# Threads going off topic



## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

There has been notifications, often by staff members about threads that go off topic. Well, that happens all too often and it can be frustrating especially when you're trying to make a point. And if I keep repeating myself its often because Im not able to make the point Im trying to make since a thread I start keeps going in the wrong direction. For instance, some of my threads have become debates over whether or not students should be told before they can take belt tests. It was never my intention for those threads to become such debates and it was getting off topic when it started going in that direction. The fact of the matter is some places require you to be told before you can test for a belt and some places its up to the student to decide if they're going to test when the test comes up, or at least the student has to take the initiative and ask to test because in some places a sensei won't tell a student if they're ready or not if the student doesn't ask. So, every dojo is going to be run its own way and we can all have our opinions on what's right or not, whether a student should be told if they can test or not, but my intention with some of my threads was not to debate whether or not a student should be told if they can test but how to deal with rank advancement depending on how your dojo is run, however it is run.


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## Gnarlie (May 16, 2015)

*sigh*


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## drop bear (May 16, 2015)

How do you suggest we counter this issue photonguy?


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

drop bear said:


> How do you suggest we counter this issue photonguy?



Well when a thread starts to go off topic I would like to steer it back.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

And Gnarlie considering your position that've made quite clear in the past, you really wouldn't be the proper person to answer some of my posts.


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## Transk53 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> And Gnarlie considering your position that've made quite clear in the past, you really wouldn't be the proper person to answer some of my posts.



Why, because Gnarlie is right? I tell you what, why not just change the colour of you're belt!!


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## Transk53 (May 16, 2015)

drop bear said:


> How do you suggest we counter this issue photonguy?



By talking about grading.


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## Gnarlie (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> And Gnarlie considering your position that've made quite clear in the past, you really wouldn't be the proper person to answer some of my posts.



I'll answer whatever I like, thanks. And if you're going to keep posting the same topic over and over, you're gonna get the same answers. Regardless of what you want. This is a free forum, and just because you don't like an answer, doesn't mean it is off topic.

Anyway, on topic for this thread, I found a great recipe for Bavarian Potato Salad today, has anyone else got anything they would care to share?


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## Tez3 (May 16, 2015)

Gnarlie said:


> Anyway, on topic for this thread, I found a great recipe for Bavarian Potato Salad today, has anyone else got anything they would care to share?



Should I wear a hat to my daughter's wedding in July? You have no idea how much I've been thinking about this, it's actually annoying me now because I can't make up my mind!


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## Transk53 (May 16, 2015)

Gnarlie said:


> I'll answer whatever I like, thanks. And if you're going to keep posting the same topic over and over, you're gonna get the same answers. Regardless of what you want. This is a free forum, and just because you don't like an answer, doesn't mean it is off topic.
> 
> Anyway, on topic for this thread, I found a great recipe for *Bavarian Potato Salad today*, has anyone else got anything they would care to share?



Yeah, cool  Could you perhaps please PM me that recipe? My left foot hurts still after two and a half weeks, now it is just an ache, but no tenderness. Yes people, please look out for surface drain covers when on the roadwork. They bloody hurt you!


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## Transk53 (May 16, 2015)

Tez3 said:


> Should I wear a hat to my daughter's wedding in July? You have no idea how much I've been thinking about this, it's actually annoying me now because I can't make up my mind!



Maybe meet in the middle and go for a Spiderman mask?


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## Bob Hubbard (May 16, 2015)

Threads go off topic all the time.   When things derail you can ignore the derailment, report the thread and the mods will review it and make the call to let it ride or redirect or split or in some cases lock the topic, or attempt to stay focused on the core point yourelf. 

If people are butting heads over the same issues repeatedly, your best options are to agree to disagree, or take the argument off site.  Rehashing old battles redundantly is a sure way to earn infraction points which can result in loss of access and/or your account is they build up enough.


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## jks9199 (May 16, 2015)

Something else to think about...

If your posts attempting to discuss a topic frequently go awry...  Perhaps the problem is in how you are stating the desired topic.  To make a slightly silly example, if I'm trying to talk about movie stars, but talk about constellations and the galaxy of stars within them...  Well, you can't really blame someone if they assume I'm talking astronomy, not Hollywood.  

Communication has two sides: a sender and a receiver.  Successful communication requires that both the sender and receiver arrive at the same destination.  There can be a breakdown on either side -- or in the middle.  If I am finding that people are frequently misunderstanding me, I'm going to start looking for the problem in what I can control: my side of things.  If I can confidently state that the words and style of communication I've chosen is sending the message I intend to have go out, then I can figure the problem is on the receiver's end.  But until I'm sure that what I've said is what I meant to say -- I can't assume the problem is on the other end.


