Do we really need a Random Thoughts thread? Thoughts.

[phoenix123]

but those are references to a type of parlance that, while only a minority prefer, is still understandible.

The rule about not using txt spk cos dntknw wt pplr syin n dey usul writ paras of it is very sensible.

 

[Dennis]

Is it really a minority who prefer that parlance? Or are they just the most vocal users, making it feel like a majority?

(I sound much more bitter about this subject than I actually am, I don't actually feel 'left out', that's a bit too dramatic.)

The new set of rules will be interesting.

 

[phoenix123]

It's a vocal minority.

One who I sit and smile at in a motherly fashion and sometimes humour.

It's really not worth getting too het up about just talk to some of us normal people - who don't have a cache of Xtina gifs for every occasion!

I can't ever fathom "reporting" someone for something as inoffensive as posting silly pictures or holding a different opinion to me or whatever. Homophobia, racism, sexism, threats of violence etc fine but posting a gif? PLEASE.

 

[Alphableat]

If I'm honest, I still don't really understand what has happened or why the thread was closed. People mocked someone's autism? Really? I didn't see that in Random Thoughts, and wouldn't dream of joining in seeing as I work with disabled kids, many of whom have autism or autistic traits. All I saw (and joined in with) was laughing about 'necrotarians': a hilariously odd word for meat-eaters.

 

[Dennis]

If I'm honest, I still don't really understand what has happened or why the thread was closed. People mocked someone's autism? Really? I didn't see that in Random Thoughts, and wouldn't dream of joining in seeing as I work with disabled kids, many of whom have autism or autistic traits. All I saw (and joined in with) was laughing about 'necrotarians': a hilariously odd word for meat-eaters.

Which was first mentioned in a Gaga thread by someone who may or not have had issues. He or she was bullied there, the thread was closed, and the bullying continued elsewhere. It was hilarious.

 

[phoenix123]

Sounds like it could have continued in any number of other threads. Clearly it wasn't the thread that was the problem.

Are these alleged bullies being communicated with at least, I wonder, so that something constructive can come out of this?

 

[heyho]

I think the whole wig/gorl talk should be ok in off-topic. That's like the lunch break at work or something.

Maybe I'm visiting the wrong threads but I rarely see this kind of talk on the main board, and when I do it's really not for pages or something, just one or two comments.

Sometimes you have to be careful with restrictions because a little fun every now and then is needed. I don't want the board to go on for 200 pages duscussing Beyonce's falsetto without one single comment saying "dayum her ass is fine" just because we "have to be intelligent".

 

[Rogue]

I think we definitely need a Random Thoughts thread. I'm not the most prolific poster, but it really is one of my favourite parts of the forum.

The fun is really getting sucked out of here at the moment. Apart from the Lists forum, as always.

 

[SophiaSophia]

I do feel a bit intimidated at times to post in off topic because there are elements of "cliqueyness" and the in jokes especially since the makeover with some moderation it would be a more pleasant environment again I feel like if I post I might disturb the environment in the thread. But every forum needs a general chat so that it doesn't spread to the main forum.

The stan speak has gone up again but it doesn't bother me though.

 

[AugustMoon]

Sounds like it could have continued in any number of other threads. Clearly it wasn't the thread that was the problem.

Are these alleged bullies being communicated with at least, I wonder, so that something constructive can come out of this?

That thread very much is that problem. It's true that people can use any place to talk about other people behind their backs, but the Random Thoughts has been a very convenient place for such an activity. Which I have noticed several times over the last year or so. But then again it's true what you say, that in this way those discussions are very public, and people will have to restrain themselves - self-moderate, so to speak. Which is a good thing.

As I said before, Random Thoughts must be a pain for the moderators to deal with. But it could be worth the effort. An artist like Lady Gaga inspires heated discussions and difficult threads, and that's definitely something a contemporary pop forum has to deal with. I think a Random Thoughts thread is something similar.

 

[vasilios]

I think the whole wig/gorl talk should be ok in off-topic. That's like the lunch break at work or something.

Maybe I'm visiting the wrong threads but I rarely see this kind of talk on the main board, and when I do it's really not for pages or something, just one or two comments.

Sometimes you have to be careful with restrictions because a little fun every now and then is needed. I don't want the board to go on for 200 pages duscussing Beyonce's falsetto without one single comment saying "dayum her ass is fine" just because we "have to be intelligent".

Correcto.

 

[RHOPJ]

Bring back Debord as a moderator I say.....can anyone persuade him to comeback?

I've been trying for years but he refuses to waste his time. The forum wouldn't know what hit it if Debord returned to moderate it!

 

[Alphableat]

I don't remember much about debord, but I remember that we didn't get along.

