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After Hours 'Off-Topic' Thread
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19-04-2010 2:16pm#1I feel, and hopefully others will too, that it's about time After Hours had it's own 'Off-topic' thread.
I purpose ..
Loads of forums have them, those forum's threads fare far better for it as it keeps the threads on topic.
The Gentlemen's Club: 'Brandy & Cigars'
Ladies Lounge: Nanger's Bar
UCC: 'Off-Topic Thread'
Fitness: Squats The Story
Sports: 'A/R/T' Off-Topic Thread
Soccer: 'Off-Topic Thread'
Fashion: The Chatwalk
Photography: Out Of Focus
Beer Guts & RH: The Bar
Nocturnal Forum: The Lair
After Hours: (The Lock-Inn)
Why, when it comes to After Hours, is there a big song and dance about how it will ruin the place?
A lot of bull is talked about cliques been formed, it's a nonsense.
It's quite ironic actually as, if anything - it is the AH long standing 'Clique' that is opposed to such a thread
Is it really a coincidence that all opposed are long standing AH regulars? I think it's a case of old AH faithful being far too comfortable and not wanting the slightest change.
"Damn n00bies taken over the place.."
Of all the other 'off-topic' threads that I have frequented all across Boards, they have always made me feel welcome when venturing in for the first time and I never once got a sense of a impenetrable clique, quite the contrary actually.
The Nocturnal Forum even have a thread to welcome Newbies.
Telling people to go chat elsewhere really just ignores the fact they users would rather not go elsewhere.
The AH users that support such a thread, do so as they want somewhere to have the craic with other After Hour's regulars, going elsewhere would mean losing the After Hours atmosphere, they whole point of such a thread is reveal in that, not abandon it.
Of course you will also get a few who totally miss the point and will say:
"AH is not for flirting, chatting.."
This is not something that anyone is disputing but threads do get locked for this reason. Especially at weekends when people want to come onto AH and have a little banter.
As there is no 'off-topic' thread, they will just jump on the most active thread and then it turns to chatter and gets locked.
We all understand the threads meander occasionally and that's fine, but an 'Off-topic' thread would make sure that meandering only went so far.
I feel that because of the 'Clique', this thread will never happen but I'm just putting it out there, so that anyone that wants to can have their say, here in Feedback where it matters and not on some AH thread where you will just get drowned out by those who are strongly opposed.
We love AH and just feel that this thread would make a great forum even better.
An 'off-topic' banter thread would be a positive step for AH imo as it would give the regulars a place to chat and in so doing, keep the needless flirting and chat off the threads.
I feel this would have the effect so that in future the unnecessary locking of threads night after night for going 'Off-topic' could at long last, become a thing of the past.
If you don't want such a thread, all you would have to do is ignore it and don't subscribe.
Be gentle
Post edited by Shield on8
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It seems the AH mods have already spoken and decided against this idea.
Howya Kiera
This is Feed Forward, which has been set-up to precisely get away from just letting MODs decide the future features of forums.
We know the MODs have spoken, now the regular users, like you, me and others, can have their say - both for and against.0 -
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Hiya PeteOutlawPete wrote: »Howya Kiera
This is Feed Forward, which has been set-up to precisely get away from just letting MODs decide the future features of forums.
We know the MODs have spoken, now the regular users, like you, me and others, can have their say - both for and against.
I've already said my piece on this in another thread as you know
For topics like this i think the mods should have the last say as they are the ones who will be modding the thread. Dont you agree?0 -
OutlawPete wrote: »
A lot of bull is talked about cliques been formed, it's a nonsense.
It's quite ironic actually as, if anything - it is the AH long standing 'Clique' that is opposed to such a thread
This is very true. I'm not exactly a new comer, but I don't really post much. More an observer. In AH, there is already a clique. It's obvious in nearly every thread.
I think a "Welcome to AH/Off Topic Chat" thread would be a great idea. I know my opinion shall count to nothing, but I thought I'd give my support to this idea 0 -
Everyone's suggestions/opinions count.This is very true. I'm not exactly a new comer, but I don't really post much. More an observer. In AH, there is already a clique. It's obvious in nearly every thread.
I think a "Welcome to AH/Off Topic Chat" thread would be a great idea. I know my opinion shall count to nothing, but I thought I'd give my support to this idea 0 -
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For topics like this i think the mods should have the last say as they are the ones who will be modding the thread. Dont you agree?
No I don't.
Mods are Bus Drivers who like the Bus Company and Driving so much that they volunteer their time, far play to them, most do a cracking job.
Admin (the CEO of the Bus Company) should have the final say, NOT MODs.
Members' (Bus Passengers) opinions are what Admin should base the decisions on at the end of the day ...
