 'off topic' threads out of the way. It would then be a place for web developers who want to relax, and enjoy themselves, like the 'echo lounge' on phpbuilder.

All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. (English Proverb)

Dave

[DaveSW]

Just had another thought: Will off topic threads locked after last weekend be reunlocked for next weekend? Otherwise there will be hundreds of short threads, all disjointed...

[khaki]

nah....

i don't think we need off-topic threads...

as if !

well...
i have at least started my threads in the General forum.

however...
I see that some people place them in the other forums :eek:
and i'm not going to point-out any particular people or any particlar thread....
but.... ummm....
well....
let's just say that it's ponderous! :)

;) k


oh.... and no...
i haven't seen it yet (this weekend. Yay! :) )... and YES... you have ruined it for me :(
(please don't tell any more about it in that thread. let everybody get a chance to see it first :) )

[web-eagle]

I do think it’s a good thing to “let your hair down” once in a while, although I will acknowledge that it shows at least some generosity that they “allowed” us to have one thread on weekends. I mean really, they could have shut it down all together.

And while nobody likes being clamped down on, I’ll bet there’s no small amount of activity showing up on the servers when several thousand people are trying to read a thread over 400 posts in length. I’m guessing that has at least a little to do with the timing. It’s certainly not for the posters’ convenience, but weekdays are BUSY days.

Anyway, if this ever becomes a democracy, I’ll vote with DaveSW. A lounge sounds like a great idea, and at least unlocking the threads for the weekends would save us from having to start all over again each Friday.

[Chopper WeeD]

A lounge would be nice, otherwise I still recommend my Idea

http://forums.webdeveloper.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=52083#post52083

[Compguy Pete]

Your more than welcome to ask for an off-topic area... However if you take a moment to look the sister sites of Vritualdr.com hardwarecentral sharkysforums.com and others you will see not many of them have an area for off topic threads.

I am only cracking down because I do not want to see the general area full of jokes while Peoples problems are pushed off the first page before they are fully helped.

[DaveSW]

We do realise there is a problem, and personally I think a new forum would go some way to reducing your own difficulties with timezones etc on this issue. Additionally it would save you having to open and close threads regularly.

If we were to create our own forum elsewhere for a lounge, it might mean some of the most helpful people spending more time over in that forum, rather than here, causing this forum to lose some of it's helpfulness to those who need it. This extreme would seem to defeat your objectives in reducing joke threads.

Personally I think a new forum would be of more benefit here than elsewhere to all concerned.

Thanks

Dave

[jdavia]

Sorry for picking the wrong person for closing the threads. I didn't know it was under your orders. I am sorry Pyro. I was 50% wrong. I now see the reason for it.
Being away for a while and hunting for the location of the continuation of the subject due to so many that were closed, confused me.

:confused: :o

[Compguy Pete]

I now see the reason for it. - Jdavia

I hope that wasn't because of the all to timely addition of my agent Smith Avitar :D

Like I said I'm all for the addition of an Off Topic area. However I've been with the company for a LONG time and it's not easy to get one added. I'm just being honest! However if there is support from the users and you make your case for it, there is the possiblity that it 'could' be considered.

[havik]

I am only cracking down because I do not want to see the general area full of jokes while Peoples problems are pushed off the first page before they are fully helped.

That's a good point because it's a possibility. I'd personally like to see a lounge area, but not at the expense of what these forums stand for.

Havik

[JackTheTripper]

Personally, I'd spend a little more time here if there was an open "lounge" area. As it is, I come here once, maybe twice a day and just zip through different forums very quickly, then leave. But if there was a lounge area I'd be back more often to check that as well as zip through some of the other forums and see what help I may be able to offer.

But it really doesn't matter much to me. I have my own forum (http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums) to babysit.

[jdavia]

Originally posted by Compguy Pete
- Jdavia

Like I said I'm all for the addition of an Off Topic area. However I've been with the company for a LONG time and it's not easy to get one added. I'm just being honest! However if there is support from the users and you make your case for it, there is the possiblity that it 'could' be considered.
Seems to me that we have an "off topic" thread right here. So Why not make it serve the purpose of it's name.
Or at least a place to continue to lobby for one.