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## Tez3 (May 16, 2015)

Transk53 said:


> Maybe meet in the middle and go for a Spiderman mask?




My son is going to wear something Steampunk, elegant and cool. He needs a black walking cane with a silver top but sadly not a swordstick.

_Now, this is where debates happen, someone will ask what Steampunk is, another will say they love it, another that they don't like it, yet another will ask what exactly he's wearing. All these comments make up a conversation, none are derailing the 'thread'. It may turn into a debate when someone says they prefer a particular type of hat because it looks smart and another says they find them uncomfortable and untidy. Places to buy Steampunk clothing may be put into the conversation, others will talk about conventions they've been to. It may carry on to be a conversation about swordsticks. It's how humans communicate, you cannot start a thread on here, ask for an opinion then complain when the subject gets expanded because nothing is black and white. What happens on here mimics real life conversations in that they do flow back and forward, on here it keeps to a subject closer than a face to face conversation does but there's still a lot of very different opinions that come from the large amount of people that post on here._


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## K-man (May 16, 2015)

jks9199 said:


> If your posts attempting to discuss a topic frequently go awry...  Perhaps the problem is in how you are stating the desired topic.  To make a slightly silly example, if I'm trying to talk about movie stars, but talk about constellations and the galaxy of stars within them...  Well, you can't really blame someone if they assume I'm talking astronomy, not Hollywood.


Of course, using your analogy, it can get even worse when someone versed in astrology comes in as well when he has absolutely no knowledge of either movie stars or astronomy.


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## Kung Fu Wang (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> Well when a thread starts to go off topic I would like to steer it back.


Sometimes people just put up a clip without many words. If you ask the OP what does he intend to discuss, he may say that he didn't intend any special discussion. For those thread, there is no such thing as "off topic".

Sometime a thread that started as an elementary school level discussion could end with a PhD dissertation level discussion. For example, if someone could explain "internal power generation" well enough, he may be able to create a new physical model that Newton didn't think about.

If I start a thread, I pretty much put myself in "listen mode" and let people to direct the thread to wherever the thread may go. I know my own opinion. It's other's opinions that I would like to hear about.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

Transk53 said:


> Why, because Gnarlie is right? I tell you what, why not just change the colour of you're belt!!



Gnarlie is right in the sense that he's right about it being his opinion. That does not mean everybody else will share his opinion.

As for changing the color of a belt, as I said before I don't care for cheap belts.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

Gnarlie said:


> I'll answer whatever I like, thanks. And if you're going to keep posting the same topic over and over, you're gonna get the same answers. Regardless of what you want. This is a free forum, and just because you don't like an answer, doesn't mean it is off topic.


Well if its not a topic that you're interested in than posting on it would be pointless so why waste your time? You would never find me posting on a thread or joining in on a conversation on how to become a good interior decorator after all. And if my posts make you sigh than my advice would be to avoid reading them, unless you like sighing.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

Bob Hubbard said:


> If people are butting heads over the same issues repeatedly, your best options are to agree to disagree, or take the argument off site.  Rehashing old battles redundantly is a sure way to earn infraction points which can result in loss of access and/or your account is they build up enough.


Well you see, that's exactly what I would want to do, agree to disagree. But, if I start a thread that's supposed to be about something that other people would agree with me on, it doesn't make sense for people who disagree with it to butt in when its something they wouldn't be interested in in the first place.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

jks9199 said:


> If your posts attempting to discuss a topic frequently go awry...  Perhaps the problem is in how you are stating the desired topic.  To make a slightly silly example, if I'm trying to talk about movie stars, but talk about constellations and the galaxy of stars within them...  Well, you can't really blame someone if they assume I'm talking astronomy, not Hollywood.


Well I will give you an example which has happened quite often and this is why I keep starting the same stuff over and over again. Sometimes, I will start a topic about martial arts students who want to pursue belt rank on how to pursue that goal. Then, there will be people who will say that belt rank isn't important and that they don't care to pursue such a goal and/or that to pursue belts as a goal is missing the point. People who say stuff like that are entitled to their opinions but the point of my threads is not to be a debate over whether or not belts should be a goal but rather IF belts are your goal, how to go about fulfilling it. As for people who don't think it should be a goal, that is where I would like to agree to disagree and leave it at that. But, for such people to enter in on a conversation on how to achieve belt rank doesn't make sense if its something they have no interest in. Much like I would never participate in a conversation on how to become a good interior decorator because interior decoration is a field I have absolutely no interest in.


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## elder999 (May 16, 2015)

I like pancakes......


