Well I have ready solution for controlling the 'off topic' messages.

Give a link 'Off topic' at bottom of each message, beside 'Report to moderator', which will notify the moderator, who will check and make the message 'yellowish' or something, so that everyone knows it from the rest. Just like inserted ads in search results.

Then ones who do not like it will skip it or give it a glance. It will also make the poster of the message to be more on the topic next time.

Regards,

Anand

And who will make such a determination? Sounds like this would make it very subjective as well as exclusionary.

I vote    on this one!

Thanks!

Jim

Well I have ready solution for controlling the 'off topic' messages.

Give a link 'Off topic' at bottom of each message, beside 'Report to moderator', which will notify the moderator, who will check and make the message 'yellowish' or something, so that everyone knows it from the rest. Just like inserted ads in search results.

Then ones who do not like it will skip it or give it a glance. It will also make the poster of the message to be more on the topic next time.

Regards,

Anand

Not really a great idea... Extra work for the site admin? Nope.

What *could* work is a vote up/down button with a threshold below which the post becomes hidden and you need to click it for it to become visible again, just like the spoiler tags.

That system is in place in other forums/BBs elsewhere, and it seems to work well.

But more work for the admins? Nah. The community is generally the best at policing itself.

Yeah i don't think we need any new systems or rules or voting, we just need to ask everyone to be mindful of not dragging threads off topic, and to try to mindful of how their posts might appear to new visitors, since a forum like ours needs a healthy number of new participants on a regular basis to keep things fresh and interesting.

I suppose if you want to be vicious you could enable SMF Karma 

That will cause nothing but problems IMHO, seen it happen on too many forums

Quote from: Stephen66515 on March 16, 2012, 06:16 PM

Quote from: Carol Haynes on March 16, 2012, 05:12 PM

I suppose if you want to be vicious you could enable SMF Karma 

That will cause nothing but problems IMHO, seen it happen on too many forums

+1

I've stopped going to two sites I used to like because of what happened once they implemented Karma.

I'll probably stop coming here too if Karma ever shows up.

I won't stop coming, but it will certainly stop me from wanting to post.

I've noticed this change or shift in attitude also, and not just in this forum.  I can't explain it, i've asked others about it, i don't get it.  There does seem to have been a change in mood or attitude or something in the last couple of years.  The only thing i can really trace it to is the economy stuff that started in 2008.  Maybe it cracked people out of their happy-go-lucky shells.  I know I've changed a whole bunch since then, but I also entered my 30s around the same time, so some people tell me it's my pre-mid-life crisis.

So yeah, I've noticed a change.  i just don't know if it's a personal change that has painted what I see with my own eyes differently, or if it's an external change that is independent of me.  Maybe the Mayans were right!  Nobody has real basements in LA, what's up with that?

Quote from: superboyac on March 16, 2012, 08:42 PM

I've noticed this change or shift in attitude also, and not just in this forum.  I can't explain it, i've asked others about it, i don't get it.  There does seem to have been a change in mood or attitude or something in the last couple of years.

I'm seeing a lot more anger most places I'm looking.

People seem to get angry much more easily than they used to, and stay angry a lot longer once they do.

This, definitely.  And people seem to have less tolerance for dissenting opinions, or even discussion of those positions.

I like a good debate of positions.  But have been getting less of that, because at the end, it seems that there is more anger at than appreciation of differences.  Sad.

Quote from: 40hz on March 16, 2012, 09:18 PM

Quote from: superboyac on March 16, 2012, 08:42 PM

I've noticed this change or shift in attitude also, and not just in this forum.  I can't explain it, i've asked others about it, i don't get it.  There does seem to have been a change in mood or attitude or something in the last couple of years.

I'm seeing a lot more anger most places I'm looking.

People seem to get angry much more easily than they used to, and stay angry a lot longer once they do.

This, definitely.  And people seem to have less tolerance for dissenting opinions, or even discussion of those positions.

I like a good debate of positions.  But have been getting less of that, because at the end, it seems that there is more anger at than appreciation of differences.  Sad.

