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Depends on what you think the forum is for. If it's meant to a Reference Work where a clear question gets a clear answer, then it's badly adrift. To achieve reference quality would require much more discipline and that's not what I want. I have books for that.

I don't think the forum should be at all formal. More like what happens when a group of friends meet in a bar to discuss items of common interest. Personality is allowed. One might be Deadly Serious, another a Clown. Some will have the wrong end of the stick, others incomprehensibly expert. Quite often the bloke who knows the right answer is too shy to speak up until he's had a few. A fair amount of rubbish will be talked, there might be hissy fits, offensive remarks and misunderstandings but on the whole there's much value in the exchange. In my mind forum threads don't have to have ends, rather they can develop as conversations.

On the whole I've mostly found the wandering nature of threads valuable because of the cross-fertilisation, and I think the informality encourages people to join in. But I do sympathise with those irritated by the more extreme ramblings! Sorry when it was my fault!

Dave

A conversation, which is what we have here, is a living animate thing, with as many different opinions and nuggets of information as there are people involved in it. In a good conversation everyone involved should go away that little bit wiser than when they joined it. Every day is a school day. Sometimes the topic wanders, as the core subject is pulled to and fro, and people are reminded of usefull things they learned, and wish to pass on to others. By this method, knowlege advances! Specialisation is for Insects! (R Heinlein)

I have the view that everyone should be welcome to contribute regardless of skill, knowledge and experience – everyone wants to belong to "something" and IMHO it's not for anyone to be excluded

Threads which meander are usually more informative than a straightforward answer. I have learnt an enormous amount perusing various threads which don't immedately answer my specific question but spark further interest

I'm glad you said that Bazyle, you are now my go-to guy

Silly old duffer , +1

Having no background in mechanical engineering I think I would have given up metal mangling a long time ago if it wasn't for this forum. I've sometimes asked questions which have been answered in the first few replies, but have then meandered on for several pages. I actually like it when then happens because my question has sparked a discussion, so it's not only me who's interested. I usually glean some unlooked for knowledge as well.

When I ask a question on a Linux forum which I use, I get instructions from a guru to execute a command and post the output. I do that and I'm instructed to execute another command. Whoo-hoo, problem solved, then I have to tick a box which effectively closes the topic – but I didn't learn anything.

Carry on wittering is what I say!

Robin

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Interesting advice

Theory would suggest that this might result in a non-circular cross-section.

MichaelG.

Can anyone explain why we need two clairvoyant onions? does the recipe also include eye of bat?

I'll get my cloak…

Edited By Andy Carruthers on 23/03/2019 03:38:27

Ian P : I too am guilty of adding comments to threads which probably add to the topic drift and which are of no interest to the original member, but I am far from alone!

Hopper: Often the discussion moves on to other related, and not so related, topics from the original question. Those posting and replying to such posts are obviously interested so why should they not continue the discussion?

If the Post originator has had his question answered to some sort of usefulness, or considers advise given to have settled his mind, then by all means drift away…But , if not, it is rather selfish to just take the topic off in an irrelevant direction, just because it 'stimulates' the rest of the folk, while ignoring the poor chap who asked the question in the first place

SOD: Depends on what you think the forum is for. If it's meant to a Reference Work where a clear question gets a clear answer, then it's badly adrift. To achieve reference quality would require much more discipline and that's not what I want. I have books for that.

I would not think advice as to the use of a motor on a drill press to be reference work – the fellow was merely asking…

I don't think the forum should be at all formal. More like what happens when a group of friends meet in a bar to discuss items of common interest. Personality is allowed. One might be Deadly Serious, another a Clown. Some will have the wrong end of the stick, others incomprehensibly expert. Quite often the bloke who knows the right answer is too shy to speak up until he's had a few. A fair amount of rubbish will be talked, there might be hissy fits, offensive remarks and misunderstandings but on the whole there's much value in the exchange. In my mind forum threads don't have to have ends, rather they can develop as conversations.

And while the rest of the group gets sloshed, the chap who entered with a request for knowledge leaves the pub…

Brian Wood: Hopper makes a pertinent point that, on occasion, other interesting material [unrelated to the topic] gets added, but because of that it very soon becomes invisible and cannot be traced with ease.

Howard Lewis: Some posts do drift, well off, topic, (Guilty as charged, too! ) But, on or off topic, the info that comes to light is almost always interesting. Only problem is that I can rarely remember which topic it was that contained the info now needed!

Robin Graham: Having no background in mechanical engineering I think I would have given up metal mangling a long time ago if it wasn't for this forum. I've sometimes asked questions which have been answered in the first few replies, but have then meandered on for several pages. I actually like it when then happens because my question has sparked a discussion, so it's not only me who's interested. I usually glean some unlooked for knowledge as well.

If the question has been answered, then you no longer have the podium, so anything goes..I guess..But I don't consider is remotely good manners to kick the chap off the podium, with his query still hanging, while you pursue your own agenda – if you want to do that, start your own driftable topic..

When I ask a question on a Linux forum which I use, I get instructions from a guru to execute a command and post the output. I do that and I'm instructed to execute another command. Whoo-hoo, problem solved, then I have to tick a box which effectively closes the topic – but I didn't learn anything.

You did not learn because you chose not to – you asked a question how to fix the problem and got the good answer. If you wanted to know 'why' then you could ask more, or better still, follow SOD's advice and get some reference material…There is no excuse for not using your brain..

If someone asks how to thread on the lathe, many will chip in with the ideal way, other ways, right and wrong ways, from the front, from the back, etc, etc – The question will have been answered, but the true newbie will be NONE THE WISER till he tries, makes mistakes and LEARNS. And no doubt many will propose that he review some reference material, such as the various lathe screwcutting books and booklets, etc. That's how you learn..

I for one do not appreciate excessive topic drift while my query remains in the cold..

My 1 Namibian Dollar's worth..

​​​​​​​Now all have your go at me…

Joe

There's another forum I have been a member of which has a policy of deleting posts without warning or explanation, or even of appeal which are not strictly concerned with the subject matter. The same forum has strict policies on all sorts of things, eg what one may say, and to some extent, even subject matter.

Now the forum does have some very useful stuff appearing on it, and I have attempted to contribute what little I know, but, and it's a big but, when posts get deleted without any explanation there is no incentive to continue posting with the result that I have now given up on that forum.

To be fair, that forum is privately run, and the owners are concerned about their personal responsibility, but I do think that their moderation is over the top.

Now I don't know what sort of moderation is applied on this forum, but I do like the free and easy part of it. What's more, I haven't noticed anything like the same strictness being applied in terms of subject matter, but then, these other subjects may not have arisen.

Like other contributors here, yes we do wander, but that's ok with me – even if it does show up my lack of knowledge.

Leave it alone, and keep using it.

Peter G. Shaw

It does help if people posting answers/comments read the original post correctly in the first place.