Chit-Chat Forum

[Kiowa Warrior]

Some of you may remember that a while back we had a sub-forum in the main Community forum called Chit-Chat which was later removed, but after speaking it over with some people in OT and with Roco, we’ve decided to bring it back.

What is it?

Essentially it’s a forum for you to talk about anything and anything, meaning the threads and posts do not have to have any real substance to them. Post count will be turned off in this forum, but will remain in the main OT forum.

Current threads in the main OT forum - even though they qualify for Chit Chat status - will be left where they are, and the rules governing OT threads will begin as soon as it’s made.

Threads that should be in Chit Chat:

- Happy Birthday/welcome back/come on msn threads
- I’m leaving the forum for a bit to go on holiday/revise/get my social life back
- OMG I just stubbed my toe on my chair and it really hurts!
- Private jokes
etc.etc.etc.

Also any thread that begins off a serious discussion but descends into chit chat will be moved.

Threads that should be in the Main OT forum:

- Serious debates
- Current news stories
- A question of substance that everyone can contribute to

Basically just please use your common sense: I fail to believe that no-one here can differentiate between a thread that is chit chat at heart and one that is a genuinely solid OT thread. Often the case is that some people just think creating their thread in the main OT thread is more prestigious, but all that happens is that the quality threads of OT will be diluted and we then have to spend time moving them.

It’s often the case that quality OT threads descend into chit chat, and this can be prevented. If a thread about, say, Global Warming ends up becoming a discussion about British Politics I personally don’t think that’s a problem, because conversations in real life tend to evolve and change in the blink of an eye sometimes, and so I think it’s only natural for forum threads to as well.

The problem is not a change of topic so much, but when a handful of people post page after page of conversation between themselves, and jokingly insult/role play etc. with one another which not only has nothing to do with the thread’s original topic, but is contributing nothing meaningful at all. It kills the thread’s debate, and is not fair on anyone else who wants to join in on the debate but can’t because they have to scroll through pages of rambling chit chat and feel like they are intruding on a personal conversation.

So please just stop and think for a minute about what you’re posting, and if you get a burning desire to say something/do something to another person that you know or have a good feeling will go on and on and on, just create a thread in chit chat and take it there.

Thanks, and any questions feel free to ask

[monster-eats-pilot]

I knew this day would come again! Thanks!

[Kiowa Warrior]

As a result of the Chit-Chat forum being introduced I've moved the Hi/Bye thread into it, since that's an on-going thread where chit-chat will take place. (Other threads created before the CC forum will remain in Main OT, since they are not stickied and are unlikely to be an on-going thread like Hi/Bye)

As a result some of you may notice that your post counts have decreased by various amounts, but at the end of the day posts counts don't really matter, do they?