Off-Topic Posting

[Slave of the Beast]

I never thought that this community of all places would be so full of petty control freaks and censorship advocates.  We are supposed to stand apart from everyone else....we are the ones that 'get it', the ones that see through all the bullshit that surrounds us. 

For what it's worth I'm advocating shitposts in 'mature' forums simply get moved to NIMF. I'm not advocating infracting people for constant shitposting or derailing, i.e. the way it has been done in this community for several years.

[equanimity]

You haven't answered my question.

What?  No way

So the risks that you thought were "really" possible no longer exist, despite the mod team in question being exactly the same as it was 24 hrs ago when you made that statement.

What precisely has changed?

If micromanagement is what turns you on, we can move and edit posts 'til you get yours.  It wouldn't be my policy if I were Arnox, and it would cause a hopefully small amount of strife.  But it's his website, and we're plenty capable of moving posts around if that becomes our job around here.

Obbe I accidentally deleted my reply to you, but it was something about fostering a sense of community and not being too worried about what the other posters are up to.  Chill out, be awesome.  Don't waste your time keeping a watchful eye on your neighbors and petitioning city council to outlaw whatever it is they're doing when that energy could be better spent doing something productive and creative.

[starvingniglet]

a post like this:

.........................

could be thrown in NIMF

but what if the intent of the post was to denote that the poster was waiting for an answer, or pausing and trying to emphasize that for effect?

a post like this:

 

could be thrown in NIMF

but since we don't have thanks, what other way is there to express approval of another persons post without having anything else to add to the conversation?

a post like this:

"fuck you, <user>!

could be thrown in NIMF

but since when is expressing extreme disapproval of another poster considered 'contentless' or 'shitposting' or whatever?

I could go on, and on (believe me, I could) but the point is, sometimes posts are misinterpreted and sometimes conversational nuances are too complicated to attempt to 'regulate'. 

[-SpectraL]

Want to get rid of shitposting? Get rid of the shit posters. It's that simple.

[DaGuru]

you just can't go on, so you raise the pistol to just above eye level and put it up to your temple..

What a terrribly inaccurate analogy. It's more like a guy wandering around the woods, and suddenly stumbles upon a maimed and crippled animal after suffering whatever mortal injury. The animal is just pleading and crying to the gods themselves for attention or help....and you finally raise that pistol and put a bullet in its brain, not because you are "afraid" of it. Instead because its life serves no purpose, no use, its not a viable or productive life force any more...it's already on its death spiral, why not do the right thing?

Its like getting lung cancer, and blaming the air for it.

Another bad analogy. It more like getting scabies after going to a party and sitting on a couch. The same couch that was frequented by eccentric's Uncle Joe's latest conquest he's just been dating the last couple months. Problem being, his partner is a sickly transsexual queer infested with all sorts of communicable diseases....and if not for Uncle Joe's selfishness, and weird affinity for derelicts, now you wouldn't be itching. Do you blame the couch? Of course you don't....you blame the sickly queer, and the thoughtless oaf that brought him to the party.

[DaGuru]

a post like this:

.........................

could be thrown in NIMF

but what if the intent of the post was to denote that the poster was waiting for an answer, or pausing and trying to emphasize that for effect?

a post like this:

 

could be thrown in NIMF

but since we don't have thanks, what other way is there to express approval of another persons post without having anything else to add to the conversation?

a post like this:

"fuck you, <user>!

could be thrown in NIMF

but since when is expressing extreme disapproval of another poster considered 'contentless' or 'shitposting' or whatever?

I could go on, and on (believe me, I could) but the point is, sometimes posts are misinterpreted and sometimes conversational nuances are too complicated to attempt to 'regulate'.

Every example you just put up is utter trash and SHOULD be deemed as a "shitpost". If people don't have the attention span or intellect to actually put a couple of lines of ORIGINAL thought to the discussion...then they have zero business being in the thread or on a BBS as a whole. They need to find a chatroom, that is what "half conversations/incomplete thoughts" are for.

[Spectre]

a post like this:

.........................

could be thrown in NIMF

but what if the intent of the post was to denote that the poster was waiting for an answer, or pausing and trying to emphasize that for effect?

a post like this:

 

could be thrown in NIMF

but since we don't have thanks, what other way is there to express approval of another persons post without having anything else to add to the conversation?

a post like this:

"fuck you, <user>!

could be thrown in NIMF

but since when is expressing extreme disapproval of another poster considered 'contentless' or 'shitposting' or whatever?

I could go on, and on (believe me, I could) but the point is, sometimes posts are misinterpreted and sometimes conversational nuances are too complicated to attempt to 'regulate'.

