What I would like to ask you, fellow monks about is the situation where a discussion gradually wanders off the topic. With root nodes the situation is clear, but what to do with the case where discussing a quite On Topic subject you gradually wander off Perl and start discussing somethin just vaguely related? Should the participants redirect the discussion to some other place? Email perhaps? Or just don't mind and continue it here.

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Re: Off Topic discussions.
by benn (Vicar) on May 16, 2003 at 08:57 UTC
    You know, I was saying the very same thing to Ginger just the other day down in the Doxy & Duck...do you know Ginger? Marvellous fellow - lost a leg in the Boer War but still managed to pick up second place in the Upper Framleigh Annual All-Comers Buttock-Bashing Competition! Then again, he did have that ferocious highland terrier stuffed up his trouser leg, and of course, was terribly, terribly drunk...drone...drone...

    Toodle-pip!
    Ben. :)

[reply]
      Heh - you must be in a sarcastic mood today. But actually I started to think about it when I've read your post Re: Re: Re: requirement documents? - the subthread was started by me, and it was something what really interests me, and I would like to discuss it to greater lengths, but I thought it is just too much OT and did not post any continuation.
[reply]
        {big grin} No - it's Friday morning and I'm bored - sorry. See my other post this morning - damn-near flamebait :)

        I think these things tend to die a 'natural death' though - something gets to a point where it's so obviously OT that nobody bothers replying...well, that's what happens to me anyway :) Feel free to msg if you just want to talk it over with *me*, but for a big discussion, I think it's either try it out as a standalone Meditation, or post on www.virtualworkingnotinarealofficeanymoremonks.com...

        Cheers, Ben.

[reply]
Re: Off Topic discussions.
by rinceWind (Monsignor) on May 16, 2003 at 09:34 UTC
    zby what do you think? Do threads wandering off-topic cause you a problem?

    Sometimes, I find this whole on-topic/off-topic thing is missing the point. Just like political correctness, or perhaps Perl correctness ;). Often the most interesting threads are ones which have shifted considerably.

    A significant factor is which secion of the monastery the root node is in. SoPW is clearly for questions, OK, yep perl questions, but also questions about perl, camels, Larry's stance on Ada, why not?

    As for the other secions of the monastery, meditations and monk discussion, these are even freer in topic range.

    In extreme cases, when a topic is venturing into flame warfare, there's always consideration, which can be applied to reply nodes just as easily as to root nodes.

    Finally if you think a thread is branching too far from its original root node, post a new root node with appropriate title, and link to the original node.

[reply]
      Actually I do like the OT threads. I just wanted to ask about your feelings. I think the reason I like them might be the fact that I spend quite much time here recently.

      Beside that, the topic of maintaining a community site is of particular interest for me.

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Re: Off Topic discussions.
by crenz (Priest) on May 16, 2003 at 12:22 UTC

    I usually don't mind. After all, this is a community, so it's okay if more personal or not-quite-perl-related topics come up from time to time.

    I find it a good practice to change the title of your nodes, though, when you move to a different topic. Something like "[OT] Favourite Cookie Recipes" will help others decide whether they want to read your node or not.

[reply]
[d/l]
      Changing the subject to appropriate will also help other people to find this discussion afterwards, when it might very well be on topic. :)

      Leonid Mamtchenkov aka TVSET

[reply]

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