Discussion vs Chat - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 05-13-2003, 05:50 PM

Menelien, my understanding is that the topic is under the control of the one who started it "Topic-Starter" and that's one reason that the topic starter is listed on the main pages of each forum. BW and the Mods are primarily concerned that the discussions are Tolkien-related, but (as I understand it) they leave it up to the topic starter to determine if something is on-topic. (Unless it's so outrageously off-topic that they can tell by glancing at it! Then you KNOW you've strayed...) So if the topic-starter is OK with a tangent, then the thread can swing in that direction.

You will see that in certain (very serious) discussions in The Books. Just as an example, let's say a discussion may begin about Frodo, and then veer off to his relationship with Sam, and then veer off to his relationship with Bilbo, and then into why he never got married, and then into a discussion of the effect that the ring had on his post-quest life... if the topic starter approves, that's all okay, if it's serious and Tolkien-related, the mods and the BW will generally let that continue. (Mr. Underhill, or Sharku, or other veterans who happen to be in the thread, might nab you, though. Some give more leeway than others.)

But notice, it doesn't degerate into discussions about one's favorite flavor of ice cream or rock bands or... whatever. In the above example, it revolves around Frodo.

You will also see examples in Books where one serious thread goes off-topic-- in a scholastically, Tolkien-related manner-- and spawns another. Child of the Seventh Age comes to mind, as does Bethberry, but there are many other examples. "It feels different Near the Shire" spawned a thread about England (can't remember the name...) Sharon realised she was switching gears, and graciously began a new thread rather than derailing the current one.

(Now I expect Mr. Underhill, Sharku, or one of the other veterans to explain why I am being too permissive! )
[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[ May 13, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

05-13-2003, 05:50 PM	#18
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Menelien, my understanding is that the topic is under the control of the one who started it "Topic-Starter" and that's one reason that the topic starter is listed on the main pages of each forum. BW and the Mods are primarily concerned that the discussions are Tolkien-related, but (as I understand it) they leave it up to the topic starter to determine if something is on-topic. (Unless it's so outrageously off-topic that they can tell by glancing at it! Then you KNOW you've strayed...) So if the topic-starter is OK with a tangent, then the thread can swing in that direction. You will see that in certain (very serious) discussions in The Books. Just as an example, let's say a discussion may begin about Frodo, and then veer off to his relationship with Sam, and then veer off to his relationship with Bilbo, and then into why he never got married, and then into a discussion of the effect that the ring had on his post-quest life... if the topic starter approves, that's all okay, if it's serious and Tolkien-related, the mods and the BW will generally let that continue. (Mr. Underhill, or Sharku, or other veterans who happen to be in the thread, might nab you, though. Some give more leeway than others.) But notice, it doesn't degerate into discussions about one's favorite flavor of ice cream or rock bands or... whatever. In the above example, it revolves around Frodo. You will also see examples in Books where one serious thread goes off-topic-- in a scholastically, Tolkien-related manner-- and spawns another. Child of the Seventh Age comes to mind, as does Bethberry, but there are many other examples. "It feels different Near the Shire" spawned a thread about England (can't remember the name...) Sharon realised she was switching gears, and graciously began a new thread rather than derailing the current one. (Now I expect Mr. Underhill, Sharku, or one of the other veterans to explain why I am being too permissive! ) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [ May 13, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

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