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Just my opinion but ...

Frayed Knot Jan 08 2008 08:21 PM

'All-Purpose' threads suck. I mean a couple of them are fine for herding odd topics that are too trivial to warrant threads of their own. But I think we've now overdone the concept to the point where we've allowed these things to morph into monsters where any item that even remotely sounds like that topic gets jammed in there and whatever discussion that is generated winds up lost in a sea of a multi-page sameness. In short, they're boring! They stifle discussion, they kill any shot at funny subject headings, and they likely intimidate newcomers that stumble onto the board. And I'm not sure what's worse; the fact that posts are getting stuffed into existing threads out of laziness, or that people are tacking their thoughts onto lengthy threads out of some misguided notion that there's some sort of mandate around here that they do so. It's not like new threads are in short supply folks! We're not going to run out of them unless they're saved only for special occasion. Nor should the main source of new threads be when one of the mods creates one by prying a conversation out out of one of those multi-paged monsters. In short, if you think what you've got to say is worthy of generating some conversation feel free to start a new thread! ... and for god's sake don't be afraid that you need special permission first. There's nothing wrong with having two or more concurrent discussions - each having their own thread - even on the same topic, and there should be no bigger sin around here than being dull.

Willets Point Jan 09 2008 08:23 AM

This should be called the All Purpose Frayed Knot Opinion thread.

RealityChuck Jan 09 2008 08:40 AM

He's not the only one. They ramble on so you have to either follow them every time you log on in the hope that something of interest has been said or just ignore them completely. Start new threads, people.

AG/DC Jan 09 2008 08:57 AM

Have new AP threads started popping?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2008 08:59 AM

No but -- The "offseason" thread in the baseball forum sucks. The election thread here ... eh

Willets Point Jan 09 2008 09:30 AM

I'm surprised that no one thought yesterday's HOF announcement worth its own thread. I mean, I did, but by the time I got here discussion on the issue was already packed into the monster HOF thread. I feel like splittin' that out and splittin' up the election thread too while I'm at it. But retroactively making more threads has not been too effective in stopping the big-ass monster AP thread problem in that past.

AG/DC Jan 09 2008 09:34 AM

Admins, if you see an appropriate moment, start splitting.

metirish Jan 09 2008 09:41 AM

Our new admin could start doing some splitting right now...jump in son.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 10:25 AM

I'm itching to split this thread into four or five pieces.

Frayed Knot Jan 09 2008 10:46 AM

Willets Point wrote: This should be called the All Purpose Frayed Knot Opinion thread. I know you're just joking here but that's kind of how things start. Someone see it and says; 'Oh, so this is the thread where we put all our bitching', or they see it as a place where "just my opinion" rants should go. And then, before you know it, we've got a Reyes-for-Santana discussion buried on pages 8-10 of some 23 page clusterfuck of a thread because someone added a 'Just my opinion ... but I think we should deal Reyes for Santana' post because they think they need a note from home before starting a new topic. ]AG/DC: Have new AP threads started popping? In name? No. In practice? All over the place. ]Lunchbucket: The "offseason" thread in the baseball forum sucks That's certainly one. The Mets resigning Duaner Sanchez plus a bunch of minor league FAs got buried there as if that news isn't a worthy enough topic to stand on it's own. I'd also argue that a bunch of other stuff in there would work fine seperately too. ]Admins, if you see an appropriate moment, start splitting It shouldn't have to come to that is my point. Plus I think waiting around for the overlords to take care of things like that just leads to the notion that it's better to be safe and just add onto some tried-and-true thread rather than risk violating rules that don't really exist. That method is also a bit like looking to abortion as the first line of birth control rather than a last resort to unforeseen circumstances.

Nymr83 Jan 09 2008 11:56 AM

i like AP threads. the election thread was particularly useful, do you really want a seperate thread for each candidate cluttering up the forums?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 12:01 PM

The election thread made more sense when it was originally created, back when the primaries were still far in the future. Now there's so much going on that individual threads are warranted.

Frayed Knot Jan 09 2008 01:06 PM

Nymr83 wrote: i like AP threads. the election thread was particularly useful, do you really want a seperate thread for each candidate cluttering up the forums? I don't want to dictate any specific format in advance (and don't have the power to do so even if I did). What I'm trying to do is steer people away from is the idea that this place has exacting rules and traditions that dictate when, where, and how they're allowed to post. If you want to discuss your favorite TV show there's no rule that says it needs to be confined into some multi-page 'A-P TV thread'. Or if something happens within the ongoing campaign there's nothing wrong leaving the existing thread and starting up a new one for that sub-topic alone. Grimm, for instance, broke away from the Clemens discussion to ask about the legal specifics of the case and (at least as far as I can tell) no threads nazis came to hunt down his family, Canada didn't turn communist, Jessica Alba is still hot, and all's right with the world (except for Pakistan). * And I just became our site's namesake !!

sharpie Jan 09 2008 01:13 PM

Actually I think the TV thread should morph into a TV forum, like the Film one. I don't want to see the "My Name is Earl" thread keep popping up to the top after every episode if two people here want to analyze each one.

