Online Forum People and Their Peculiarities

[Jono8]

One of the most interesting "phenomena" that I always come across on many forums is internet people getting extremely ***** about threads going off on slight tangents for a bit/a couple of people discussing something kind of related but not truly "on topic".

I don't think this has ever once bothered me in the slightest, but for some people it really seems to rustle their jimmies. So much so they seem to be extremely upset by it and become desperate to bring the thread back "on topic". They won't add anything to the conversation or continue talking about anything that is within the naturally ill defined parameters of a thread on a public forum, but they will make it their absolute mission to moan about the tangent/"off topic" posts as soon as possible.

Maybe I'm the peculiar one for it not really bothering me that much, but it does seem to really incense some people.

On a scale of 1-1346, how much does it annoy you? Should the people who go a bit off topic be chastised and sent to the naughty step/never be allowed to even think about a thought that deviates from the thread title ever again, or do the moaners perhaps have some deeply seated phycological issue stemming from childhood trauma (i don't know what - probably something to do with control or something)?



*In before everyone starts talking about different things in this thread

 

[Diddums]

Autism.


And idiots, but mostly autism.

 

[chrismscotland]

I think it depends, I know on certain threads on here a certain topic gets brought up by some again and again and again week in week out (Abu Dhabi '21) in the F1 discussion threads and the mods are pretty hard on that (thankfully as it gets tiresome).

But yeah you do see it, doesn't bother me as much as people who seem to think they "own" a thread or group (especially on Reddit) and that they are somehow the font of all that's correct and true about the subject!

 

[aVdub]

The internet allowed Brian to become Brad the slayer

 

[Stu999]

The internet allowed Brian to become Brad the slayer

Off topic.

 

[aVdub]

Off topic.

I'm going to report you.

Now on topic.

 

[Fubsy]

It's just general 'netiquette' to keep threads as close to on topic as possible.

The thread has a title, and that advertises what is to be expected within it's contents. If the content doesn't match, it's blooming annoying when you may just want to catch up on the progress of a topic.

 

[new boy]

Well I for one think that Brexit was the best thing that's ever happened to this country.

 

[slinxy]

Threads like conventions have a natural abilty of evolving and discussions/subjects move else where.

It's not as annoying as when it happens in real life...
I work with this manager who derails almost most meetings, the meetings run much longer than they need to be... talking about ****
But if someone else adds a side topic or even try to bring the meeting back in line, he is vocally objective.

Some people just hold their opinion higher than others, some people just like the sound of their own voices.

At least on a forum you can skip reading it...

 

[gingergundog]

Autism.


And idiots, but mostly autism.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

This thread:

And ass burgers as above ^^

 

[Ayahuasca]

Only outdone by the armchair psychologists who think everyone has autism.

 

[uber soldat]

Needs a pic of your mum with Hovis before an answer can be given

 

[jpaul]

autism ? .... yes I still don't understand why the Brianna killers didn't plead diminished responsibility.

maybe not autism but memory problems - to recall the history of the thread and why there is deviation and what was said before,
so they just repeat earlier posts or, post, based on original OP's post.
Small mobile screens don't enable them to scan thread and prompt their memory either.

 

[Zefan]

From a mod's perspective it's because going off topic very often kills the willingness and/or ability for others to enter the discussion as easily. I know this from the smilies, and from having seen quite a few threads in my time.

 

[sigma]

Friends of the mods are allowed to derail, the rest get perma'd if there's even a whiff of a hint of potential rule breaking.

I may or may not be exaggerating.

 

[gingergundog]

@ci_newman well played

 

[mattyfez]

I think in the event the op has been answered pretty conclusively, then a bit of thread drift is fine.

That's a different scenario to derailment/trolling though.

It can be a fine line sometimes.

 

[Nitefly]

There’s only one rule really… don’t be a ‘Richard’.

The only time that ‘off topic’ is a problem is when it’s obnoxious / disruptive / prolonged, to the detriment of the wider group conversation… and more often than not it tends to occur when there’s an argument with goading in it.

The natural ebb and flow of a discussion is fine and should be entertained.

 

[sigma]

There’s only one rule really… don’t be a ‘Richard’.

The only time that ‘off topic’ is a problem is when it’s obnoxious / disruptive / prolonged, to the detriment of the wider group conversation… and more often than not it tends to occur when there’s an argument with goading in it.

The natural ebb and flow of a discussion is fine and should be entertained.

Unless you're in Sports Arena where there is maximum security jail levels of moderation, apparently due to the fact that footie fans get too emotional.