The offtopic button

[JMZ]

Hello there,

As I ramble on the board, I've seen that some people are very "active" and that's great, but sometimes they seem to have troubles on staying "on topic" or making long stories short, or they keep fighting w/ others about old "conflicts".

I was thinking "why not having an "Off Topic" button (or maybe a disctinctive code) to mark off topic replies (or portions of text). This could help many viewers to read some topics that are polluted by lots of old debates, personal fights and other deviations.

I've seen such things on other boards, and it's quite efficient. This button (or function, or "code/rule") displays the off-topic text in an other color (grey or orange for instance), the text is smaller (or can be in italic) and the whole off-topic portion could be enframed, like when one quotes.

For example:

Off-Topic
I just want to count you my life, or disagree with someone else. But as it may not interest a lot of you, this frame is here to tell you to skip it and go further  

Of course, it would need everybody to play the game and behave that way ...

What do you think ?

[drbeachboy]

And what do you do if there is on and off topic stuff within the same post? Because this is a board that is as much about opinions as it is facts, what you suggest might be hard to implement.

[bgas]

yeah, it's that "get everybody to play" part that's going to be tuff.

[rab2591]

Eh, it's easy enough to sift over the off-topic stuff - and most of that is quite humorous (to me anyways).

[JMZ]

And what do you do if there is on and off topic stuff within the same post?

You switch on and off, just like when you quote somebody then you respond to him, then maybe quote something/someone else, and so on.

yeah, it's that "get everybody to play" part that's going to be tuff

Exactly, however on the forums I've seen this technique, people seem to get in quite quicly. But maybe, this isn't a good idea ...

What happens is I'm new to this forum, and I think it is great, but I spent a lot of time to read stuff that I don't get (and some of it doesn't even interest me) because it's something between two old members, ect.

Anyways, I'm glad to join the community  

[drbeachboy]

At least you will get familiar with all of the personality types in here.

[bgas]

What happens is I'm new to this forum, and I think it is great, but I spent a lot of time to read stuff that I don't get (and some of it doesn't even interest me) because it's something between two old members, ect.

Anyways, I'm glad to join the community  

Maybe you'll be lucky enough to be an old member here someday , and have new members hanging on your every word.