If the topic eventually being discussed isn’t the one addressed by the OP, can the OP request that everybody get back on topic?
For example, do I have the right to say “I don’t care if you people dislike Phil Collins, this thread is dedicated to engaging in a conversation about the lyrical masterpiece that is Sussudio. Take the Phil-hate somewhere else.”?
Can I request specific posters not respond? Can I ask that they leave the thread?
Some topics which one might like to address can and will be easily derailed by certain posters who can’t help but stick their opinions, no matter how tangentially related, within the thread… could I just request something like “WhyNot, since we already know your negative opinion regarding processed cheese foods, please stay out of my thread of delicious Cheez-whiz dessert recipes!*”
Hell, since I’m asking… y’all ever have anybody who reported multiple posts on a thread of theirs just because they didn’t like the content? “Anybody who says something negative about Fluttershy, I’m going to report them!”
Anyway, those are some questions I’ve had over the years.
*I have no idea if WhyNot likes, dislikes, or has any opinion regarding Cheez-whiz. OTOH, I find the stuff nasty.
JohnT, I think junior modding is a good term for the behaviors you describe in the OP. I also think it is reasonable for a thread starter to try to guide the thread in the direction that he intended it to go. I don’t think it is reasonable to expect that to work. Threads have a life of their own.
Not a mod, but I’d argue the answer to question #1 is yes, if you’re polite. I think clarifying/reminding people of the intent of the thread is well within your rights as an OP. Don’t try to enforce or persist, though, just use the Report This Post button if people continue to post off-topic.
As for the other two, I’d say no. If you post a discussion on a public forum, you don’t get to dictate who gets to participate or what (on-topic) ideas are forbidden. In my experience on other forums, OPs who try to play that role are rarely effective and almost always mocked.
And threads have titles that are supposed to describe the topic somewhat, and OPs contain more specific information about the topic. I don’t think it unreasonable at all to ask that others try to keep to the subject and not hijack the thread, then pm the mods for assistance. The person who starts the thread may not “own” it…but she/he is certainly a major stockholder in it and should have some say.
Yeah, I’d have to say that trying to guide a thread in a specific direction is a mugs game.
I recall one thread a long time ago where someone started it to bitch about how terrible NPR was. THAT went down as well as you might imagine and the OP then said something about “I want this thread closed! It didn’t go like I thought!” This, also, didn’t go as he wished.
As for the rest. Use the report button. It’s there for a reason.