.. No Boards Members (Passangers), no Bus Company.
A MOD's opinion should count, of course it should, but it should hold no more weight than any other Boards member that contributes to the site (other than specifically on Modding matters of course).
Otherwise we just have a site run by MODs, for MODs.
That's a little too Quadrophenia for me 0 -
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OutlawPete wrote: »No I don't.
Mods are Bus Drivers who like the Bus Company and Driving so much that they volunteer their time, far play to them, most do a cracking job.
Yup, and for the most part they know the best routes to take, will get you there safely and dwont crash the bus.Admin (the CEO of the Bus Company) should have the final say, NOT MODs.
The admins can't drive the bus, they just make sure that the bus drivers and the passengers are happy.Members' (Bus Passengers) opinions are what Admin should base the decisions on at the end of the day ...
Mods are users too, and they see the crap that gets left on the bus as they have to clean up... No Boards Members (Passangers), no Bus Company.
Correct, but see point above.A MOD's opinion should count, of course it should, but it should hold no more weight than any other Boards member that contributes to the site (other than specifically on Modding matters of course).
Mods see stuff that you can't, in saying that there might be mods that shouldn't be moderating but that will become apparent over time.Otherwise we just have a site run by MODs, for MODs.
That's a little too Quadrophenia for me
I disagree, for the most part if a mod decssion is questionable; a user will pull them up on it, report it to a Cmod then make a Helpdesk thread.0 -
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Creating a chat thread would only add to the clique.
The 'Clique' that exists in AH now all seem to be opposed to the chat thread.
I don't see why the thread can't be positive.
Why see it so negatively?The beers thread was dominated by a few posters, very few new members posted in it.
Yes, cause people saw it as somewhere to chat.
If there was an 'Off-topic' thread that wouldn't have happened.No, it's easier to say "take it to PM'
It might be easier to say, but people don't do it.
Seven or eight people can be involved in the banter, do you really think that when you said that, people starting PM'ing each other?
Doesn't happen.You didn't see the amount of posts that had to be deleted in one of the beers threads..
I did see them.
That was around the time I first suggested an 'Off-topic' thread, it was precisely for that reason of Mods having to delete 'off-topic' posts.like I said, it was dominated by a couple of posters. People can take the chit-chat to PM.
They don't and won't though, that is the point. Telling people to take it to PM is missing the point in fairness.
People want to have the craic and banter with each other, you can't take that to PM.There are a few posters that turn every thread into a flirt-fest, they should be given yellow cards and pulled up on it IMO.
Exactly, so give them a thread so that that shite stays out of the threads.If you have a look at one of your examples, The Gentlemans Club, you'll see that there is a thread on the first page that hasn't been posted on in 6 days. There are no dead threads on the first page of AH.
Like I said regarding the First Class Lounge, that forum would be have the same thread activity with or without that thread.
You know how busy AH is, an 'Off-topic' is not going ruin such a class forum, it can only better it by keeping the on-thread flirting and chat to a minimum.I think that some users would only post in the off-topic thread and would disregard other threads to a certain extent.
I respect that you think that, just can't see it happening.You would have a group of posters posting in the one thread and even bigger cliques would be formed, there would be "inside" jokes that other posters could no relate to.
The inside jokes are there now and where when I came on-board. I regularly get PMs from newbies (they see I'm a cool guy) asking me who Facekicker is, what's Atari Jaguar, who was javaboy etc etc).
I remember being lost for the first six months when I first came to AH also, would have been nice to have an 'Off-topic' thread I could have jumped on.
It is very intimidating for a newbie to come into AH and post, let alone start a thread and I feel the proposed thread would give newbies a place to get to know a few regs and get their feet wet.0 -
An off topic thread in Ah would be become a black hole. People would post their stories, links, weird stuff, news articles, rants and other random stuff in it.
LOL, no they wouldn't
I can't believe some of the stuff being posted.
Post "weird stuff", "rants", "links" and "news articles"?
Come on.
Just put it the charter that the 'Off topic' thread is for 'off'topic chat etc.
If you have a cool story, news article etc, start a thread.
People don't do that on threads at the moment, so why would they in an 'Off-topic' thread.
Cool Vids, Pics & Links is there for most of those things.
Christ, you'll be saying that there will just drug dealing on the thread next 0 -
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landsleaving wrote: »I support the notion of a general chit chat thread. A fair few AH threads get closed for a bit of chat, which seems a bit much at times. I do understand where the mods are coming from, but I think an off topic thread would be a nice way to keep threads on topic without taking away the occasional chat.
You can't have much of a conversation via pm imo, not least becasuse only 2 people can be involved.
I'd also be happy to see a little more leniency as regards how off topic a thread can go if an off topic thread is out of the question.
