The future of the chat thread: Now with a decision!

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The Chat Thread, in its current form, will be closed at 50,000 posts. We have been invited to discuss what form of chat we would like in the future.

The current daily chat threads will, to the best of my knowledge, continue in their current form regardless. The question is, will these threads be sufficient to cover general daily chat, with additional threads as needed, or is there still a place for a longer chat thread, to contain rants, drunken ramblings and general madness.

My position is that, yes, a longer thread is still needed, and I believe a suggested name for it of "Behind the Bikesheds" is rather appropriate. However, other views are also needed.

I know this was discussed at length last summer, in a situation that caused discussions to get heated. There has been time since for reflection so hopefully this can be a positive discusson. Please contribute, if only to say that you have no interest whatsoever in whatever the crazy section of the membership wants to get up to!

I'd like to have a thread along the lines of the present chat thread, where we can just let off steam without starting a new thread, where we can just general chit chat, where knowing each other isn't a problem so calling someone by their name isn't wrong.
What I don't want is to start a new thread each month, by now everyone should know we are just a little crazy, but likeable people so there should be no need to restart each month.

I've never used the chat thread, so I don't mind what form it takes.
Helen

I'd like everyone reading it to feel welcome and to be encouraged to contribute.

JacquiL wrote:
I'd like to have a thread along the lines of the present chat thread, where we can just let off steam without starting a new thread, where we can just general chit chat, where knowing each other isn't a problem so calling someone by their name isn't wrong.
What I don't want is to start a new thread each month, by now everyone should know we are just a little crazy, but likeable people so there should be no need to restart each month.

Calling people by their name isn't 'wrong', but it CAN be divisive.

So therefore the forum policy is that in order for everyone to understand who is being referred to, or addressed, usernames are used.

Whatever area evolves after the chat thread is closed, it will still have to abide by forum rules and guidelines.

There cannot, and should not, be an area where the forum rules don't matter for a select few.

The chat thread looks to me like (and I mean LOOKS like ;) ) a place where people who know a lot about each other hang around to natter about this and that. I have maybe opened it two or three times but the sheer number of pages and posts is off putting so I haven't bothered since.

Just a thought; on Materneo we have a slimmers post. It used to be a never ending thing with a hundred odd pages. It wasn't very inviting to people who weren't already on it or who were new to the forum. Now they start a new one every month which makes it a lot more approachable to everyone. If there was a new chat thread every month I might find it easier to look in and join in from time to time and maybe I'm not alone.

But it's not something I'm losing any sleep over :)

starting it weekly or monthly was something that has been looked at AuntG. So I think your post is a really valuable contribution.

Corris wrote:
JacquiL wrote:
I'd like to have a thread along the lines of the present chat thread, where we can just let off steam without starting a new thread, where we can just general chit chat, where knowing each other isn't a problem so calling someone by their name isn't wrong.
What I don't want is to start a new thread each month, by now everyone should know we are just a little crazy, but likeable people so there should be no need to restart each month.

Calling people by their name isn't 'wrong', but it CAN be divisive.

So therefore the forum policy is that in order for everyone to understand who is being referred to, or addressed, usernames are used.

Whatever area evolves after the chat thread is closed, it will still have to abide by forum rules and guidelines.

There cannot, and should not, be an area where the forum rules don't matter for a select few.

I put down what I'd like, but even before a full discussion I'm being told no, sorry but that's just, imo, wrong.
Oh and as for no names, there are many posts on the forum where a person is called by their name and nothing has been done

I dont want one every week or month thank you I wanted one that goes to the same 50,000 posts come on we started the thread as the killer one and it took off I dont want to lose that. Why change that we have the daily scribbles now so whats wrong with a thread all about our rants and raves and general nonsense. I cant just post on all the threads late at night thats why I got to the chat one mostly or did in the past cos I trawl the halls late at night.

As for calling peeps by their name I am guilty of that all the time cos I do know peeps and we do get familiar with that person its a fact you know we all do it eventually. As for being divisive eh where did that come from?

Dollypeeps wrote:
As for being divisive eh where did that come from?

Well, if you read AuntyG's post above, about her experiences on another forum, you'll see a great example of how huge threads dominated by a small handful of people can be off-putting. We want to be as inclusive as possible - but then we all said our pieces on this theme last time, didn't we, so let's not wear out our typing fingers going over old ground.

Looks like we will be covering old ground though and yes it might cause an argument and I did read AuntyG's post ftr.

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