[web-eagle]

What a crock!
A single off topic thread wouldn’t push anything off of anywhere no matter HOW active it became. Five thousand posts per day wouldn’t cause an off topic thread to take up more than a single slot on the main page. The active threads come to the top, so we might see the off topic thread among the top twenty quite often, but a handful of newbie questions with one line answers would have a MUCH bigger impact of something getting “pushed off”.

I still believe my original assertion was correct. Too much actively on the servers has the sphincter police concerned for their billable assets.

I submit that they need to consider a lounge area to be something like a “loss leader”, a retail concept of offering something for sale at or even below cost, for the purpose of getting people into the store, knowing that once they’re there, MOST people will buy something else, at a net profit for the store.

Several people have already indicated that a lounge area would increase their time spent at the site. Now let’s see if the “powers that be” are really listening.

No Joke!

[khaki]

abusive and disrespectful behavior gets the nod here.

a little human contact and off-topic fun has become a crime.

odd... but...
i get the point.

i'll try to participate regardless...
but it's become very cold in here.

for whatever that's worth.

:( k

[Compguy Pete]

how has it become cold?

I offered a solution that is the standard at other sites owned by the same company that owns this one.

If you cannot accept that I'm sorry... Untill someone above me gives permission to add one, my hands are tied. And I have done all I can do.

So don't tell me I'm the bad guy.

[khaki]

i didn't say that you were the bad guy, Pete.

all i said was that i feel that it has become cold here.
that's an opinion... so you are allowed to disagree with it ;)
(i won't stamp my feet and cry about it y'know)

and actually...
i wasn't even going to reply to this thread anymore.
probably shouldn't have (apparently).

bad guys, i can live without... but bad boys?
well... that's a different story ;)...
;) k

[jdavia]

Originally posted by Compguy Pete

Untill someone above me gives permission to add one, my hands are tied. And I have done all I can do.

Thanks for trying, never give up!
But you and we still do have a problem though. A lot of us are upset and you are the go between person. If you stop going to the top for an off topic area of some kind it will never happen. We need you to keep at them informed. Show them that you are strong and determined to please the members. or it will never get solved. This is our only way to lobby for one. There is no such thing as
"And I have done all I can do" until it is done.
Keep at it until who ever it is sees your point. If you give up and you really think you have done all you can do, then how about giving us the address to the top person that you would contact so we can lobby them directly,

A few off topic words to KHAKI,
Still in NJ. Will be here for a few months. Hello to all RWPaster's

[pyro]

There is also such a thing as nagging. They know about it, and there is no point in continually pestering the "higher ups"...

[khaki]

brrrrrrrrr.....

[web-eagle]

There’s also such a thing as “higher ups” hoping an issue will simply “blow over”. If we don’t continue expressing our desires, they have no reason to consider them. Remember that racism was illegal for decades before Rosa Parks finally got somebody’s attention.

There’s also such a thing as “customer satisfaction”. These “higher ups” aren’t running this show for their own enjoyment. Many of the links on this site have dollar signs attached to them. Every time someone clicks one of those links, a few pennies change hands. I think that gives users a little bargaining strength. Obviously it’s possible to over play that advan

You know what? I was just typing my response, and it occurred to me that I really don’t care. I’ve got businesses to run, and they don’t involve taking crap. That’s why I quit the J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) world.

I come here to have a little fun, learn something, and maybe help some other folks. I don’t know how to talk without getting “over wordy”, and I don’t enjoy communicating with someone who doesn’t think humor is the essence of life.

I’d love to ask DaveSW about Wales. I’ve been to Scotland, and it’s a beautiful land. We mostly stayed around Edinburgh and Hamilton. (Went to the Military Tattoo as it happened on the same night that Sean Connery was visiting. I got within about 50 feet of him.) Would love to know how Wales is the same or different from Scotland.
Always wanted to visit Autralia, too. I guess it’s not allowed for me to ask Chopper if it’s really true that there’s nothing between the two coasts but desert.
Oh, rats, I guess I’m already off topic.