Less Tolerance? WHO HAS LESS TOLERANCE? I DON'T HAVE LESS TOLERANCE AND I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH YOU AND HATE YOU FOR YOUR OPINION AND NOW WANT TO GO OUT AND COMMIT GENOCIDE AND SHOOT MYSELF IN THE LEFT KNEECAP AND DO SOME OTHER CRAZY STUFF...



No "Economic" things could cause me to be any less random and chilled out! - Why let this shit get you down...

I think the world just needs to get its priorities in order 

Let's face it: If the topics are more volatile, then so will the opinions/posts go.

And also as the stakes go up. Because let's face it, most of these 'volatile' topics are of considerably much more importance that locking horns over the relative merits of two competing operating systems.

Despite some of the contention (and occasional acrimony) over these topics, I personally consider them some of the most important discussions ever conducted here. Because these are issues that go right to the root of what we consider are our personal freedoms and responsibilities.

I'm very impressed at how well these threads have gone despite the obvious and largely irreconcilable differences between some of us here at DC. I think the entire community deserves to take a bow for not allowing things to degenerate into out and out acrimony and name calling like it has in many places - including (in the USA at least) the halls of government.

When I was in college I was forced to take a theology course. Most of us in it didn't want to be there. One person in my class on the very first day called out the crusty old Jesuit who was teaching the course. She asked him what was the point of studying theology if you weren't a believer. She claimed to be an atheist - and wanted to know why the university was wasting it's time trying to maker her a believer.

The instructor regarded her with a friendly smile and replied: We're not out to make you anything in this class. You should feel perfectly free to remain firm in your disbelief. Just as Christians are free to remain Christians; Jews free to remain Jewish; Muslims to remain Muslims; Buddhists to remain Buddhists; and those of the Craft to go in The Lady's name.

But in this class, the one thing you will NOT be allowed to remain is an ignorant and narrow-minded sectarian.

It turned out to be a very enlightening course. When it was over, despite there being some occasional discomfort when cherished and  personal belief systems were put up for discussion and debate, we all agreed it was a worthwhile experience. Because it expanded our outlooks and clarified what was important to each of us.

I think volatile discussions at DC accomplish much the same thing as that course. You might not be able to reach consensus in a discussion. But at least you develop a broader understanding and appreciation of opposing viewpoints. And with luck, a greater clarity regarding your own.

Seriously, I can't remember so many threads here about privacy rights, including Google's, Facebook's, and other sites' privacy policy changes, the whole Occupy Wall Street movement, software and media piracy and MAFIAA, Wikileaks, all the ebook woes, fraud of various types, Lulsec/Anonymous...  Really, when has there been more of these kinds of topics before the last year and a half to two years? These threads are almost guaranteed to bring out the feistiest in DC'ers! It used to be more about Linux v. Windows v. MacOS, home theater recommendations, etc.

There has been so much happening in these areas that it's almost inevitable.

I have some very specific beliefs on why all of this is, but I don't think this is the place to bring them out. I prefer to keep most of those conversations in-person at the moment.

Despite some of the contention (and occasional acrimony) over these topics, I personally consider them some of the most important discussions ever conducted here. Because these are issues that go right to the root of what we consider are our personal freedoms and responsibilities.

I'm very impressed at how well these threads have gone despite the obvious and largely irreconcilable differences between some of us here at DC. I think the entire community deserves to take a bow for not allowing things to degenerate into out and out acrimony and name calling like it has in many places - including (in the USA at least) the halls of government.

+1

Quote from: J-Mac on March 17, 2012, 02:40 AM

Let's face it: If the topics are more volatile, then so will the opinions/posts go.

And also as the stakes go up. Because let's face it, most of these 'volatile' topics are of considerably much more importance that locking horns over the relative merits of two competing operating systems.

Despite some of the contention (and occasional acrimony) over these topics, I personally consider them some of the most important discussions ever conducted here. Because these are issues that go right to the root of what we consider are our personal freedoms and responsibilities.

Oh, I agree completely, 40hz!

I wasn't complaining about these types of topics; I was just positing that the increase (at least as I perceive) in them may be one reason that many posts have become a bit more angry-sounding. Of course that doesn't address the veering off-topic of some threads, but it might I think it does contribute to the general "heat" of a lot of posts here in the "Living Room" as of late. 

Jim

Discussion are Yummy! And we are doing well, I don't see many "stupid troll" posts.