If a thread is going strong, and related issues arise, and they are good ones, but the multitude of different conversations going on makes a thread unbearable, unreadable, and way off topic, can it be split? Can anyone do it? Start a spin off thread? Do Mods do this sort of thing?
Is there any way to force people to stop posting off topic in great debates?
This is probably in the rules but I couldn’t find it just now. If it is, where are the rules about this?
And yeah, I am sort of in the dark, hence this topic.
First, Mods are supposed to put the kibosh to any conversations that get off topic. However, I’ve noticed they’re are a little lax on this issue when the thread topic has been thoroughly hashed out and people still want carry one the side conversations.
But yeah, people “split” threads all the time. The poster usually starts off with something like: “Inspired by X thread.” It’s fairly common. I’m surprised you haven’t seen a thread like that.
For example, a sidetrack about an xkcd comic came up, and I want to start a thread about it.
Here’s what I contemplate before doing so, because I really don’t know.
Copy and paste the start of it, as well as all related responses, in a new thread. But in great debates? IMHO? Is a discussion of facts and fallacies of a web comic (which I love), where does that go?
It’s contentious, not friendly.
But it’s not a Pit thread.
It’s not a question thread, but I would love to submit it to Cecil.
Can the actual posts beMod moved into a new thread? Creating it out of whole cloth?
What would the name be?
A sample of the conversation
And that is about the simplest post on that matter.
And, most importantly, does any of it really matter?
I suspect it may be possible for the Mods to move a few posts into a new thread, but not more than 3 or so… and you better have a darn good reason to ask.
Just start the new thread from scratch, with a link to the old one, and possibly quoting a few of the most important posts you want to use to start the new discussion. Then link from the old thread to the new thread, saying ‘here’s my new thread for discussion of _____ hijack.’ Ta-da, banana split.
Start a new thread and copy some of your own material if you want to, but don’t copy and paste other people’s responses. Just provide a link to the original discussion and, in the original thread you can link to the new discussion if you want to. You don’t need mod intervention or permission.
As far as I know, there is no particular limit to the number of posts we can move to a new thread. However, in most cases it would be unlikely we would move more than a few posts. We’d be more likely to just suggest taking the side discussion to a new thread.
As a non-mod, my thought: if you can limit the topic of each discussion in the OPs in some clear manner so each has a specific, limited scope, then I see no reason why you couldn’t create separate threads. However, if the topics are going to be catch-alls on climate debate, then what is served by separate threads?
You know, the important questions were never answered, by a Mod, much less the Mod that matters in these regards. (that would be the Mod for GD)
Yes, but in this case, since it’s more climate/weather related issues, I know it’s best to ask frst.
There is the question that was not answered.
While that is sarcastic humor (which anyone involved will certainly get), I asked first.
And why, after getting no answer, I did not start any new threads. It’s coming up on a year now, so I bumped the thread to remind the Mods that I asked several questions. Obviously no answer at all is an answer, just not the one I am looking for.
I started one earlier this week, about what I thought was a particularly foolish analogy that was drawn in a GD thread. Now that I think about it, the last split I started was also about a particularly foolish analogy in a GD thread. Maybe that’s my schtick.
But I don’t label them “split thread” or anything. It’s just that if I think something would be entertaining to discuss but think it’d be too distracting to discuss in the thread it originated in, I feel free to use the “new thread” button to start that discussion in a new thread.
Ah, wait, I remember you. The issue, then, is not at all about splitting threads, but rather about how many towns you can ride a single pony into. I suspect that if attacking terrible analogies really were my schtick, the moderators would shut me down, too.
