Off Topic in Western Canada
 

In light of some of our recent threads going completly off topic.. I thought this might be a good idea.

How does this sound - if a thread is going off topic, either continue that sidebar here in this thread, or if warranted, start a new one entirely..

Keeps topics ON topic, and creates a place for general discussion from the local yocals...

I figure keeping one off topic thread for general sidebar conversations would save on creating a truckload of unrelated threads (read: moderators nightmare) from wasting space in our little part of the protegeclub universe..

Good idea? Bad idea??

Maybe if enough people think it's a groovy idea, we could make it a sticky so it's always on top..

I dunno.. I thought it would be a good idea anyway...

Anybody got a topic for our first off topic post? :P

Jason, I like your idea. I guess we are all to blame a bit, including myself, but I guess it is hard as it seems such a neat little community we have here that we get a chatting and the next thing you know we are in never never land. Richard did say we are a chatty bunch in one post there. I guess we proved it.

So how about the people making those REALLY off topic posts go back and toast them. I think you can do that if it is your own post right? Although it would be a chore to hunt back and read again the old posts.

This is one of the things I hate about web boards, the format and rules sometimes get in the way of conversation. Obviously there is a time to exchange information (on topic), but often I think people come around to socialize (off topic). Imagine if you were sitting around with a bunch of people and everytime you started to get off the main point that started the conversation you had to stop. Eventually no one would talk. The NEEDED ORDER often gets in the way of the natural flow of a conversation.

This isn't just here. You see the same thing on virtually every web board (that isn't a free for all) and on the news groups as well.

Just an observation. If someone didn't pull the reins in everything would be a mess. I just wish that the thread in question wouldn't have been closed the way it was.

Jason, this thread is a good idea. I hope that everyone uses it often.

Jay

Being off topic in this section doesn't really bother me (maybe because the conversations are friendly). Most of the really 'on topic' type of stuff would go in one of the other sections I think. kind of see the regional sections as being somewhat of an 'off topic' place to begin with.

Dale.

So what is ON topic for Western Canada exactly?

Jay

So Richard, if I posed a question that was specifically local, be it Edmonton or Calgary or Western Canada, I would think that would be highly acceptable for posting here.

One could even start a new tread and not tag onto this one right. For example Danielle's Happy Birthday one. Put that in the regular Off Topic area and most people would go "Huh?" right?

I think EVERYONE wants to be clear on what is ok and what is not. I personally don't want to be the cause of another thread being shut down, and I'm sure everyone shares the same feeling.

Since when was clarity a bad thing?

Jay

The 'thread in question' did get brutally out of control.. mostly my fault I'm sure.. as was stated before.. unfortunetly this medium makes normal conversations somewhat difficult..

I'd be nice if we had an all out gab place though.. since we are all so chatty and get along so well.. I like the idea of this thread..

Dawn

Yes, it was all YOUR fault ;) Throw women into the mix and look what happens <duck>.

:D

Jay

Real shame you can't make it to the Oct 5 thing.. guess I'll have to hunt you down the old fashioned stalker way :) (here I go...off-topic already! Bad Dawn! Bad!)

Dawn

I'm glad the response has been pretty positive about this..

I guess my intentions when I created it were for people to use it if creating a whole new thread wasn't warranted - like a sidebar question that doesn't need a new thread to answer..

Ultimately it would be your own judgement as to where your off topic topic would best be housed. And I think that if this current thread stays popular, most people will wind up being subscribed to it and as such will self police this and 'on-topic' western threads.. 'hey - take ___ elsewhere!! we're supposed to be talking about ___'

It's a fine line to decide what is truly western canadian and off topic..

ie:

where to get ___ for your car - local and on topic
where to get tattoos - local but off topic. (for this automotive forum)

i dunno... :shrug:

I'm sorry..hehe as for my excuse 'i'm a loud mouth libra'...*angelic face* as for the 'off topic' sticky i love the idea. i also dont mind goin to the off topic section of the board but as others were saying ...good friends and living in the same area...gotta luv us!

danielle

I agree with Danielle.

Thanks to Sandman for starting this thread and I love the sticky idea too.

I also agree with Richard it isn't about shutting down the thread as much as it is about people wanting info about the meet and being confused by the eight pages of our gabbing (I am a culprit too - being female an all :mad: )

:D

Wow, look at that, 2 pages already :D.

I would think that this spot/tread would be a nice place to drop in and say hi. Like running into someone at a coffee shop. Stuff like I'll be up from "Red Deer/Calgary, does anyone want to hook up? ". Not sure if we need a new tread for that since it is so transitory (is that a word?).

By the way, didn't The Man say there was a large fridge in the corner? Well in our neck of the woods maybe someone made off with it or it is out for repair as I sure don't see it. So we need a fridge here and now that I think about it someone spilled something on that comfy couch so we need a new one as I'm not sitting on that spot :D

Hello fellow Westerners.....

We're very excited here in Vancouver about our big meet coming up this Sunday. After it's done I'll give you guys a big recap.

How's everything in the prairies? :)