To Share A Thread I've been wanting to share this for sometime and tried in vain. :we2-policeman: Here's the scoop. I was over on another thread where someone was howling that it had been hi-jacked. This is balderdash in my opinion. A thread goes where a thread goes, as does a discussion. With me you can take it any direction you want. I don't own it! Nor does anyone else that starts a thread here. I strongly feel the thread belongs to those who participate on it. WE make it happen. Most of us are good friends, any old way... and you'd have to go some to offend most of us here. We can tease by dishing it out and taking it right back. So, there's no need for anyone to be offended. I will be more then glad to see this thread go in it's own direction. As it should. And don't ever apologize to me, for turning the discussion in a different direction. Do it, just do it... and let's see what we can learn. Good I got that off my chest. Now I feels better! What's your opinion? And feel free to share it. You won't offend me...MUCH!err: Have fun!
We Can Agree To Disagree! On another issue: Threads tend to get shut down in a hurry when it appears "We might get into an argument". That irritates me. There is no reason why we can't disagree. To agree to disagree and still be able to state our opinions. And, to keep things civil. One fellow, irritated at something I said, posted it and the thread was locked down before I could respond. I welcome anyone's comments. Should you disagree with me, do me a favor, post it by quoting me. Now, it becomes my problem to respond and defend myself. You can even send me a PM (Private Message or E-mail). No one can lock us out of that discussion. I welcome an open discussion and yes, we need to keep our temper's under control here. The keeping it civil thing. Summary: So, If you don't like something I said, you can PM me or openly challenge me to a duel...of words. Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words...I think you get my drift. Hurrumph hurrumph! biggrin: Now that would be one Hell-of a BIRTHDAY GIFT!
Sunday September 27th. If anyone would like to see my layout and BS a bit on the 27th drop me a line and I will send you my address and phone #. I have a visitor from Australia comming by and it would be nice to have a few people there at the same time to represent area modelers. Seriously come on by on the 27th. Is that hijacking enough. I agree Rick. Its like standing in a room and having a face to face with many people. The disscusion can go anywhere and should be expected. Now if someone goes off topic and someone else suggests he/she start a new threed, but the off topic guy decides not to as thier querry was answered then it should be no big deal. I know many are worried that topics may be hidden within off topic threads but we do have a search option by phrase and words. Anyway, one day at band camp.....
Topical drift is quite normal. It's OK. A completely new discussion can be started, springboarding from the old. Topics closed- We have some hot button subjects, which from past experience we have found are simply best to avoid- Especially in a litigious society. Either when they start down a certain path, or altogether. What you don't see is the work we are forced to do, when these crop up, behind the scenes. It's not much fun for us, and can be quite time consuming. Boxcab E50
One more thing: You don't have to like me to discuss something with me. The same goes around back at you. My friends and family say of me. "He doesn't know anyone that isn't a friend". You are a friend until you declare me your foe. Even so, the door to be a friend remains open. So, let's have some fun! To Administration: If this has been posted in the wrong forum please feel free to move it but please don't lock this down. Let it roll. Have fun!
I haven't had any problems on my Mopac thread. I find it's a place to share my work with others who have similar interest. If someone were to post a pic of their work on my thread its no big deal. If it got way off topic (as in non-railroad) I can always steer it back. Oh BTW.....Happy B-day Rick. I just turned the big 60 a couple of weeks ago.
I tend to think of threads on these forums as conversations like we would have if in person. Obviously, it's not exactly the same.... ......AND I can't remember the last time I had a conversation with anyone that didn't drift off to one or more other topics...
If my time on a given forum, or at the keyboard in general, is constrained for various reasons, but I have a somewhat pressing desire or need for specificity in responses when I finally manage to get my question presented to the forum, I would not be pleased to see its desired concentration of effort diluted (polluted) by irrelevant or other self-serving questions tagged onto it. This is a question of courtesy and respect for others who use the forum. If we were engaged in a conversation at an office or even a house party, and someone listened for a few seconds and then interjected (a useful term that..) with a widely divergent question or bit of information, wouldn't interested observers wonder at the social skills of the asker? I know I would. Why would it be different in this social milieu? Why should good manners be discarded simply because of the format of access and delivery? I will disagree emphatically with the assertion that once I pose a question I don't "own" it any longer. If I had no vested interest in the outcome, what would have been my purpose in posing it in the first place? If I ask you for directions at curbside, would you be of any utility to me if you were to open your wallet and show me photos of your kids? In summary, it is a marked discourtesy for someone to hijack (a useful term that...) a thread meant to serve the author's needs without first seeking consent from the originator of the thread to do so. If the OP agrees, so be it and the thread is open. What I would like you to think about is the possibility that the OP may not give his consent. If that turns out to be the case, would you do what you wish anyway? And if you do, would that not tell the rest of us something about your character? If you were the harried and pressed asker, would you not want to have the courtesy of a request from an onlooker for the thread to be diverted (another useful term...) to his purposes instead of yours? All very straightforward to my way of thinking.
Sometimes you might see a locked thread and wonder why when you see only mild disagreements in a civil discussion going on. What you don't see may be an exchange that was deleted by the staff when the topic was locked. We like to leave the posts that are informative while not allowing the belligerent parties to carry on their fight in public.
