solkan Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 All of the forums that I've seen with Off Topic sections have those sections specifically to reduce or eliminate the various reasons for making distracting off-topic replies. Having the Off Topic thread is a "I'm not going to waste my time telling you not to drink, because telling you not to is going to make it sound exciting. Instead I'm going to ask you to do so in a responsible manner, safely over there where it won't cause trouble" policy.But I don't think the ten minute buffer on the chat function is long enough to fulfill the same function as the Off Topic Playground thread.Consider what happens when one long time poster sees another long time poster's post in some thread after a long absence. A few things could happen on the forum:Poster A sends Poster B a private message, and the two catch up in private. Nice, discrete, no one else is aware anything happened.Poster A makes an off-topic reply in the thread. The inevitable replies clutter up the thread, but it also produces evidence of people chatting in a friendly manner. If it's annoying enough, gets deleted by moderators.Poster A, expecting Poster B to see the Off Topic thread, posts the "It's nice to see Poster B around again. *waves*" in the off topic thread. Evidence is produced that people chat in a friendly manner.Poster A opens up the chat window, and doesn't see Poster B in the chat. If Poster A writes something, Poster B won't see anything unless they open the chat window within ten minutes. Likewise, any evidence of people chatting disappears after ten minutes.If A posts in chat, B isn't likely to see it. So A dismisses the idea, and instead makes the off-topic reply to the message. If there's no Off Topic area, that reduces the moderator response when the off-topic replies get out of control toModerator: "Please conduct your friendly chat in the appropriate areas."A: "There aren't any other appropriate areas. No one sees the posts in Chat, private messaging, or social media on the forum." 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolution Black Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Consider what happens when one long time poster sees another long time poster's post in some thread after a long absence. A few things could happen on the forum: The day Sketch came back and was shocked the thread was still around was a good half hour discussion by itself. yes I think it threw him a bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PharaonXIII Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 The fun thing about "using a restoraunt only for a bathroom" analogue.Surely, you don't come to a restoraunt just to use the bathroom. But on the other hand, nobody gets rid of the bathroom, if he expects people to spend time eating in his restoraunt. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted October 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 The fun thing about "using a restoraunt only for a bathroom" analogue.Surely, you don't come to a restoraunt just to use the bathroom. But on the other hand, nobody gets rid of the bathroom, if he expects people to spend time eating in his restoraunt. Hahaahah. Well put. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Caroland Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Posting in here daily by a few of y'all again and again to make your point isn't going to get the thread reopened. You have been heard, I have multiple reasons for closing the thread, and no, I do not feel I need to explain myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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