Should we stay on topic?

[KenL]

It has been suggested that this forum may have seen better days. Do you think it is possible that the amount of "off-topic" posts may have a negative impact on the forum? I don't have statistics, but it appears a large amount of threads degenerate into off-topic "banter" and discussions never concentrate on what the opening poster intended.

Do you think this is a good thing, or do you think it is possible that people dropping by to check out the forum don't think it is a serious place to discuss MINIs?

Just a thought, let's discuss...

[Gismo]

Good point Ken, in the past we (admins and mods) have been accused of over modding and this is indeed one of those areas where we were accused of over the top editing of posts etc.

There is a very fine line between actually over modding and simply tidying up threads.

There was a recent case where a thread was stripped for this exact issue.

It will be interesting to see the views of the members to see if the off topic stuff should be corrected, sometimes the original poster requests that all off topic stuff be removed.

Personally, i prefer to maintain the topics on course, but, as already mentioned, we (admins and mods) are seen to be overly intervening.

[Mon the fish]

I don't think threads on here go that off-topic IMO. And I don't think we should consciously try and be 'serious' or whatever - people join here for both advice/help and friendship. Less people may actually join or contribute if it's all a bit serious.

There's different areas on the site for different things. I've never noticed threads in (for example) the Engine & Gearbox section going off-topic, i.e. the sections for proper help and advice.

Threads go off-topic, it happens, people blether

[zimbo]

I DONT think this place has seen better days. It is just kind of quiet at the moment that's all as these spells come and go in all forums. I have noticed that there are a certain amount of regular posters contributors who do regularly post and participate on the forum despite the fact that there are a lot more members on NMS

I personally don't mind if a topic goes 'off topic' just as long as it is not continuously or permanantly onto that path and that it returns to the original topic.

I think every forum out there on the WWW has these off-topic issues and always will, I dont think it's a big issue.

[ELFMAN]

It has been suggested that this forum may have seen better days. Do you think it is possible that the amount of "off-topic" posts may have a negative impact on the forum? I don't have statistics, but it appears a large amount of threads degenerate into off-topic "banter" and discussions never concentrate on what the opening poster intended.

Do you think this is a good thing, or do you think it is possible that people dropping by to check out the forum don't think it is a serious place to discuss MINIs?

Just a thought, let's discuss...

I think you have to be careful with your terminology here Ken.
Using words like 'degenerate' and saying discussions 'never concentrate' on what the opening Poster intended is, I feel, misleading.

I think many of the more 'Technical' threads stick very closely to their remit, with NMS members giving excellent and pertinent advice on a specific problem or query, whereas if a thread is more 'discussion/opinion' oriented, then it has more 'room for manoeuver', and can go off topic simply because it is more wide-ranging. This isn't the end of the world, even though it sometimes requires a three-point-turn or a strategically placed bollard to get back on track.

Different types of thread lead to different responses, just as in 'real life', conversations can go off at tangents before (hopefully) returning to the matter in hand. Someone may make a related point, or perhaps just a humourous remark, which others will pick up on and run with, and while I know that sometimes threads do veer off topic (I have 'previous' here), they usually come back, whether of their own accord, or by prompting from posters or, if necessary, the intervention of a Mod or two. There's no great harm in this. Maybe the original Thread/Posting had become a bit 'stale' and the 'off-topic' posts had opened up a new avenue for discussion - in which case a new thread is often created - eg the discussion on R56 Power Figures and Remaps, which 'grew' out of the New GP thread (the GP thread was fine, but it 'created' a new discussion which I'd argue was quite interesting in itself).

I think a great deal of the fun and interest on NMS is in the variety of topics and the variety of responses within those topics. I don't believe that NMS is primarily a "serious place to discuss MINIs", there are plenty of 'serious' discussions (if we can define 'serious' in a MINI context - there's irony there somewhere...), but heaven forbid we should have the introduction of 'Big Brother Ministry of Banter' or 'Off-Topic Crime'. In Car Club World, that's a very short step away from Flat Caps, jaggy tweeds and Serial Numbers... and I don't think anyone 'dropping by' would linger long if that was what they found on NMS. I know I wouldn't!

MINI is essentially about having FUN, and NMS is as much about the people and the banter as it is about our fab cars, so let's not throw throw the baby out with the bathwater.

By the way, did anybody see the new '5th Gear' the other night? Vicky's still looking good eh?..... AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!

[Craig]

Not concerned re off topic as it normally sorts itself out. If we as mods/admins go by the letter of the law and mod the off topic stuff out of most of the threads we would be accused of "over modding" and have been in the past. Damned if you do damned if you don't.

This site is as good as what the members put into it. I for one have put a lot of work into the site over the years and I've got A LOT of satisfaction out of it and made a lot of great friends If your not happy with it, pull yer finger oot and do something for the site. (start a discussion, organise a meet/run/event). If nobody organised anything this place would be very very quiet. It seems to always be the same people organising events and the same people moaning like old fish wives that things aren't right. for the avoidance of doubt, these 2 groups are not the same people

[stoney]

I don't see a big prob with going off topic I am on a few forms and most threads go off topic at some point :)

But if the general feel is they should not then I will happily start moving off topic posts out of threads

[N16SHP]

I think when threads go 'Off Topic' usually someone tends to suggest it has and the group works back on point.

I don't think NMS has seen better days, yes it is a little quiet, but then like Craig and others have said, if you (you meaning everyone) don't put anything in, don't expect to get anything back. Mon also made a very good point, people often only join for technical help etc. I for one joined TM and fully intended to post but that forum is HUGE and unless your on top of it daily it's very hard to keep up therefore I am one of the people who only use it for technical info.

I personally really like the pace of NMS, along with the banter and chat and like others have made some great friends. If I had more cash (don't we all wish that) and time I would attend more runs and heck, I'd even try and organise a meet for us folk from up north but sadly other things take priority in my life, and if my favourite Mini Owners Club (read NMS) is a little quiet then so be it, it WILL pick up eventually!

While I'm at it, a'l also bang the drum for the mods and say you guys do a great job of keeping this site friendly and on track!

[ELFMAN]

While I'm at it, a'l also bang the drum for the mods and say you guys do a great job of keeping this site friendly and on track!

I'd like to echo this sentiment!
There's a lot of work which goes on 'behind the scenes' so that people like me can come on here and play, and we really DO appreciate it

And the same goes for everyone (you all know who you are) who organises or has organised a Run or a Meet. I admire your determination, time-management and organisational skills - I don't seem to be able to organise myself, far less anything else...

THANKS!

[MINI William]

By no means are any of the threads over mod'ed. I can't remember the last time that I had to delete a post or move things around. The only example of any modding that I can think of recently is the GP reveled thread where things moved on from the new GP to remaps and power for the R56. This itself was a totally diffrent conversation and I dont think anyone could or would argue as to why these posts were moved to a new thread in the relevent part of the site.

As to the site seeing better, as others have said you only get out what you put in. Runs, meets, shows etc do increase regulars posting on the site but due to increased fuel prices and the economic climate as it is people dont a) have the money to either organise or attened a run or b) time to organise or attened a run. Anyone can organise or attened any NMS event we don't bite. On the other side some people don't like the social aspect of the site and are more than happy with just posting within the fourms, but I personally would find posts that were purely informative with all off topic banter stripped would make for a very boring site indeed and I doubt that people would join or even stay for boring.