When is the time to create a new thread

[helen]

The following quote came from this thread in The Tube sub-forum.

Is it necessary to keep creating new threads with a slightly different subject when the old one will do?

Is there a problem with creating a new thread? I suppose one person's thread drift is another person's going off-topic.

[Nords]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

Is there a problem with creating a new thread? I suppose one person's thread drift is another person's going off-topic.

Well, since you asked the question, and speaking as a former moderator from another discussion board, you seem to go to great lengths to separate the topics by fine degrees of distinction that others may see as irrelevant. The perception is that you're being excessively heavy-handed with the moderation.

Back off the the creation of new threads and let the board members tell you when if they want it. Most posters prefer to let the threads wander where they will without someone tidying up behind them.

"Not all those who wander are lost"...

[Lei K]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

It's often been my experience that the best conversations start when things get a bit off topic.

[Barry]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

Well, since you asked the question, and speaking as a former moderator from another discussion board, you seem to go to great lengths to separate the topics by fine degrees of distinction that others may see as irrelevant. The perception is that you're being excessively heavy-handed with the moderation.

Back off the the creation of new threads and let the board members tell you when if they want it. Most posters prefer to let the threads wander where they will without someone tidying up behind them.

"Not all those who wander are lost"...

Well said Nords. If people can contribute rather than slap wrists, then we will all be happy.

[tutusue]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

Helen and I share the same astrological sign...a sign notorious for organization and attention to details...to a fault. We see the world in black and white. Gray? What gray?! Over the years I've worked hard on smudging those black and white lines and allowing the gray to show thru. Unfortunately most of it showed up on my head!

All I'm saying is that while I agree with Nords I completely understand where Helen is coming from. I've known her, irl, for about 12-13 years and had it not been for Helen and her precise attention to organization and detail most of our cyber ohana picnics during the '90s would've fallen apart before they ever happened.

I, too, find the threads become most interesting when they're left to wander a bit. I've certainly contributed more than my sharing of wandering. Maybe I worked too hard finding my gray!

[admin]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. For everyone who loves a colorful derail, there's someone else contacting helen or I to bring some order or split things off. We try to strike a balance, and I think we do a good job. If you think we're leaning to heavily one way or the other, just contact us. Others do, and we always appreciate the feedback.

I'd much rather talk about anything and everything else, besides how HawaiiThreads is run.

And I agree, helen is one of the more helpful and organized people I know.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

I haven't noticed any issues in HT, which is to say whatever you're doing it seems OK by me.

This issue has raised it's head in another forum I moderate. I think the suggestion I'll make there is the same I'll give now - wait and see if the side conversation is going to go anywhere before splitting things off. If it dies in a post or two, then it probably doesn't need it's own thread.

My 2¢.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

It's often been my experience that the best conversations start when things get a bit off topic.

Very well put.

We try to strike a balance, and I think we do a good job. If you think we're leaning to heavily one way or the other, just contact us.

I appreciate the directions HT has gone in the time I've been posting here, and I feel it has improved in those years. I can even be "feistily argumentative" ( )with other posters, without it turning into a thread of flames now.

[Peshkwe]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

I dunno. I've always let a thread drift as long as the tadpoles of off topic stuff stay within the stream.

As soon as the drifting tadpoles start growing legs of their own and gettin to look a might froggy....it's time for those posts to find their own thread to play in.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

As a poster who goes somewhat off topic for a joke, I don't think a new thread is necessary for that purpose. It would probably be the only post for that whole thread. I was called out a couple of times for going off topic by other posters and not by moderators, so I stay away from using those posters' quotes in my posts. It's hard being completely on topic. You can call an offensive holding penalty on every football play. And you can call going off topic on a lot of posts. I just went off-topic. Exit: Stage Left.

[helen]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

As a poster who goes somewhat off topic for a joke, I don't think a new thread is necessary for that purpose. It would probably be the only post for that whole thread.

So what's wrong with creating a thread that have may a possibility of having no responses?

[tutusue]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

So what's wrong with creating a thread that have may a possibility of having no responses?

There's nothing wrong with that, Helen. Just seems kinda pointless, that's all.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

So what's wrong with creating a thread that have may a possibility of having no responses?

[Singing] One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do ....

[Barry]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

There's nothing wrong with that, Helen. Just seems kinda pointless, that's all.

I agree with tutusue. It is pointless and you will get as much response from me as I have ever got from you.

[cyleet99]

Re: When is the time to create a new thread

As a poster who goes somewhat off topic for a joke, I don't think a new thread is necessary for that purpose.... It's hard being completely on topic.

In some cases, especially with older threads, I find if I do not look over the whole thread, I may not realize the original poster's intended nature of it. In my case, I did not realize the food threads were intended to be a food journal of sorts, since it was rife with recipes and discussion of foods and preparation and such. Ah, well, lesson learned.

Maybe shorter focused threads are not such a bad idea, but too many of them might seem to chop up communication even more. Yet the titles of threads do help you find subjects faster.