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?
Thank god. I wouldn't want to be on your bad side, baby FAF Sister. :rofl: (Think of all the people who don't give a wit that we are cyber Sistas.)
:dedhorse:
You don't mess with family, even swim family. That's a big no-no in my book. And I don't like being stopped in the middle of a set because someone one lane over doesn't want to the set, because they are lazy. Other than that I am a peach 90% of the time ... the other 10% being in the very early AM hours ...
I'm pretty new as well...only been around since maybe December? But when I first came on here I was very discouraged with the way I was swimming and the coaching staff and team that I was/am apart of. I posted a few times on the forum and instantly felt welcomed by members. I think it was important for me to get to know some of the people I was talking with, and therefore I do enjoy a few off the topic of swimming posts here and there.That being said, even in the short time I have been a member and on the discussion forums I have noticed a change in the postings. However, I kinda feel like it comes and goes. Every few weeks or so will be an off week, and a lot of NSR will be going on...but another week all the threads are very swimming related with good information and good answers being provided. I would have to say that I was disappointed by the swimming camp thread, because that was information I was VERY interested in, and after only getting 3 topic related posts the topic quickly veered off into the unknown. I also find it disappointing when I log in (mind you I am an AVID visitor-probably visit a couple dozen times a day) and the only threads being responded too are ones that have been hyjacked and/or have nothing to do with swimming...because while I do enjoy the banter and conversations that go on that are not swimming related, in the end...I came here for swimming information.As a new person, it can be fun to sit and read the convos between other posters, but eventually it gets to a point where its just a few core members posting back and forth...and idk about others, but I get to feeling not so apart of things and hesitant to join in the banter. I see posts regarding more relevant info to swimming going unresponded too.After that long rant, I would like to just say that I don't think it would be conducive to producing a more friendly or welcoming site to remove any NSR threads or posts, because its important to see that we're all going through the same things, dealing with life, and having fun at the same time and that it doesn't need to be swimming 24/7...but at the same time, I think SR posts need to take priority, and that posters need to be concious of how much time they are spending off the topic, and how many swimming related posts are going unresponded too. I've seen quite a few good questions/threads disappear into the forums because no one had time to respond to them between all the NSR posting that was going on! I'm just as guilty but thats my 2cents
Have you noticed that alot of our best posters have disappeared? Mr. Swim Encyclopedia, Skip Thompson, is nowhere to be found. How about Terry Laughlin? Or Gull with his good medical advice? There may be other reasons why we haven't heard from them but could it be the quality of the recent postings?.
Karlene, I am really sorry you feel that mindless chit/chat banter is of little value. You know, maybe there needs to be a forum that is restrictive enough in that it only allows strict swimming threads. I do agree that sometimes the comedians here do make a left turn with humor, but I have always enjoyed it. I do know others who may not truly enjoy it, but they seem to be patient souls and let people be people.
The reason why I quoted the portion of your reply is this: I thought I was one of the best posters because I am pretty technical lots of times. Now I know I am not the cream of the crop (joke Karlene).
I am truly glad there has been a discussion about this and what we have found out is we are a versatile, mixed group who love the same sport!! And I have a suggestion: for those who are serious swimmers who want serious discussions, lighten up, and for those who are comedians and can get off on a tangent, keep our serious swimming friends in mind and don't go bonkers with off-subject tangents for too long. I think we all can police ourselves pretty well.
Oh, and I did like what Jim wrote, too.
Donna
alright, i guess i'll weigh in on this one.
i think if someone starts a thread, they have a right to request that the posting population keep the discussion to certain points.
maybe a rating system like:
T = technical posts only
TP = as above but prose welcome
? = please answer the question
:banana: = anything goes
NS = social thread (lunch, oscars, frank zappa)
AS = adult swim (subject matter may not suitable for all)
My present conclusion from recent history and this discussion is that there is really no way to say "uh, we're getting off topic here", no matter how polite and unoffensive you try to be, without causing offense. This is understandable, no matter how polite one tries to be there is an underlying criticism of the off topic post, and by extension of the off topic poster. I had thought it might be possible to say "I have no problem whatsoever with you or what you are saying, I would just find it easier to follow this thread of conversation if you were to conduct your thread of conversation in another thread." Even if I add that there is every possibility I will go read that other thread and enjoy it, "please go away" is likely to be read into it. In many contexts the message "we're getting off topic" falls within accepted etiquette and can therefore be said without causing offense, but I don't think that is the case here, and I don't sense general consensus that it should be accepted etiquette here. Either way you look at it there is some inconvenience, either for the poster in starting a new thread, or for the reader in skipping over off-topic posts.