Happy Birthday Rick! My ATSF thread has went in mamny different directions and I have really enjoyed them all. Keeps it interesting. I agree this forum has some of the best members on the net, and 'arguing' is really minimal. I have learned alot from threads that stayed on course, and ones that seemed to go everyway.
"Take this thread to Cuba!" I always thought complaints of thread hijacking were rather silly- threads don't necessarily have to stay on one single topic. Unless things get ugly, let it go. It'll eventually get back around to where it started. And BTW- happy birthday Rick....................:tb-biggrin:
Hey, Rick! Happy Birthday! One of my good friends and his wife just welcomed a new arrival yesterday, so there's one person who has a close birthday now. Now, let me tell you what happened the other week at the vintage tractor show. You see...
Happy birthday, Rick! Sometimes topics drift in a good way, and we get useful insights and even humor. I can't think of a serious question ever being hijacked. It may not be answered; it may not have an answer. "How long is a piece of string?" for example. But well constructed queries and theories have been universally appreciated and rarely hijacked. Most locked threads have been thoroughly discussed in the staff forums, behind the scenes. Blatant abuses are typically locked and/or removed quickly, but others are discussed because they are not blatant, but the result of tempers flaring, or misunderstandings, or perceived insults, or past flare-ups, or some other reason. These are always edited, so they might appear mild, as Russ Straw explained. But some of the locked threads were anything but mild disagreements or debates. As my time for Trainboard has gone down lately, I've been cutting out my participation in the topical forums, because the demands of the staff forum stay the same. If I close a thread I always state why. Yep, it's disappointing when you have the perfect retort for a post only to find the thread closed! But it was closed for a good reason, and maybe that perfect retort isn't so perfect after all.
Happy birthday Rick!! I agree with everything that has been said about "hi-jacking" a threa, at least on this site. Were all friends and a topic may drift but the main points always get covered. As for closing threads, I think the trainboard admin and staff have done an outstanding job at moderating this site. That is why I became a supporter. That's also why I started this thread after one crazy event which I believe the tb staff handled flawlwessly. So once again, thanks TB staff and admin!
Happy Birthday Rick! You can hijack a thread I start anytime you want. I'll just hijack it back if so desired. LOL. Everyone on TB is pretty cool (civil). The moderators just keep out the occasional over the edge posts. This sets the bar higher and that is what I admire most about this forum. That's my $.02 ... back to you Rick. Jerry
After reading all the posts on the first page, I was wondering when someone was going to steal the thread and wish you a Happy Birthday. I was not disappointed on page 2. Happy Birthday, Rick. :cake: :cake: :cake:
Retort, retort...hummm CONGRADULATIONS you all did a good job of Hi-jacking my thread. My thread? No Sir-ree. OUR THREAD. Tractor show? I want to hear about the tractor show. Was it a pull contest or regular farm type equipment? THANK-YOU all for the Happy Birthday Wishes. Good to know there is a bunch of you celebrating your own or others, at the same time. Best Birthday wishes to you and all that are yours. cute: My two cents and how come, I keep getting change? Look I understand where administration is coming from. I once served in an administrative role... a few times, in my life time. If you think things are tough here then try running things in a hospital. I could be fired for....a whole bunch of things having to do with expression, of ones personal feelings. You know this isn't about courtesy or even being polite. Did I really write that? I just might be looking for an argument and that would close this thread down way to soon. Seriously, I never implied or meant we should be impolite, discourteous, disrespectful or hostile. I think that's what "Civil" means. Big "C", Thanks for elaborating and I whole heartily agree. I'm just saying that none of us has ownership here in the way, those who host this website. It belongs to them and certainly not us. At worse it would be us hi-jacking them. But, my rudimentary point here is Hi-jacking is Balderdash. You can't hi-jack a thread when what you say here is simply from a different perspective or perhaps takes the discussion in a different direction. A discussion goes where a discussion goes and this thread goes, where it goes. I don't own a thread I start. Because, I didn't purchase it and it didn't come with a deed of some sort. Ok lousy analogy but me thinks you might be getting the drift. Now allow me me to clear the air on another issue, unless... you don't want me to. I want to encourage everyone to participate here. So many, start a thread and never come back to answer questions or add to the discussion. I would like to invite those who are inclined to do so, to come on back. Make yourself heard and let's get to know you. Don't just drop a line and watch the fun. Participate in the fun. I hope that helps. Feel free to question my intentions and I will come back with a answer. You deserve an explanation. How about that guy who allegedly took a shot at me. Confronting me, about the perceived shot I allegedly took at someone else. My response would read something like this. OH YEAH! No, no, no, no, no....that's not right. I'd respond by saying no problem, message received. Let's see if we can understand each other better. And, see the above paragraph. You see it's more fun to swap stories, perception check, answer questions and put your two cents in. Then to sit back and let the monkeys play. Did I just call us...? Oh no, I done gone and did it. Am I, going to hear about this. I sure like the way Spidge, took right off... in another direction. That's what I'm talking about. Spidge, I will get back to you regarding the date you mentioned. I got to get over to see Tom first. We shall see...it all sounds like fun. Maybe, I can talk Steve and Tom into jumping off this mountain and giving you a visit. Hi-jacked my own thread. Now do you see the silliness in it all. Three or four friends trying to get together. There's no hi-jacking going on. Just a bunch of fun. OUR THREAD, our thread, did I say our thread?... AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT! wink: Thanks for letting me vent. And, no I'm not joking.
