# Modest proposal for a new major category **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 30, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983 "2010-01-30T02:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/21 "2010-01-30T15:34:51Z")
Rhetorical questions go in Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/22 "2010-01-30T15:55:57Z")
I would like to add my support to **cricetus** ’s suggestion. Sometimes there’s fantastic or enlightening discussion about news or personal circumstances that frankly do not warrant a debate, and is far from mundane (regardless of the arcane meaning of the word). Or just rename MPSIMS to “General discussion” or something. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/23 "2010-01-30T16:11:23Z")
Back when I took the time to look at every thread that was posted I did not see the point of more categories. Since this board has become a lot less fun for me I don’t come here as often. Anything that makes it easier to find the threads I might want to participate in is fine by me. Add a “in the news” section. And politics too. I know it won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/24 "2010-01-30T16:12:26Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Cric, I see your point and agree. The policy here is improving the board is a no-no, we are all just supposed to learn the culture and the rules because it was set up by perfection and cannot be improved. To change anything means it was not already done right and that just can’t be. > > It is always the poster who just does not understand how perfect it all is. This has been whacked into me over and over in just the month I’ve been here. Always you are to accept, never to try and make anything here better. > > Because there was no set place for the Haiti quake, threads got opened in every forum and what a mess it was. If one made a comment you’d forget where that was forum wise and who you were answering when you’d try to find it again among the many. As a result, most all threads died quickly. It’s not exactly rocket science to find the threads you’ve subscribed to (which are usually the ones you’ve replied to), so remembering what forum you left a comment on should not be an issue if you have taken the time to learn about the system. By the way, have you noticed that **you** seem to be the only one being “picked on” about not following the policies and customs of SDMB? You might want to think about why that might be. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/25 "2010-01-30T16:27:10Z")
If you really want to add or revise forums: Serious Forums: General Science Politics Religion Informal Forums: Games Media/Entertainment Social/Commons Administrative Forums: Public Administration Secret Bat Cave / Hall of Justice (for mod-only communication) The current set- up is more about function: there are forums for play, for discussion, for combat, and for serious debate. As currently constructed, MP captures both general topics (mundane) and the less-so (pointless). ---
**Author:** ![Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silverstreak_Wonder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/26 "2010-01-30T16:37:59Z")
Yes, good ideas cerb. But to return to the OP ideas, also one could have a “Breaking News” forum, and the rules would be that it has to be front page news (or front web page news with a link) and that if 24 hours pass with no posts it gets moved to MPS (where it could still be posted to for updates). That would make a lot of sense, and as such it will never be considered. Can, I have never done that subscribing thing. I am used to seeing a dot or a color change on threads I post in, they won’t do that here for no reason, and it would be a waste of time to suggest it, but that is how we ought to be able to keep track of where posted. I don’t want emails every time someone posts to a thread and bet most people don’t need that either. If you like that, fine but I would rather just see a change in the thread color showing I have posted in it, so much simpler. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/27 "2010-01-30T16:45:34Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Because there was no set place for the Haiti quake, threads got opened in every forum and what a mess it was. If one made a comment you’d forget where that was forum wise and who you were answering when you’d try to find it again among the many. As a result, most all threads died quickly. Thanks for your input. 1. I had written about the subscribe feature, but on preview I see that you believe that you get emails every time someone replies. While that’s possible, it’s not mandatory. You can turn off the emails. If you do that, thread to which you subscribed, and that have new posts in them, will appear when you view your control panel. 😃 2. A search reveals that we had several threads about Haiti still going more than ten days after the earthquake. Some showed activity as recently as yesterday or today. Most of the posters here know how to subscribe to threads that interest them (see **Canadjun** ’s post) . So: > [@](#): > > But to return to the OP ideas, also one could have a “Breaking News” forum, and the rules would be that it has to be front page news (or front web page news with a link) and that if 24 hours pass with no posts it gets moved to MPS (where it could still be posted to for updates). That would make a lot of sense, and as such it will never be considered. But that doesn’t solve the OP’s problem, as restated: > [@cricetus](#): > > Yeah, well, how about this: I don’t want to post about 100,000 deaths in between cat pictures and some guy talking about his new diet. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/28 "2010-01-30T16:50:43Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > None of those are what I’m talking about, which is clear from the OP. In fact, it’s the content of the OP. Did you read the OP? I did, and I still don’t know what you are on about. Tuba listed the kind of OP’s that are appropriate, and where they belong. If you are just going to repost a news item, it doesn’t belong in any forum. There are entire websites devoted to reporting the news without raising questions of fact, debates, opinions or mundane chatter. We do not need to replicate them here. ---
**Author:** ![Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silverstreak_Wonder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/29 "2010-01-30T17:00:01Z")
Well, Fear, if they did, many might use a breaking News forum as their home page and the forum get more views, too. Then people could say. lets discuss Pat Robertson Haiti comments in the pit HERE, and lets discuss if the aid is being done right HERE, and so on, making it like a home page and not a repeat of the news. Lots of folks would view a page like that all the time instead of clicking on CNN every hour. Gfactor seems to forget it would have to be front page news, I don’t know why he thinks cat pictures and new diets would be there, if someone did post those, move it to MPS as being in wrong forum, of course right away. No different than what you do everywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/30 "2010-01-30T17:02:55Z")
