Getting More Strict with Off-Topic Posts...

[Wayne 962]

Now, that's thinking outside of the box Chuck.

Trouble is, it won't work technically. The archives have all of the technical info in it...

Unless I secretly switched the forums.

I have some ideas. I will give it some thought. Nothing is permanent either, change can be reversed...

-Wayne

[juanbenae]

so what about those drinks?

[RickM]

Chuck, The thing is most here are Techie kinda guys. So, will the community forum become the new "less strict" technical forum?

[wcballance]

That being said, Can a split screen option be devised where one can view two forums simultaneously?

Rick had a good idea. It was very much like what I thought when I first saw this post. I don't know if it is possible with the software used for the board, but maybe some sort of rating (general, technical, etc.) could be assigned to each post when it is started. This would rely on the person starting the post to rate it correctly, but a moderator could override later if needed. Some sort of filter could then be used based on a user's preferences (show everything, show this or that, etc.).

Or maybe you could split things into more forums and allow people to subscribe to the ones they like and view them together. I will usually check only this forum even though some of the others are of interest to me as well. If I could view everything together, that would be great!

I realize this may not be possible, but it's what I would like. It seems like a reasonable solution too.

[Yargk]

Originally posted by Bones
Well obviously there are grey areas on posting but it's ultimately with the moderators to say what's 'on' and what isn't . The first time I came here there apperared to be a raging flame going on between Carrera 3.2 owners and SC owners but it was actually an 'in' joke relevant to the owners on this site but I wonder if it would be 'on' or 'off' topic now?

I think that we can do without the enzo/cayenne posts. It is a shame when a valid tech question is bumped off the first page. However, I think it will be a sad day when I can't read up on the carrera vs. sc struggle in the tech forum.

[Wayne 962]

Will, I think that the new version of the BBS can do that (version 3.0). I've been awaiting it's arrival for almost a year now...

-Wayne

[RickM]

Good old vaporware.

[Superman]

Well, I just posted again on a thread that has substantial political commentary. The main reason for today's post was to apologize if I offended anyone, so I hope it stays there at least long enough for a couple of folks to see my hat off and in my hands.

Wayne, I respect you and your ideas including this one. I'm not sure how much censure The Board can survive and still retain its magic. This board is indeed magic. It's possible that substantially more censure would make this forum into a lively, busy tech-only board. It's possible that too little censure would allow it to deteriorate into a messy, frustrating place to try and get answers to 911 questions. On the other hand, I think it is currently a fairly efficient place to get answers to 911 questions, and also a busy, active community of e-friends and Porsche lovers.

If I were to cast a simple vote, I would say leave it alone. But that's what I've said repeatedly over the past 3+ years. I think this board's freedom is a large part of what makes it so magical. As far as censure goes, The Board seems to police itself.

[Kurt B]

i don't even think chuck's idea is going to work....I don't see it. Just continue to moderate this one. Let people post offtopic stuff, and move it. I mean, I don't see the problem with that unless it's too annoying for the moderators. As someone said, the offtopic stuff comes in hot spots. Otherwise, people pretty much just come by for P-car related issues.
To this day, i haven't been to the "off-topic" forum even one time. I have a link to the 911 bbs in my browser that takes me here. I rarely navigate anywhere else.

[HarryD]

Wayne, fellow pelicans,

I liken coming here to coming to a club meeting. Most of the people all know each other and will more or less stay relevant to the club function. However, part of what makes going the meetings fun is discovering other aspects of your fellow members lives which may or may not include any relevance to the Club charter.

I for one, do not want to have lots of little club rooms to visit. I like the noise, buzz,excitementof the big ballroom where there are many things happening at one time.

I, like I am sure many others, have had a tech question disappear before I get an answer. If I still need the answer, I'll merely bump it back to the top when I see no repsonse. This does not seem to be a big deal to me.

Don't lose this or you will be the many other mortibound BBS's that seem to have lost their magic.

[reed930]

I think the moderators have done an excellent job of moderating this board for as long as I've been here. I know it makes more work for them but the current policy seems to be to let the OT threads have a little time and exposure here on the main board and then banish them to the OT forum. It has happened a few times to my posts and I think it was appropriate.

To have a blanket rule banning all OT posts would turn this forum into a rather sterile place. I am fairly active on other boards and none of them have anywhere near the sense of community that exists here. I think much of that is attributable to the fact that members here share experiences beyond Porsche ownership. Many of us reveal important parts of ourselves through our posts. And for the most part everyone here respects Wayne's rules. Those that don't soon lose interest and move on.

This board is clearly working. Maybe fine tune things a little bit by reminding everyone occassionaly and moving the OT posts a bit more aggresively. But I wouldn't make any drastic changes.

[autobonrun]

Some level of OT is fine with me. Since you are the owner, I have no problem with you and the moderators deciding what stays and what goes. If this week I post something OT and it goes and next week someone posts the same thing and it stays, so what. Keeping a good flow of ideas is like a conductor with a symphony; it's your call. I prefer an OT item or two to break the all tech discussions. It's like working 8 hours a day without stopping a moment or two to BS at the water cooler. You can do it but it would be mentally taxing.

Besides, I like the cynical sense of humor these guys have; it's like conversing with a group of SNL writers.

[TomTurtle]

I'm still a relative newbie, but I say, from what I've seen, leave it the way it is. I think Wayne and the other Moderators do a good job of "policing" the BBS.

[johncj8989]

A little more nudity in the posts and this subject is D.O.A.

[tmctguer]

having just had a thread or two recently moved.............i ONLY check the 911 forum. i don't check any others. i spent the last year or two going right to this place, and it is hard to look elsewhere on this BBS for topics.

it could be that old habits are hard to break, but in general, the topics i've posted that have been moved were posted here to get the comments from those i've been used to reading in this location. because i've rarely, if ever, checked other locations, i don't know if those same people comment there on posts.

but it ain't my BBS, so i don't make or enforce rules. i just lurk, and post when i think my opinion is worthy of the posted discussion. but i only do so in the place i'm used to going -- namely the 911 technical forum.

[stormcrow]

I think the way you handle OT subjects works fine. Again, the reason OT subjects are posted on this forum is because if there was a seperate forum for them, nobody would bother to read them.

To solve this problem you could put another line below the Chat line and set it up the same way, showing how many OT posts have been made for the day. By dong that, someone looking at it can see that there is a OT post and go to read it.

It would eleminate OT posts on the 911 forum and the OT posts would get recognized although not posted. At the end of each day, the number would reset to zero for the next day and so on.

Steve


"A Porsche does more then just go fast in a straight line"

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

like the laws of the country, lets just enforce the rules we already have.

[RickM]

I was going to say this forum is the only one I go to...for the most part that's accurate. But I must say I love going to the classifieds to see whats' going on there.

On a related side note: I found this BBS through a google search. So my initial exposure was to the 911 forum. I didn't realize, at first, that it was tied to such a reputable "parts" business. I rarely navigated my way off the 911 board until recently. I wonder how many have had the same experience.

[Porschedude]

Move 'em out...

[Porschephanatic]

I've rolled-on-the-floor-laughing after reading OT drivel on this site, and I sure would miss it. I think the moderators do a great job, and IMHO, I don't think anything needs changed. My $.02