# Question about what constitutes "off topic"... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201 "2011-08-18T17:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/1 "2011-08-18T17:59:04Z")
or hi-jacking: On other boards I frequent, if a topic is “I like spam and cheese sandwiches” and someone comes in and says “You know, I like spambled eggs. Spam really boosts the flavor of scrambled eggs.” this is just considered an extension of the original topic and is seen as germane. However in [this thread, about a nonsensical parking lot experience,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=620786) this [bizarre/nonsensical parking lot experience](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152821&postcount=54) was submitted. Czarcasm then comes in and asks that poster what it has to do with the OP. He/She says something to the effect of, “My mistake, thought the topic was nonsensical experiences.” Czarcasm responds [with this:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152972&postcount=63) [QUOTE=Czarcasm] I doubt that very much. The title said “experience”, not “experiences” and nothing in the OP indicated that the thread was about anything other than what he related. Nowhere did he say anything close to “Tell me about your nonsensical parking lot experiences.” edited to add: If the OP wishes to correct me as to the intent of this thread, he is welcome to do so. [/quote] Effectively stating that those sorts of additions to the thread are not welcome, unless “…the OP wishes to correct me as to the intent of this thread”. Other, unrelated, threads have seemingly taken on lives of their own, where they may have started out discussing one specific instance, but then grew to become a generic “Well, one time, I…” thread, with posters giving similar incidents they’ve encountered. The thread is even in IMHO, yet does not ask for other people’s opinions on the matter. It’s written as “this happened.” With no solicitation of opinion, people are left to guess what the OP is looking for, beyond “that sucks” or “you were wrong, dude.” What more is there that can be added, if not peoples opinions on the topic in general or related experiences? Which is to be viewed as the appropriate behavior – strict adherence to the exact content of the OP, or a natural progression of conversation to cover the topic in general? I don’t see how the first can really lead to much discussion and would therefore seem more appropriate for a blog entry, not a message board thread. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/2 "2011-08-18T18:27:15Z")
> [@Nonsensical parking lot experience](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsensical-parking-lot-experience/593122/63): > > I doubt that very much. The title said “experience”, not “experiences” and nothing in the OP indicated that the thread was about anything other than what he related. Nowhere did he say anything _close_ to “Tell me about _your_ nonsensical parking lot experiences.” > > edited to add: If the OP wishes to correct me as to the intent of this thread, he is welcome to do so. Jesus :rolleyes: > [@markm](#): > > Which is to be viewed as the appropriate behavior – strict adherence to the exact content of the OP, or a natural progression of conversation to cover the topic in general? Well there is sadly [precedent](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14095407&postcount=53)for the former, or at least in the context of whatever the mod deems the OP to be about. **Czarcasm** desperately needs to stop enforcing “rules” in threads in which he is actively involved. He has proven time and time again that his participation greatly compromises the capacity to mod fairly. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/3 "2011-08-18T18:35:11Z")
The “I doubt that very much” quip was totally out of line, and I apologize for that. I still stand by reasoning that the intent of that thread was to discuss what happened during that particular incident. In fact, nobody inserted an alternate story until post #22, followed by another 32 posts that were more or less about the OP, then another story. I think by that time it wasn’t too hard to figure out what the topic was. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/4 "2011-08-18T18:49:03Z")
… I \*liked \*the other stories, and wished there were more of them. It made a nice restful counterpoint to the rest of the “let’s everyone keep piling on Jamie” (deservedly or not - I don’t really care) otherwise one-note thread. I was actually thinking about adding an experience of my own, but I live in fear of being smited by a mod hammer (mostly joking), so that’s right out. I doubt Jamie will have an opinion on how the thread goes, as he seems to have mainly backed out given the nearly-inevitable outcome of any thread he posts about his chosen activism. