Oversaturation of topics

My name is URL

This isn't really a complaint or a rant against anything.. It's mainly a question that I think is important as to how a large and diverse forum like this works.

There was a thread started in CT about the Air France tragedy.

Being a forum for the discussion of unknown and theoretical explanations for many topics, is it alright for that discussion to be halted because of a discussion in a totally unrelated forum?

The topics of discussion may be the same but the context of the intended posts is different (and appropriate to the forum they're posted in).....Does this warrant a closing?

Different forums = different sentiments imo, and that's no bad thing, it's what makes diversity diverse on any message board

6th

I reason I closed it was out of respect. The reason I posted a link to the other thread was to give it some perspective. Boards is a community (or rather a collection of communities) and when a tragedy like this hits so close to home you have to give it some time.

Also part of the reason for the close was the OP of the thread, he started it giving nothing to discuss, no point was made. In the way was I would closed a thread where someone just posts a link and says nothing.

If an Admin says the CT thread should be opened then I have no problem doing just that.

My name is URL

Well I don't disagree with you about the sadness caused by such a tragedy, but you're a mod of a forum that faithfully lends itself to unsubstantiated claims which are regularly in relation to sensitive topics.

Nobody's making fun of the issue, we're merely discussing a current affair in the manner which the forum warrants it's users to post

As I said though, I understand the timing etc.. It just seems that if related discussion is allowed on other appropriate forums, that it should be allowed in this appropriate forum

Gordon

My name is URL wrote: »

Does this warrant a closing?

What do you think?

I think it should have been closed.

Rb

Given that top BA pilots have aired their theories in the media about what happened and other outlets certainly haven't held back, I cannot fathom why it cannot be discussed here. On the off chance someone knew someone in the crash?

It's tragic, of course, but that does not mean a discussion cannot be had about what could have happened. Where do we draw the line? If a famous personality suddenly turns up dead without explanation, is it unwarranted to talk about the possibilites of what could have happened them before the coroners report is released?

I certainly don't think so. This is in the public arena and it, along with theories of how it happened, are taking place in work places, homes, public transport etc throughout the world so I don't see why we should censor it on a small site like this.

My name is URL

Gordon wrote: »

What do you think?

I think it should have been closed.

And allow it in the coming days/weeks/months?

That's hypocritical to say the least mate.

If a topic is worthy of discussion, it's worthy of discussion at the time.

Gordon

My name is URL wrote: »

If a topic is worthy of discussion, it's worthy of discussion at the time.

It wasn't being discussed. Only one person brought his opinion (I'm not counting the God troll..) into the thread.

You say each forum has its own sentiments, if you don't think that is bad then you accept the different sentiment. Although I don't think the sentiment is different, I think the sentiment is out of respect.

My name is URL

Gordon wrote: »

It wasn't being discussed. Only one person brought his opinion (I'm not counting the God troll..) into the thread.

You say each forum has its own sentiments, if you don't think that is bad then you accept the different sentiment. Although I don't think the sentiment is different, I think the sentiment is out of respect.

It's being discussed in AH, a different forum with a different mindset

CT is another forum, and the people that use it have a different mindset when posting

Just because a theory on causation rather than an outpouring of grief about the outcome is being discussed, it doesn't mean that the people involved are heartless, it only means that they're using a provided forum for it's intended purpose

Rb

Gordon wrote: »

I'm not counting the God troll..

There's an interesting sliver of irony in the quoted text, although it is pathetic at best.

Black Swan

My name is URL wrote: »

Oversaturation...

I always check the ingredients of a thread before posting to ensure that it's not polyunsaturated.

bonkey

This sounds more like a discussion we should be having on Helpdesk.

bonkey

Seeing as its here though...

6th linked to a thread where posters on boards.ie knew victims of the crash.

Meanwhile, we had a thread started by someone who had never posted in CT before (according to search), expressing disbelief that the CT forum wasn't already discussing it (but offering no reason or discussion of his own).

Then we had two one-line suggestions as to what happened (albeit the one from the OP here with a URL), one that I'm not quite sure what to make of, and then one asking for evidence on one of the one-liners.

THe odds were pretty damned high that the thread would only go downhill from there.