I get where you're coming from but there is a reason the site and sites like it are broken up into sections and sub forums if you want to say fuck you user go to bitch and moan there is no problem with that

however there are posts in places like network insecurity bad ideas back yard ballistics weapons & combat that are just about information and should be kept that way so people can easily access and read the information there

if people just post shit all over the place with no semblance of organization why even have sections. Every one should be allowed to post whatever they want just take it to the right place to post it is all so threads can stay on point about what people set out to discuss.

also I know I personally am fine with the thumbs up since it's about equivalent to a thanks or this post I don't think anyone is against those posts.

and at this point it should be painfully clear that trying to have discourse with equanimity is ridiculously hopeless SOTB

[-SpectraL]

I call them them ICQ-Chat-Lite crowd. Lost little fuckups who should actually be in IRC or some such. They like to think that posting a three-word shitdrop ten thousand times over several years is somehow helping anything as far as the purpose of a discussion-based BBS. I'd send the little fuckers packing to MSN.

[starvingniglet]

Want to get rid of shitposting? Get rid of the shit posters. It's that simple.

Or, you know, maybe a less extreme solution like using the ignore feature. 

If you read some of the exchanges I had with obbe recently, I noted that many times, just asking everyone in the thread 'can we get back on topic?' works at least temporarily to get the discussion going again.  If someone is repeatedly derailing the thread, just ignore them.  If they end up having something to say later that adds to the conversation, and no one reads it because everyone has them on ignore, well that is just too bad. 

That, as well as the disdain shown towards immature, derailing users by a sizeable portion of the users  (need I mention tacho aka 'train'?), pretty much keeps everyone in line without moderators having to hover over everyone's conversations like a hawk, waiting for someone to post some one-liner or someone to report a post for them to delete.

[DaGuru]

and at this point it should be painfully clear that trying to have discourse with equanimity is ridiculously hopeless SOTB

Absolutely this! Its like a bunch of mob boss godfathers sitting around trying to sort out issues and the world....and then suddenly a door pops open and in comes some stupid fairy skipping around dropping flower petals all over the place while singing the theme song to "Sound of Music". Zek really has no purpose, relevance or use here...when the fuck is Arnox going to finally get the bigger picture?

[starvingniglet]

if people just post shit all over the place with no semblance of organization why even have sections. Every one should be allowed to post whatever they want just take it to the right place to post it is all so threads can stay on point about what people set out to discuss.

also I know I personally am fine with the thumbs up since it's about equivalent to a thanks or this post I don't think anyone is against those posts.

So, no one should post 'shit' all over the place, but  is ok?

what else is ok?  smileys?  what else? 

where do we draw the line?  who decides that sort of thing?

individual moderators, based on how they feel about the user in question or their mood that particular day?

nah, I don't like it.  Don't like it one bit.

[starvingniglet]

a bunch of mob boss godfathers

More like a bunch of petty criminals, sexual degenerates, fedora enthusiasts, and dope fiends

[Spectre]

if people just post shit all over the place with no semblance of organization why even have sections. Every one should be allowed to post whatever they want just take it to the right place to post it is all so threads can stay on point about what people set out to discuss.

also I know I personally am fine with the thumbs up since it's about equivalent to a thanks or this post I don't think anyone is against those posts.

So, no one should post 'shit' all over the place, but  is ok?

what else is ok?  smileys?  what else? 

where do we draw the line?  who decides that sort of thing?

individual moderators, based on how they feel about the user in question or their mood that particular day?

nah, I don't like it.  Don't like it one bit.

I assumed you meant someone posting a in a thread where they would have other wise thanked or agreed with the poster I am not saying posting smileys everywhere would be a good practice

Again I am only talking about threads with a very clearly defined informational topic such as diagrams and research I'm not necessarily talking about a thread with an open question in it that can be interpreted multiple ways

like I said before I'm of the mind where you want to post smileys there's a place for that it just isn't in a thread about network security firearms or explosives

it's very clear about what should be posted where hence the descriptions on the forums if you think W&C is the place to talk about how much you love chocolate you're in the wrong fucking place no one is saying you can't talk about chocolate just do it where you'll find people looking for that conversation

[Spectre]

Also moderators actually being able to MODERATE a discussion should be chosen because they are capable of making well thought out judgement calls specifically about this if you think they can't maybe it's cause they shouldn't be a moderator

[Jedi Moped]

What we need is a book of excuses which anyone can simply draw from when the feeling hits. It could have a Table of Contents, an Index, even a prologue and special section at the end for credits, contributions and commendations. We could label the sections by a number/letter arrangement. ie: 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, and even add excuse sub-sections, such as 1b article 7. That way, any time someone needs a convenient duck and dive, or wishes to cite a duck and dive, they can simply refer to the section/sub-section/article. ie: please refer to Duck and Dive 73m article 109, paragraph 13, etc, etc, etc...

Thats the way you have always operated. So why not just share the manual you wrote?

You again!??

*pulls out drawing board*

Not again, still you faggart.