I enjoyed (apparently past tense) sparring with khaki, or teasing Jona, or even debating with Code One, and at least starting the frame work for a tenuous camaraderie online.
I’m not an expert in JS, or CSS, W3, or any of the esoteric minutia that has littered the ether, but I have managed to find a handful of questions that I can answer, a couple souls who appreciated my input. That’s rewarding.
If a little knowledge is all that’s available, I can go buy a book.

If my "expertise" isn’t needed and my humor isn’t wanted, hmm….


JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT!
WARNING: The next few lines contain material that may be inappropriate for small minds with tight budgets

Q: You know why the chicken crossed the road?
A: To prove to the ‘possum that it COULD be done!

JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT! JOKE ALERT!

[khaki]

Originally posted by web-eagle
I don’t know how to talk without getting “over wordy”... now that you mention it...
yeah... that's true.

I never noticed that before ;)
(and don't forget: nobody likes a we-beagle that won't stop barking ;) )
ya just gotta learn to keep it pithy... like me :)

but quite seriously...

there seems to be as much animosity and hatred, as there is friendship and humor in this forum.

the only difference is that the animosity and hatred is allowed to continue... while the other is banned.

i jump into threads all the time to try to diffuse situations that are getting (or have gotten) out of hand.

and yet if i stray off-course with off-topic conversation or humor...
i find myself looking over my shoulder waiting to be reprimanded.

if this is meant to be a "community"...
then it requires that we find the right balance for interacting with each other.

if it's just supposed to be a place for questions and answers (minus any personality)...
then.... yuck
(and especially if there is going to be so much arguing :( )

i'm still participating here.
and i've still posted some attempts to help.
the "concept" of this site is great!!!

but my "circle" of friends (my buddy list) has been very dim recently.
and the level of bickering has not diminished...
although the level of fun has been drained.

i do my best to be both helpful AND fun.
but it's no fun when you are constantly looking over your shoulder and can't find a friendly face that will accept you for who you are (even if it means that you are off-topic :eek: )

unfortunately... i'm feeling very off-balance lately.

well... this is just my opinion and my feelings on the subject.
i'm not trying to make anybody feel bad or look bad or anything.
i'm just saying what i feel.

i don't mind if anyone responds to disagree with me...
but please keep in mind that this is how I feel....
so if you think that I am wrong...
we will just have to agree to disagree.
i'm really not looking for a fight.

bird xing...
:( k

[AdamBrill]

You guys need to lighten up a little... They asked you to stay on-topic, not to never have any more fun for the rest of your life. ;) Look at it this way: So far, 10 people have voted for a lounge... There are over 7,500 registered users. That isn't exactly a big majority... :D

[JackTheTripper]

Bickering? This is the only topic I've seen on this. Granted I don't see or know all, but bickering? :confused:

The way I see it, the customer is asking for something they want that would not affect the customers who do not want it and in fact even solve a problem that you currently have... Rouge threads. But if there was a forum clearly labeled "This is for off topic threads. If it doesn't belong anywhere else, put it here." there is a better chance of keeping the boards clean.

[jdavia]

I have an idea!
Suppose we browse all the topics and try to solve as many problems as posible. While doing so ask the person to help us in return to vote for an off topic thread.
We might rally enough votes to wake up the management to grant it.

[Compguy Pete]

There are 40+ forums owned by Jupitermedia I have found a small handful of these forums that have an off-topic area. Less than I can count on one hand.

vritualdr.com has 65,604 members to it's forum, it does NOT have an off topic area. However what I started there with the friday thread has become a huge success. Well over 2 years without another issue. Sure other requests have been made but flat out turned down.

None of you have even tried to use my suggestion! SO that wasn't good enough I take it... Here is the link for those that have forgotten it... http://forums.webdeveloper.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9968

SO to me all I hear is a very tiny minority trying to see if they have any weight. I've been running forums to long to be pushed around.

So where does this leave us????

Well Like it or leave it for now... The site is not any less friendly as it was when it was started. This thread is closed now... If you have an issue with me either add me to your IM program or send me a private message. From reading the posts that have been made here I doubt they will impress the people that I answer too.

I highly suggest you look at this example of what is possible... The firday night thread is called the "Mach2 Show" as it has been since it was started. I appointed him. Perhaps someone would like to nominate someone hear to run the weekly thread...

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20559&highlight=mach2+show