Valadius Jan 09 2008 05:50 PM

I agree with sharpie. We ought to have a TV Forum, or a combined Film/TV Forum.

KC Jan 09 2008 06:14 PM

I think we should start a Hillary Clinton Forum too while we're at it.

Nymr83 Jan 09 2008 06:16 PM

can we photoshop a picture of her as Satan to put at the top of said forum?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 06:21 PM

Romeny says that Satan is Jesus' brother, right?

KC Jan 09 2008 06:22 PM

Ny: >>>can we photoshop a picture of her as Satan to put at the top of said forum<<< Why doctor it with photoshop? (truth be told, I don't feel too comfortable being in agreement with you on anything, I may have to vote for her)

metsmarathon Jan 09 2008 07:09 PM

nobody cares enough about my thoughts and opinions to sustain a thread started by me. however, if i just reply to a similar thread started by somebody with more cranepool-cred, like edgy, or frayed knot, or mario, then automatically, my words carry more weight and people will care what i have to say.

Nymr83 Jan 10 2008 09:21 PM

i count 11 candidate threads, this is why i like AP.

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2008 09:53 PM

Several of which were started as a joke so no one 'felt left out'. And when there's nothing to say in those threads they'll fade away and die. And if there is something to say in them ... well then that's OK too.

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2008 11:37 AM

]WP: Isn't the dead thread just another case of excessive all-purposing? Nothing wrong with linking a bunch of like-minded posts together and shirley the reporting the death of the likes of the Mr. Whipple actor doesn't require its own thread (although there'd be nothing wrong w/having one IMO). I'd just like to think that if someone died who was substantial enough to warrant a discussion of his/her life that whoever first "reported" it wouldn't feel as if he was compelled put it in the A-P thread or suffer the wrath of the (non-existant) CPF review board.

Willets Point Jan 11 2008 11:44 AM

Frayed Knot wrote: ]WP: Isn't the dead thread just another case of excessive all-purposing? Nothing wrong with linking a bunch of like-minded posts together and shirley the reporting the death of the likes of the Mr. Whipple actor doesn't require its own thread (although there'd be nothing wrong w/having one IMO). I'd just like to think that if someone died who was substantial enough to warrant a discussion of his/her life that whoever first "reported" it wouldn't feel as if he was compelled put it in the A-P thread or suffer the wrath of the (non-existant) CPF review board. I just kind of find the dead thread moderately disrespectful to the deceased. People we like and admire generally could inspire a nice tribute thread on their own. The dead thread just seems to be an excuse to collect news of dead celebrities that no one would otherwise write about mixed in with the nice tributes.

AG/DC Jan 11 2008 11:45 AM

Point.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2008 11:54 AM

Willets Point wrote: I just kind of find the dead thread moderately disrespectful to the deceased. Especially when it has a title like "Guess what, you're dead!" or something like that.

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2008 12:14 PM

]People we like and admire generally could inspire a nice tribute thread on their own. Then by all means feel free to start one if the opportunity comes up. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to post around here. I'm just trying to let them know that others shouldn't tell them how either and to make it known that their judgement is just as worthy as that of the admins in deciding whether a particular topic is deserving of a new thread.

Nymr83 Jan 11 2008 01:53 PM

yeah go ahead and start a thread when someone dies who is likely to cause a bunch of posts or even who you feel a particular connection too, but theres no reason not to have a general thread for the dozens of people that you just feel like mentioning and don't expect there to be much if any discussion of

KC Jan 11 2008 02:23 PM

Mr. Whipple died?

TheOldMole Jan 12 2008 01:33 PM

Whipple's last squeeze.

Willets Point Jan 12 2008 09:54 PM

Nymr83 wrote: yeah go ahead and start a thread when someone dies who is likely to cause a bunch of posts or even who you feel a particular connection too, but theres no reason not to have a general thread for the dozens of people that you just feel like mentioning and don't expect there to be much if any discussion of Well, I'm not telling anyone what to do just offering my opinion. This is the AP Just My Opinion thread after all.