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/5 "2011-08-18T18:52:34Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > … I \*liked \*the other stories, and wished there were more of them. It made a nice restful counterpoint to the rest of the “let’s everyone keep piling on Jamie” (deservedly or not - I don’t really care) otherwise one-note thread. > > I was actually thinking about adding an experience of my own, but I live in fear of being smited by a mod hammer (mostly joking), so that’s right out. > > I doubt Jamie will have an opinion on how the thread goes, as he seems to have mainly backed out given the nearly-inevitable outcome of any thread he posts about his chosen activism. You should start such a thread, maybe in MPSIMS-I have a tale or two I could add. ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/6 "2011-08-18T18:58:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You should start such a thread, maybe in MPSIMS-I have a tale or two I could add. Why not toss that thread over to MPSIMS, where it is more appropriate anyway? Again, he wasn’t soliciting opinions. His post was quite plainly laid out as “Look what happened to me.” Not, “How would you handle this situation” or “What do you think of not displaying your placard?” As Lasciel said, the entirety of the thread is basically telling Jamie to come down from his cross, a couple of half-hearted defenses of him, and the two anecdotes. He hasn’t revisited it as of my last viewing of it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/7 "2011-08-18T19:10:23Z")
> [@markm](#): > > Why not toss that thread over to MPSIMS, where it is more appropriate anyway? Again, he wasn’t soliciting opinions. His post was quite plainly laid out as “Look what happened to me.” Not, “How would you handle this situation” or “What do you think of not displaying your placard?” As Lasciel said, the entirety of the thread is basically telling Jamie to come down from his cross, a couple of half-hearted defenses of him, and the two anecdotes. He hasn’t revisited it as of my last viewing of it. Worth considering. If he doesn’t start responding soon, I may just do that. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/8 "2011-08-18T19:17:47Z")
Uh, yeah, I was wondering about that remark too, as the poster who posted post #22 with no mod scolding. I posted my own experience to distract from the **jamie** pile-on. Threads go off-topic all the time, and threads that start with one poster’s experience get other posters chiming in with their own experiences all the time – why the whip-cracking in this one? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/9 "2011-08-18T19:41:50Z")
You know what drives me crazy? I started a thread in IMHO asking a pretty specific question and wound up with a 33 post thread, only two of which actually addressed the question in the OP, in which several people argued with themselves whether my specific concern was justified or not. Nary a mod in sight. And I suppose the answer to that will be “Did you report it?” No, because by the time I saw how completely out of hand it had gotten, it wasn’t worth recovering anyway. I’m sure there are specialized boards that will have better information anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/10 "2011-08-18T19:44:12Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Uh, yeah, I was wondering about that remark too, as the poster who posted post #22 with no mod scolding. I posted my own experience to distract from the **jamie** pile-on. This is what had me confused. Also post 5 is also not _only_ about jamies experience so that one should have been scolded too if scolding was the way to go. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152007&postcount=5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152007&postcount=5) > [@Silver\_Fire](#): > > You know what drives me crazy? I started a thread in IMHO asking a pretty specific question and wound up with a 33 post thread, only two of which actually addressed the question in the OP, in which several people argued with themselves whether my specific concern was justified or not. > > Nary a mod in sight. > > And I suppose the answer to that will be “Did you report it?” No, because by the time I saw how completely out of hand it had gotten, it wasn’t worth recovering anyway. I’m sure there are specialized boards that will have better information anyway. I think in your instance if it was a very specific question then it probably would have been better in GQ. In IMHO, as you saw, people don’t take things as serious. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/11 "2011-08-18T19:54:42Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > This is what had me confused. > > Also post 5 is also not _only_ about jamies experience so that one should have been scolded too if scolding was the way to go. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152007&postcount=5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14152007&postcount=5) > > I think in your instance if it was a very specific question then it probably would have been better in GQ. In IMHO, as you saw, people don’t take things as serious. The post you linked to started off talking directly about the OP, then threw in a similar story for comparison. Please remember that no one got warnings or even threats of warnings-just a reminder that the thread was about a particular situation, and not a request for unrelated funny parking lot stories. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/12 "2011-08-18T19:58:59Z")