AH is clique-y as it is, an off topic thread might distract some regulars for berating new users threads just to get thanks. :pac::pac::pac:
Actually you can have a conversation with as many people as you want via PM, there's no limit on recipients afaik. 0 -
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To my mind there are a few misconceptions in this thread regarding After Hours and chat threads.
After Hours is the "off-topic" forum
This is an unfortunate choice of words in my opinion which is often used to cast it as an "anything goes" forum when, in fact, anything does not go. AH has always been a place with a broad reach, where current affairs, politics, family, friends, work, life's little foibles and any number of things can be talked about.
There are limits to it's reach though. It doesn't do football. Or sport in general if I remember right. Christmas isn't on the cards either.
My point? That the "off-topic" tag does not refer to your ability to wander off topic on any thread, but rather to the general interest theme of After Hours; the fact that the forum has no one, unifying them.
After Hours is the "pub talk" forum
Similar to the above but not the same, AH is often described as having a chat with your mate over some beers. This, again, does not mean that an AH thread will mirror the meandering nature of pub talk, from one topic to another and back again. You may well have more leeway in AH to wander but the pub talk, in fact, refers to the style of posting rather than the topic. It sets it apart from Humanities, Politics and other stricter forums with a broad focus where posters are expected to back up what they say and take the subject seriously.
No one is expected to take the subjects in AH seriously, though they often choose to.
There is a clique in AH and it must be stopped at all costs!
What is a clique? In the manner we use it here, it's a group of people that bind together to the deliberate exclusion of others. How is this possible in a public forum? Members of the clique can deliberately back each other up (even if they disagree on a topic) and thus put off new users.
Does this happen in AH? Not that I can see. That is, no one deliberately alters what they would post, when, or where, in order to back up their buddies. You do have users who frequent the forum often, form friendships with people based on common interests and points of view, and then end up posting similar opinions on a range of issues. This is perfectly normal behaviour and there is nothing you can do to mitigate it.
Those forums have chat threads; we should have one too
To talk about this, it's important to remember what chat threads are and how they came about. The first chat thread, I believe, was set up in BGRH or TLL, which are also, notably two of the first "social forums" boards created. The reason was simple; both forums had a narrower scope than AH, yet people in those forums wanted a place to post about general issues, outside that scope and didn't want to post about them in AH.
This is even more accentuated in the other forums listed in the OP. Their scope is narrower again, and the threads become a place where regulars can post about general topics. It makes no sense to have a thread devoted to general topics in the general topics forum. This would be like saying the Soccer chat thread should be about general Soccer chat; indeed, the members of said forum fought long and hard to ensure it's scope was broader than that. (Actually, just checking there and the Soccer chat thread explicitly forbids discussion of Soccer in it).
The most successful off topic thread was the BBV thread in Poker; a forum which was very specialist in nature.
In Summary
1) After Hours is a general discussion forum, not an "off topic" forum; it has a broad, though not limitless, scope.
2) Posts on threads in After Hours are not required to be dissertations or even address the subject seriously, though they sometimes are and often do.
3) Threads are not expected to meander on to any topic though you will probably be given more leeway than in most forums.
4) "Off topic" threads are required for regulars of forums with a narrow focus because they wish to have a shared area where they can talk about general issues and do not wish to use After Hours.
5) Cliques form in all forums though not in the deliberate or calculated manner that some would suggest.
6) Creating an "off topic" thread would not remove said cliques; indeed, it may just lead to the creation of another, albeit more obvious one.
After Hours does not need an "off topic" (general discussion) thread because it is the "off topic" (general discussion) forum.0 -
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AH is for new and old posters, all should be made feel welcome.
I said that in the OP, that newbies will have a place to come in a and ask questions. Why are you trying to imply that I, or others that want such a thread, don't share that viewpoint.By posting that a users opinion matters more than anyone else that has posted before them you are being disingenuous.
Look at what I said in context to the thread.
The user statedI don't really post much. More an observer.
I know my opinion shall count to nothing, but I thought I'd give my support to this idea
Why does this user feel that their opinion doesn't count?
I was trying to make them feel as if their opinion mattered the most "SO FAR" on the thread because they were a relative newbie.
The comments about such a thread being threatening to newbies made their opinion important, perhaps I did not word it well but I think to most people it was obvious that I was exageratting the point to try and balance them saying their opinion "shall count to nothing".
You can kiss my hairy arse with IF you're implying that I form any part of a "clique", it's simply not true and I ask you to clarify that statement immediately.
Did I say you specifically were in a clique?
You are the last Mod or ex-Mod I would ever say was in a clique and I would have thought my comments when you stepped down would have said as much.0 -
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This discussion has been closed.
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