So, until message board software gets more sophisticated, we are stuck with our differing views on inconvenience trade-offs, and we might as well just enjoy ourselves and get along as best we can.
I do want to reiterate that I haven't had any problem with being offended by the content of any of the posts, I'm not very sensitive about risque content. For me it's strictly a matter of making it convenient to access the swimming related content.
In any case, I have a better understanding of the dynamics now, so thanks for that.
Dave,
You and I are thinking alike; I had thought that too and suggested it; if a poster wants to hear particular things about the topic, they can ask for it in the first line; but codes aren't too bad either. My problem is, I'll probably forget to categorize mine because I truly don't care that they stay on topic.
So, I don't think we are quite back to square one because everyone is now pretty familiar with the likes/dislikes of others and probably will post and reply with thought. Much more of this and I'll HAVE to get off topic (lol).
donna
alright, i guess i'll weigh in on this one.
i think if someone starts a thread, they have a right to request that the posting population keep the discussion to certain points.
maybe a rating system like:
T = technical posts only
TP = as above but prose welcome
? = please answer the question
:banana: = anything goes
NS = social thread (lunch, oscars, frank zappa)
AS = adult swim (subject matter may not suitable for all)
Cool. I just read this thread. I like this system best! Fun for all! I think I might not read the ? thread though. Sounds almost threatening. The others sound much better.
A little late to the party, but as a relative newbie, I wanted to comment on these:
Please understand why we have the discussion forum available. First is to provide our members and friends an opportunity to learn about and discuss the sport we love. It is also a marketing tool for USMS. If your first encounter to this board was to come in wanting to know about swim camps and you opened up the thread that is currently going on, would you think the value of reading that thread was enough to draw you back? I don't have the time to waste and I doubt most would. If you view this forum as a service as well as a marketing tool, does it make sense to continue to run it if it is not fulfilling its goal.bolding mine
I said I wouldn't post here again, but I'm curious about the marketing question. I think someone posted in another thread that numerous new people have joined the discussion forum and that posts were way up. I would assume that some of these new joiners are also new to USMS? Maybe some have now registered. From reading the posts, it appears that there are a lot of people new to swimming seeking advice. So to the extent they have been recently reading and recently joined, it seems that the forum as a marketing tool is working. Even Rich just swam in his first meet and is planning more. Rich himself has probably inspired people who might not want to compete to compete. So I'm not convinced that the forum is not serving the marketing purpose just fine. But I'd be interested to know if I was wrong.
Threads like the swim camp thread were what pulled me in to USMS. I lurked a few times, but was so overwhelmed by the technical level of some of the posters I ran off with my tail between my legs. I didn't think I had anything to contribute or that I could ever get back to a level where I might have something worthwhile to contribute. It wasn't until I stuck with a few threads long enough to see them "derail" and reveal the personalities behind the posters that I thought USMS might be worth another look.
Like Venus I needed to see that there were other people like me participating in what USMS has to offer. The high level swim info isn't what keeps pulling me back (I could buy a book for that). The promise of better times, or a respectable performance at a masters meet isn't what brings me here several times each week. The thought of participating in a long term (injured hip friendly) activity with a group of fun-loving, witty, interesting people is what keeps me in the pool and on these forums. Getting to know the personalities behind the user names here is what pushed me out of my comfort zone and got me to make contact with my local USMS club. When I recommended this site to a few friends I told them it was a great place to get questions answered and that the people who participate there are interesting and fun.
As a marketing tool, I think the boards are doing just fine. The techie info is here for those who need it, and the social side is alive and well for those of us who need that.