> [@Silver\_Fire](#): > > You know what drives me crazy? I started a thread in IMHO asking a pretty specific question and wound up with a 33 post thread, only two of which actually addressed the question in the OP, in which several people argued with themselves whether my specific concern was justified or not. > > Nary a mod in sight. > > And I suppose the answer to that will be “Did you report it?” No, because by the time I saw how completely out of hand it had gotten, it wasn’t worth recovering anyway. I’m sure there are specialized boards that will have better information anyway. I apologize-I was washing my hair that night. In all seriousness, if I had seen that your thread was being hijacked, I would have tried to rectify the situation. All I can say is real life interferes with the important things some times. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/13 "2011-08-18T20:03:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The post you linked to started off talking directly about the OP, then threw in a similar story for comparison. Please remember that no one got warnings or even threats of warnings-just a reminder that the thread was about a particular situation, and not a request for unrelated funny parking lot stories. I realized that no one got warnings or even mod notes or even mod bunnies with cute little bows on them and which is why I used the word scolding. Looking back now you didn’t have any sort of “I’m talking here as a mod” type tag displayed so I should have taken what you said as a poster and not as a mod modding and thinking it that way clears up the confusion. My apologies. And really you guys could stand to hand out bunnies more often, just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/14 "2011-08-18T20:08:49Z")
I’m not about to criticize Czarcasm for his modding, as I believe it was done in good faith. That said, I saw the comments in question and wondered why anecdotal responses should be off limits when they are clearly (+/-) related to the thread topic. Edit - her (not his???) modding? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/15 "2011-08-18T20:17:33Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I think in your instance if it was a very specific question then it probably would have been better in GQ. In IMHO, as you saw, people don’t take things as serious. Nope, it wasn’t a question with a factual answer. Maybe MPSIMS but it might have been moved anyway since I was soliciting ideas. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I apologize-I was washing my hair that night. > In all seriousness, if I had seen that your thread was being hijacked, I would have tried to rectify the situation. All I can say is real life interferes with the important things some times. I’m sure. I’m just… RAWR. I’m not even that pissed about the thread, really. I’m too tired. > [@Morgenstern](#): > > Edit - her (not his???) modding? No, he’s a boy mod. I flipped him over once to check. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/16 "2011-08-18T20:21:05Z")
“The sign says ‘No Homers’. We’re allowed _one_.” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/17 "2011-08-18T20:43:24Z")
> [@Silver\_Fire](#): > > No, he’s a boy mod. I flipped him over once to check. I hope you got paid well. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/18 "2011-08-18T23:30:19Z")
I’m glad someone started this thread. I was reading the thread linked to in the OP and thought wtf?? You know how there are posters that as soon as you see they’ve posted to a thread you think “oh it’s ruined now” even before you’ve read it? I’m starting to think that way about you, **Czarcasm**. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/19 "2011-08-18T23:36:51Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I’m glad someone started this thread. I was reading the thread linked to in the OP and thought wtf?? > > You know how there are posters that as soon as you see they’ve posted to a thread you think “oh it’s ruined now” even before you’ve read it? I’m starting to think that way about you, **Czarcasm**. I am sorry you feel that way. I made a couple mistakes in the midst of a busy day, apologized, and moved on. I hope you can give me the benefit of the doubt and do the same. I will have to admit, though, that I certainly didn’t expect three different ATMB threads about the same IMHO thread. Could y’all possibly consolidate just a bit-it would make it easier to respond on my part, and easier to follow on yours. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-what-constitutes-off-topic/593201/20 "2011-08-18T23:44:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Could y’all possibly consolidate just a bit-it would make it easier to respond on my part, and easier to follow on yours. It wasn’t a concerted effort…apparently all of us started threads independently of the others. What are the odds? None of the other threads related to your moderating were even started when I posted mine, not related to the thread in question at any rate. I guess it’s all about you and not the complainants. 🙂