There is nothing that wrecks a good swimming related thread faster than getting into a discussion about message board etiquette. So here is a thread that people can use discuss topics related to what should and should not be posted on the message boards while allowing the other threads to stay on topic.
It seems to me that there is a spectrum of opinion on off-topic posting. On one end of the spectrum people think that threads are a mechanism specifically designed to allow people to carry on discussions on different topics and that we would all be well served if changes in topic were just done in new threads. On the other end of the spectrum people think that people should be able to post anything they want anywhere they want and that any suggestion to the contrary is censorship, a personal attack, or simply control freakish.
Pretty much everyone falls somewhere between these two extremes. Very few people object to a humorous quip inserted here and there in an otherwise serious discussion. Very few people would actually advocate that people be able to liberally sprinkle potentially offensive posts randomly through all the threads.
Have you ever been at a party where someone has decided that this is the right time and place to have a big argument or screaming match with someone? Has it ever contributed to the general enjoyment of the rest of the people there?
I would argue that posts that are essentially expressions of anger and/or are essentially personal attacks have no place on the board. They don't contribute anything positive and generally turn off 99% of the people reading the boards. Even if it seems that someone else has attacked you, does it really help anything to post an angry response?
I personally don't see the problem with starting a new thread when one wants to make an off-topic comment, a little cut and paste and/or a link makes it easy enough to carry the context into the new thread. Why is it essential to be able to carry on an unrelated discussion in a thread where some people are trying to carry on a discussion on a particular topic?
Parents
Former Member
Please don't go away sweetgirl. Its kind of ironic that the ones that claim we are driving away newbies with our occassional NSR banter are now driving away a new super sweet poster? Didn't you guys read Fortress and Beths comments that the insults and name calling are far more likely to drive away new posters than the comedy? Why all the insulting remarks then?....Everyone was more than willing to make consessions....Rich and I (and others) have already promised to try and stay more on topic and cut down on some of the silly banter....Isn't that what you guys wanted? So why the continual insults?....I have to say that I am awfully suspicious too about all these brand new posters coming out of the woodwork in support of Geek and some of the others (like Matt)....and they all seem to want to hurl lard balls??....Very suspicious to me any way.....And Lindsay never said the forums degenerated into a chat room for some attention seekers....Lindsay is waaaaay to civil to say something like that. We may not all agree with all of Lindsay's viewpoints....but everyone here has tried to aknowledge his attempts to rectify the foruum problems and thank him for it.
Newmastersswimmer
Please don't go away sweetgirl. Its kind of ironic that the ones that claim we are driving away newbies with our occassional NSR banter are now driving away a new super sweet poster? Didn't you guys read Fortress and Beths comments that the insults and name calling are far more likely to drive away new posters than the comedy? Why all the insulting remarks then?....Everyone was more than willing to make consessions....Rich and I (and others) have already promised to try and stay more on topic and cut down on some of the silly banter....Isn't that what you guys wanted? So why the continual insults?....I have to say that I am awfully suspicious too about all these brand new posters coming out of the woodwork in support of Geek and some of the others (like Matt)....and they all seem to want to hurl lard balls??....Very suspicious to me any way.....And Lindsay never said the forums degenerated into a chat room for some attention seekers....Lindsay is waaaaay to civil to say something like that. We may not all agree with all of Lindsay's viewpoints....but everyone here has tried to aknowledge his attempts to rectify the foruum problems and thank him for it.
Newmastersswimmer
