I was unable to search for previous threads about this due to word length. I’m sure it has been mentioned before, but I think this is becoming more and more necessary. I don’t know about others, but reading thread titles about people taking dumps and PMS is more than I really want to be greeted with when I log on. A TMI forum would solve all of it automatically.
It might also be a good feature to make it so you can only link to a TMI thread from within that forum. I have my own reasons for suggesting such an idea, but I think it would help to improve the tenor of this bulletin board.
TubaDiva, what are the odds on this happening? Such an arrangement might reduce potential offenses and make it easier to monitor the content of all the other forums. It would serve to contain the ever increasing amount of offensive content and create a place for sex, body functions and gross crap in general. I’m no prude, but it’s been getting to be a little much of late.
If the threads all relate to a single broad topic, like in Cafe Society, that’s one thing. However, I don’t think that appropriate content should be siphoned out of General Questions, Great Debates, Comments, or About This Message Board because it’s not what you want to see when you log on.
I understand what you’re saying, Achernar. Tell me, how does relocating Major Kong’s “I’m going to take a dump” thread detract from the MPSIMS forum? I’m not seeking removal of appropriate content, I just think it might be a good way to make the moderators’ jobs easier and reduce the load of weird stuff in other forums.
I think an additional forum would only add to their load. We have enough problems as it is with people posting to the wrong forum. Now you want them to figure out if it’s TMI or not, even thought it might have a legitimate purpose in GQ or MPSIMS or wherever? I don’t see it happening, to be honest.
Sorry, I’m not saying I disagree with your idea (even though I do think it would encourage them). But you said “all the other forums”. I don’t have a problem with moderators wanting to clean up MPSIMS and In My Humble Opinion.
Achernar did you used to be someone else? Because you’ve been here 5 years and have nearly 5000 posts but I have only recently seen your name around these parts. Did you get it changed?
SOrry for the hijack. didn’t want to start a whole thread about this.
An afterthought: A while back the thread titles in general were tending to be rather gratuitously raunchy, and the mods clamped down on gross and vulgar thread titles.
Could we not invoke a similar rule/guideline: that TMI threads should be so labeled AND should keep the revolting I out of the title? (Much as we are supposed to do for spoilers.)
I’m woth Zenster on this. I can’t even visit the Straight Dope from work anymore, which is a shame, because there have been many threads that relate directly to what I do, I have learned a lot, and it is one of the very few message boards that havn’t been blocked. And while I agree with Scarlett67 that being more careful with the titles would help, there are some that I don’t see how you could change the title to make it work safe (ex “Has anyone here ever used a dental dam?” “Need advice on going down on my gf”)
I’m woth Zenster on this. I can’t even visit the Straight Dope from work anymore, which is a shame, because there have been many threads that relate directly to what I do, I have learned a lot, and it is one of the very few message boards that havn’t been blocked. And while I agree with Scarlett67 that being more careful with the titles would help, there are some that I don’t see how you could change the title to make it work safe (ex “Has anyone here ever used a dental dam?” “Need advice on going down on my gf”)
I am 100% in favor of some sort of change – I am tired of seeing the “Help me perfect the Venus Flytrap technique!” threads.
Could they be directed to the Pit? Otherwise, there will be backlash as to why posters can use obscene language but can’t speak candidly about their sex life/latest bodily function.
I agree. Devoting a forum to TMI threads would give “them” permissio, to share some of the more TMI crap that we don’t want to know in the first place.
I also agree with this. I believe that even foul language should not be allowed in thread titles. When I first came here, I was amazed at the language allowed in Pit thread titles. Once the link is clicked, however, the house rules as they are currently should apply.
From time to time, we go on an Improvement Campaign here at the Straight Dope.
Unfortunately for us, we’ve never had to use another title for it, because there’s ever so much work to be done using the old one, which is “Let’s raise the tone of the board.”
When it gets to the point where about every other post I might see makes me think, “I wouldn’t have told THAT,” (whatever “THAT” might be), it’s usually overdue.
And no, I don’t want another forum for it, I want to cut down on the incidence of it. Some of you might live for this sort of material, but ya know, we can all do better.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Just out of pure interest, is that even possible without a major hack?
Seems to me that it wouldn’t be, because links only specify the thread (or post) ID, so the software would have to look it up (unless it already does this for some reason.
