Thread Drift - pros & cons?

[Alex_UK]

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[Mike]

[Marco]

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LOL. You're the best example of the lot, matey. You've only been here 12 days and you're already a 'Senior Member' with 126 posts...

I guess you're part of the 'in-crowd', then?

Marco.

[jandl100]

Perhaps the little mite in Alex's avatar leant on the keyboard!

[DaveK]

Hi Guys,
Here I go again!! Once again I find myself in conflict with 'Management' in general an Marco in particular - sorry Marco, it's nothing personal.

I agree with all the comments here, particularly Joe's, which for me are spot-on. Agreed, particularly his first post.

I admit that I'm as guilty as most (or even more so ) of thread drift, Yep! and I will watch this in future, however I think some people need to lighten up a bit. Nobody's really uptight from what I read - I certainly aint, despite the impression my large font bright red posting may have given, but it was the second time the thread drift alert button had been pressed.

Jerry,
If newbies are so easily 'put off' by a bit of banter/thread drift then perhaps they don't really belong here? Start being picky about who 'belongs here' and who doesn't is well on the way to being cliquey, IMHO. Everyone who feels that they might like to join should be made to feel welcome. Any element of cliqueyness that they detect whilst they are 'lurking' is going to tend to disuade potential valued new members. If they subsequently decide not to remain, fair enough. Have 'Management' done any surveys of the numbers of people who join, post rarely or not at all and then disappear? I've done a brief one and it don't make encouraging reading as far as healthy growth of the forum is concerned, IMHO. I've said before that no forum can be all things to all men, and we don't purport to be. True but perhaps it shouldn't stop us from trying! AOS has a unique 'flavour' (some might say that that flavour is tinged with cliqueyness) which sets us apart from other forums, and this is something that we (the 'Management/bill payers?) value. but do all the members and potential members?

Most new members seem to settle into our style quickly and easily and are far from put off. The ones that stay do but lots don't The stats prove this. (not the ones that I've looked at!) I would cite Dave C, Alex UK, DSJR, Haselsh1, Labarum, Covenant, Aquapiranha, Martin T, barry.d.hunt, and Hamish Gill (amongst others), as excellent examples of 'newbies' (or relative newbies) settling in and quickly embracing what AOS is all about. Be honest, Dave C has expressed his reservations before but decided that the only way to bring about change is from the inside.

As for the 'in crowd' thing, no disrespect to your favourite forum, Wigwam (they're far from alone in this), but it's hardly a shining example of being non-'in crowd'. There are more cliques there than at a Mason's convention!

Marco.

I stay with the forum because, by and large I enjoy the 'company' of the fellow members, I value the free and easy attitude that prevails and I particularly value all the help, advice and information that is equally freely exchanged. Accordingly it would take a lot for me to give all this up but I did seriously consider it a while back - remember Marco?
I accept without question the bill-payers absolute right to run the forum as they want it to be run and to have a 'couldn't-care-less' attitude about anyone who doesn't share the same view but isn't that almost a definition of a clique?
Just to confirm, you'll have to kick me out to stop me posting similar views when the subject is raised (by others - my thoughts on the subject are already well known).
Cheers,

[aquapiranha]

FWIW I think that AOS is less guilty of this than the other forums I often look at. PFM for example often has threads digress to subjects such as the KKK, Hitler and celebrity chefs on a regular basis! plus, the animosity between a certain number of regular posters often derails a subject. HFWW appears to be lately more concerned with who is worth a shag rather than HIFI.

Just IMO

[Marco]

Hi Dave,

I think you've misunderstood me, old chap. I'll get to it later as I'm in the middle of telling the electrician where to put the waterproof ceiling speakers in our new bathroom!

Marco.

[DaveK]

Hi Marco,
T'aint necessary to get back to me - I have my views and you have yours - and never the twain shall meet, young chap! In your favour, the ability to agree to disagree without falling out is another of the strengths of this forum - hope I don't push it beyond the limits but I am unlikely to change my view - it is a matter of perception and, like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. I see a clique core in this forum, you don't; end of story.
Cheers,
PS
Always good to hear from you but .......

[DaveK]

Hi Dave,
I'm in the middle of telling the electrician where to put the waterproof ceiling speakers in our new bathroom!

Marco.

There must be a joke in there somewhere about that well known Leak sound but for the life of me I can't think of one!!
Cheers,
PS
Sorry for the thread drift .

[Alex_UK]

Perhaps the little mite in Alex's avatar leant on the keyboard!

Absolutely spot on - how funny was that, bless her!!!!