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## ballen0351 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> Well I will give you an example which has happened quite often and this is why I keep starting the same stuff over and over again. Sometimes, I will start a topic about martial arts students who want to pursue belt rank on how to pursue that goal. Then, there will be people who will say that belt rank isn't important and that they don't care to pursue such a goal and/or that to pursue belts as a goal is missing the point. People who say stuff like that are entitled to their opinions but the point of my threads is not to be a debate over whether or not belts should be a goal but rather IF belts are your goal, how to go about fulfilling it. As for people who don't think it should be a goal, that is where I would like to agree to disagree and leave it at that. But, for such people to enter in on a conversation on how to achieve belt rank doesn't make sense if its something they have no interest in. Much like I would never participate in a conversation on how to become a good interior decorator because interior decoration is a field I have absolutely no interest in.


THIS is why your posts go off topic.  You posted a topic about thread derails and halfway through your first post you derailed your own thread by going on and on about belt ranks.  If you cant stay on your own topic how do you expect others too?


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## ballen0351 (May 16, 2015)

Tez3 said:


> Should I wear a hat to my daughter's wedding in July? You have no idea how much I've been thinking about this, it's actually annoying me now because I can't make up my mind!


If its an outdoor wedding yes if indoors no


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

ballen0351 said:


> THIS is why your posts go off topic.  You posted a topic about thread derails and halfway through your first post you derailed your own thread by going on and on about belt ranks.  If you cant stay on your own topic how do you expect others too?


I was using belt ranks as an example of how posts of mine have been derailed in the past as it has happened quite often.


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## ballen0351 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> I was using belt ranks as an example of how posts of mine have been derailed in the past as it has happened quite often.


YES then you made multiple posts about it in effect killing your own thread.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

ballen0351 said:


> YES then you made multiple posts about it in effect killing your own thread.



I made multiple posts using it as an example of how past threads of mine have been derailed but still the main topic of discussion is about staying on track in a conversation.


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## elder999 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> I was using belt ranks as an example of how posts of mine have been derailed in the past as it has happened quite often.






'cause I like pancakes.......


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## ballen0351 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> I made multiple posts using it as an example of how past threads of mine have been derailed but still the main topic of discussion is about staying on track in a conversation.


LOL so you derailed your own thread about thread derailments..........OK

Look you wanted to know why your threads go bad well I showed you.  Go take a look in the mirror and that guy you see is the main reason.


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## yak sao (May 16, 2015)

elder999 said:


> View attachment 19306
> 'cause I like pancakes.......




Flap Jack Rabbit........get it flapjack...jack rabbit????
Hello??? _(tap, tap, tap)..._ is this thing on????


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

ballen0351 said:


> LOL so you derailed your own thread about thread derailments..........OK
> 
> Look you wanted to know why your threads go bad well I showed you.  Go take a look in the mirror and that guy you see is the main reason.



OK so than from now on I should tell people when they are going off topic but I should make sure not to bring it off topic myself or for that matter to bring it further off topic.


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## PhotonGuy (May 16, 2015)

elder999 said:


> I like pancakes......



Too fattening.


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## granfire (May 16, 2015)

Tez3 said:


> My son is going to wear something Steampunk, elegant and cool. He needs a black walking cane with a silver top but sadly not a swordstick.
> 
> _Now, this is where debates happen, someone will ask what Steampunk is, another will say they love it, another that they don't like it, yet another will ask what exactly he's wearing. All these comments make up a conversation, none are derailing the 'thread'. It may turn into a debate when someone says they prefer a particular type of hat because it looks smart and another says they find them uncomfortable and untidy. Places to buy Steampunk clothing may be put into the conversation, others will talk about conventions they've been to. It may carry on to be a conversation about swordsticks. It's how humans communicate, you cannot start a thread on here, ask for an opinion then complain when the subject gets expanded because nothing is black and white. What happens on here mimics real life conversations in that they do flow back and forward, on here it keeps to a subject closer than a face to face conversation does but there's still a lot of very different opinions that come from the large amount of people that post on here._


Awe, silver knob....my kid has one floating around with a spider embedded in acrylic! (not Chtulu though...)

Of course you need to wear a hat. A small one, but a hat! With goggles, and veil. 

Anyhow, communication, if you talk to a bunch of people with ADOS, thread drift is unavoidable.


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## Brian R. VanCise (May 16, 2015)

Photonguy some times threads do go off topic but... most of the time they do stay on topic to some degree.  If you start a thread and feel it is going off topic then please report it and we will take a look.


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## elder999 (May 16, 2015)

PhotonGuy said:


> Too fattening.





PhotonGuy said:


> Too fattening.


I like steak....


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## Grenadier (May 16, 2015)

*Admin's note*

Thread closed, pending staff review.


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