 

[duckface]

Most of the people who have spoken negatively about Random Thoughts in this thread are people who never participated. If you don't participate, then why do you care? It's like me calling for the closure of the Q&A section or the K-Pop threads.

 

[Oceandrive]

As a new member, I can say Random Thoughts has helped me get to know a lot of people on here and develop a good relationship with some or a better understanding of others.
A lot of us actually have a good sense of humour and when comments are made they are mostly just jokes, because we get it each other. Sometimes, a superiority complex is just as bad as people acting like fools.
I can write paragraph on paragraph about a subject matter at hand, but it just becomes exhausting after a while. Variety is what makes this place enjoyable. I mean, I made a passing comment about a wig and got a 4 page letter about how I was exploiting a culture and being racist, and i'm sitting here looking in the mirror, shaking my head.

I also saw one of my favourite members post about how they have had a really tough week and this place has been some light relief for them. That's a great tool for somebody to be able to get away from the craziness of daily life and just have an outlet. Throwing down loads of rules is ok, this place does need to be a controlled environment, but I would rather not have all the fun sucked out of PJ.
I also don't think this forum is in half as bad shape as it is being made out to be.

 

[RJF]

I'd like to make something perfectly crystal-clear right now before this spirals out of context even further and me and other members get labelled bullies for no reason at all:

The Lady GaGa thread on Saturday was genuinely the most absurd thing I have ever seen on this forum in the three and a half years I have been a member. We had people who only crawl out of the woodwork when there's hating to be done, spewing absolute garbage (Which I did report, and it was dealt with.) over a completely irrelevant feud with the fucking Osbournes... and then out of bloody nowhere, we have someone charging in to post never-ending diatribes about Lady GaGa's anti-vegan behaviour (?!?!?!?!?!?!); diatribes that increased in length and ferocity and irrelevancy to the topic at hand like the poster was a fucking runaway train. It was completely and utterly ridiculous. Not one person in that thread singled out SuckMyBean for any kind of handicap. Hell, the only thing we could do in the face of such behaviour was to laugh at it. What would have been the preferred method? To fight fire with fire? There was no intelligent discussion to be had because the point being made was absolutely insane, and anyone who did actually try to respond rationally got nothing but an aggressive reply for their trouble. I'm actually a little angry to be made out as a bully over a situation that could have been even worse had we not chosen to just throw our hands up and surrender and see the humour of it all. It was fucking hilarious and so, so awful.

I'm not even touching the current conversation in the ARTPOP thread.

 

[SBK]

Most of the people who have spoken negatively about Random Thoughts in this thread are people who never participated. If you don't participate, then why do you care? It's like me calling for the closure of the Q&A section or the K-Pop threads.

I think part of the problem there is, to someone whos not part of the group who's in that thread every night till 4am chatting, its quite an intimidating thread.

The alternative to the all encompassing thread would be to relax the rules about what we can start new topics about. There are probably a lot of topics discussed in Random Thoughts that a lot never see because they aren't up for trawling through the thread to talk about it.

There's been several occasions where I've wanted to reply to something and I've not done so because there's been 23 pages of new posts since the post I want to quote.

I dunno maybe I'm on my own here, but it might be more inviting for more threads about various topics rather than one big one with the support act Insane Crushes featuring GAY and Relationships.

 

[StratusJM]

^ This is a good point too. I mean I love Random Thoughts but it is a bit fast-flowing - I think Off Topic should be more open to new threads being opened, even if they're not very successful. Not every thread needs to be a future staple of the board.

And re: reporting - I used to, and then gave up because I never saw anything get done. If it's worth reporting again then sure, I will, but I've been out of the habit for a long time and I can see why so many others are.

 

[duckface]

I'm not 'in there until 4 a.m. chatting'. Before a couple of months ago I rarely even entered it. The premise is basically, enter and engage if there is an interesting conversation going on. To call it clique-y is silly; it really is no more clique-y than any other thread on any other message board. It takes time to build relationships.

 

[Someboy]

A few points:

- I check every single report. I know there have been lapses in the past, but these days it's the first thing I do when I get on the forum. FUN.

- I never, ever moderate "webspeak" or "gorl-talk" in the Off-Topic section, because it would be a bit like Noah trying to squeeze every animal in sight on the ark instead of the two per species limit.

- You all might not mind the sharing of intimate details (sexual or otherwise), but you need to look more broadly beyond one thread and think about what implications it might have. We've had some members be threatened by other members in the past, because they had been able to piece together information about them from the forum. So you might think "Me and my crush finally went downtown tonight!" is innocent enough, but before you know it some psychopath is messaging you your parent's address.

- I always give new members a bit of leeway in terms of moderating, but for people who have been here for years and are fully aware of the rules - even if they're not officially posted - it's hard to have much patience.

- If everyone were like Vasilios, there wouldn't be any problems. Except grammatical, but that's OK.