I like the current forum setup and don’t feel that adding more categories would make anything better. The heart of the problem seems to be that **cricetus** doesn’t like the fact that “Mundane and Pointless” are in the forum name. Well, we’ve had people post about the birth of their children, about divorces and marriages, and about the death of loved ones in MPSIMS. None of those things are mundane or pointless, nor would anyone think they were just because they’re in a forum that says “Mundane and Pointless” on it. It’s just a cute way of saying, “This is our general-purpose chat forum.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/31 "2010-01-30T17:09:10Z")
Awhile ago I advocated changing MPSIMS to a different name. I still think that’d be a great idea. **cricetus** , would **twickster’s** suggestion of making it something like Miscellaneous Personal Stuff I Must Share meet your needs? I can see how it wouldn’t be ideal, but it might be close enough. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/32 "2010-01-30T17:11:47Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > [http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/mundane](http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/mundane) > > Mundane is derived from root words referring to the world. While mundane is more commonly used in its commonplace/ordinary meaning, its less commonly used “of this world” meaning is perfectly valid. > > As the planet features tectonic plates, and as seismic activity is a standard feature of these aforementioned plates, and as said earthquakes do happen on the actual planet, mundane correctly applies. Now that is just too cool. Thank you for enlightening me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/33 "2010-01-30T17:15:12Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Cric, I see your point and agree. The policy here is improving the board is a no-no, we are all just supposed to learn the culture and the rules because it was set up by perfection and cannot be improved. To change anything means it was not already done right and that just can’t be. > > It is always the poster who just does not understand how perfect it all is. This has been whacked into me over and over in just the month I’ve been here. Always you are to accept, never to try and make anything here better. > > Because there was no set place for the Haiti quake, threads got opened in every forum and what a mess it was. If one made a comment you’d forget where that was forum wise and who you were answering when you’d try to find it again among the many. As a result, most all threads died quickly. My goodness, you’re terribly cynical for someone who has only been [del]relentlessly tortured by vicious evil Nazi-style moderators[/del] visiting here for a month. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/34 "2010-01-30T17:33:15Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Well, Fear, if they did, many might use a breaking News forum as their home page and the forum get more views, too. We will never compete with Google News or Yahoo or MSN as a news aggregator; why dilute our mission with a weak attempt to duplicate what other websites do far better? I would never pretend that the SDMB is the best place to get breaking news, when it clearly must be broken somewhere else in order to be posted here. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/35 "2010-01-30T19:30:20Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Can, I have never done that subscribing thing. I am used to seeing a dot or a color change on threads I post in, they won’t do that here for no reason, and it would be a waste of time to suggest it, but that is how we ought to be able to keep track of where posted. I don’t want emails every time someone posts to a thread and bet most people don’t need that either. If you like that, fine but I would rather just see a change in the thread color showing I have posted in it, so much simpler. The feature of having a dot (actually, a checkmark) is **already there** and has been for as long as I’ve been around. It actually indicates that you have subscribed to a thread, but since I have it set to subscribe me to any threads I post in it the checkmark indicates the threads that I have posted in. I have the “e-mail me whenever somebody posts in a subscribed thread” option turned off. That doesn’t stop the checkmark from showing up. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/36 "2010-01-30T19:59:46Z")
Really, IMHO and MPSIMS should have been merged a long time ago. They cover exactly the same ground, except MPSIMS is a little lighter than IMHO. While you’re at it, dump the mundana and pointless name, and you’ve just created an In the News/General Discussion forum. I know why this wasn’t done (the mods/admins hate change), but the fact it’s not even up for discussion is idiotic. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/37 "2010-01-30T20:23:34Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > The feature of having a dot (actually, a checkmark) is **already there** and has been for as long as I’ve been around. It actually indicates that you have subscribed to a thread, but since I have it set to subscribe me to any threads I post in it the checkmark indicates the threads that I have posted in. I have the “e-mail me whenever somebody posts in a subscribed thread” option turned off. That doesn’t stop the checkmark from showing up. \*\* Canadjun\*\*, I salute you. I didn’t know you could do this on here and it’s been bugging me slightly for about four years. Sorted, and thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silverstreak_Wonder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/38 "2010-01-30T21:26:09Z")
I will check this out, thanks much. Shows what a poor job has been done in explaining these options so anyone would know about it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/39 "2010-01-30T21:46:29Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Shows what a poor job has been done in explaining these options so anyone would know about it. You were unaware of a feature and it’s everybody else’s fault for not explaining it to you? This is a standard feature on vBulletin. In any case you asked about it and someone answered your question a few hours later. Seems to me the bitching is not required. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983/40 "2010-01-30T21:53:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You were unaware of a feature and it’s everybody else’s fault for not explaining it to you? This is a standard feature on vBulletin. In any case you asked about it and someone answered your question a few hours later. Seems to me the bitching is not required. Do you think it would be a good idea to make the default “thread subscription” with “no emails”? IME most boards have a visual indicator marking threads posted in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-a-new-major-category/526983.md?page=3)