When I first joined the forum, there were threads about fish, tanks, issues and just silliness, and they tended to be distinct. The occasional joke gets into any thread, but they tended to at least follow the intent of the OP.
I apologize to the mods as I've been guilty myself, but recently, I find things getting a bit silly. The intent of the OP is being torpedoed in some cases. I kind of enjoy when a thread has been talked through and things get a bit off topic at the end, after the original question has been examined by people who bring something to the discussion. It doesn't matter what their level of experience is - it's the intent we should consider when we post. The original poster is here to listen to suggestions from other aquarists, and we should prioritize making those suggestions, observations and discussions, whether we're right or wrong. Throwing the ideas out there is how we test our practices.
I've watched the dead weight of chatter kill a few forums, so that new arrivals felt like there was an in crowd, and nothing ever got discussed in any helpful manner. By all means, we should joke about things that are funny, but we should remain aware of context, and make certain we're "doing our jobs" while we entertain ourselves. First, we deal with the question. Then, once it all looks satisfactory, we go dancing.
I like to use the 'reactions' to gauge the usefulness of what I try to say. If I get way off topic too often, the ratio of posts to reactions tilts towards posts.
I apologize to the mods as I've been guilty myself, but recently, I find things getting a bit silly. The intent of the OP is being torpedoed in some cases. I kind of enjoy when a thread has been talked through and things get a bit off topic at the end, after the original question has been examined by people who bring something to the discussion. It doesn't matter what their level of experience is - it's the intent we should consider when we post. The original poster is here to listen to suggestions from other aquarists, and we should prioritize making those suggestions, observations and discussions, whether we're right or wrong. Throwing the ideas out there is how we test our practices.
I've watched the dead weight of chatter kill a few forums, so that new arrivals felt like there was an in crowd, and nothing ever got discussed in any helpful manner. By all means, we should joke about things that are funny, but we should remain aware of context, and make certain we're "doing our jobs" while we entertain ourselves. First, we deal with the question. Then, once it all looks satisfactory, we go dancing.
I like to use the 'reactions' to gauge the usefulness of what I try to say. If I get way off topic too often, the ratio of posts to reactions tilts towards posts.