I'd (currently) have little problem with a thread started with a theory, evidence and reasoning which wanted to discuss the crash, and I would police it stringently to ensure that it didn't get out of hand. The problem is that there's very little evidence, so right now it looks like any such thread would rely more-or-less entirely on circumstantial evidence and guesswork, which in turn would be difficult to go anywhere. There's not much discussion possible, when there's so little information to discuss.

I would predict that this is where any such thread would quickly go....into one side making guesses, and the other side pointing out that the absence of evidence means just that...that they are guesses.

Meanwhile, there are other posters and readers on boards.ie who are grieving the loss of friends, or offering condolences for same.

We've got more than enough topics to use as grounds for handbags at dawn and without evidence (or at least a well-reasoned argument) that's pretty much all such a thread would end up being. Is it so unjust to suggest that this isn't a suitable topic for more of the same?

As I said...if someone can start a serious discussion, it'll be judged on its merits. That thread, however, was not such a discussion and showed little hope of turning into one.

Jazzy

i always imagined the conspiracy theory forum was fun. seems to be just another battleground. how did that happen?

6th

Jazzy wrote: »

i always imagined the conspiracy theory forum was fun. seems to be just another battleground. how did that happen?

I always presumed soccer was a game and fun but when you get opposing sides you get fights.

My name is URL

bonkey wrote: »

THe odds were pretty damned high that the thread would only go downhill from there.

Fair enough, you're probably right.

Are threads usually closed on the off-chance of that discussion will be negative though?

I won't argue my point any further though coz I don't want to seem like a knob, it is a sensitive issue after all.

bonkey

My name is URL wrote: »

Are threads usually closed on the off-chance of that discussion will be negative though?

I don't know about "usually", but it happens from time to time.

tallaght01

I don't know what the right thing to do is. But i appreciate people trying to do the right thing.

I think CT is different. People can accept their friends died in a plane crash. It hurts, and it's really devastated the medical community in Ireland. But a plane crash makes sense, and it's a risk we take when we travel.

I imagine a CT forum theory will involve theories about gruesome endings. About murders, and pre-meditated killings. That, for a family or a friend, is likely to be much harder to deal with than an accident.

Just think about the things you would say to a member of the family. You would never voice conspiracy theories to them, especially this soon after the event. But you'd voice your condolences.

The issue about whether the fact the families might read the thread should influence how it's handled is another day's work. But, at the moment, some of my colleagues and friends over on bio+med have lost people they knew.

So, from a boards perspective, I'm not sure if it was the right move. But on a personal level, this is one of the few occasions where I'm glad to see a thread closed.

Gordon

I think everything has been covered, I'll close this off soon.

My name is URL

Ok

for what it's worth though I stand by my original point

people are guessing and speculating in this thread much the same as someone would in the CT forum

tallaght01

My name is URL wrote: »

Ok

for what it's worth though I stand by my original point

people are guessing and speculating in this thread much the same as someone would in the CT forum

On principle, I agree with you. To close a thread when grown adults have taken the time to post their thoughts is, by and larger, the height of rudeness, assuming it's nothing dangerous or overtly abusive.

But death is strange. I'm sure you know how it can all get messy. You do have to be careful, and sensitive.

I do take your point, at a completely objective level, but just not on a personal level.

My name is URL

tallaght01 wrote: »

On principle, I agree with you. To close a thread when grown adults have taken the time to post their thoughts is, by and larger, the height of rudeness, assuming it's nothing dangerous or overtly abusive.

But death is strange. I'm sure you know how it can all get messy. You do have to be careful, and sensitive.

I do take your point, at a completely objective level, but just not on a personal level.

I accept that and agree fully with you. I'd never post anything that I felt may be insensitive and don't intend for this topic to seem that way. It's unfortunate that it was this story that I used as an example of what I was trying to say in my 'admittedly drunken!' OP

There should be consistency throughout the board when it comes to issues like this, instead of allowing discussion in some fora and not on others.. it becomes a bit confusing as to whether one should post at all on a subject that may be a sensitive topic for some people, and I'm sure that alot of topics are sensitive issues for different people

AckwelFoley

If discussion is kept respectful of the tragedy i personally see no reason not to discuss it.

Gordon

My name is URL wrote: »

Ok

for what it's worth though I stand by my original point

You originally asked a question that you answered yourself.

My name is URL wrote: »

Different forums = different sentiments imo, and that's no bad thing, it's what makes diversity diverse on any message board

The consistency of diversity.

Thread has come full circle.