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Loose Threads - A Plea For Consistency


John Sayer

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Could I make a fresh (and polite) plea for a little more effort in keeping to the subject of individual threads? All too often these become a veritable ragbag of topics as people start to go off at a tangent with new ideas after only a handful of postings.

 

All too often an interesting thread becomes lost. For example, I've just discovered - quite by chance - a very worthwhile recent debate on Mendelssohn being conducted in two places.

 

We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.

 

End of homily ....

 

JS

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Guest Patrick Coleman
Could I make a fresh (and polite) plea for a little more effort in keeping to the subject of individual threads? All too often these become a veritable ragbag of topics as people start to go off at a tangent with new ideas after only a handful of postings.

 

All too often an interesting thread becomes lost. For example, I've just discovered - quite by chance - a very worthwhile recent debate on Mendelssohn being conducted in two places.

 

We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.

 

End of homily ....

 

JS

 

I have found that part of the charm of first lurking and then contributing to this discussion board has been the odd tangents in topics - makes you think! :unsure:

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  • 3 weeks later...
Could I make a fresh (and polite) plea for a little more effort in keeping to the subject of individual threads? All too often these become a veritable ragbag of topics as people start to go off at a tangent with new ideas after only a handful of postings.

 

All too often an interesting thread becomes lost. For example, I've just discovered - quite by chance - a very worthwhile recent debate on Mendelssohn being conducted in two places.

 

We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.

 

End of homily ....

 

JS

 

 

===============================

 

 

 

Some people think in straight lines, but organists should think in counterpoint.

 

MM

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But the best form of all is that in which the subject is clearly stated and the answer is given and both are subjected to a full exposition before the fun begins.

There's Dave Brubeck's Kathy's Waltz, where the theme isn't heard until the end; you get all the variations first. This is the internet, after all. It was invented for tangents.

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Some experience of forum administration taught me this: if

you manage the threads strictly, you lose 80% of the posts.

Sometimes it is possible to cut a thread into two parts afterwards,

but that's it.

Knowledge builds up with cross-fertilization between brains; this

is the added value of such "chattings". But then you need to accept

a somewhat "brain-storming" shaping...

 

Pierre

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There is also the French version which - according to "MM" - begins promisingly but later degenerates into a noisy toccata.

 

I am not sure what the parallel would be with respect to the original question - however, I am sure that it should involve several chamades....

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We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.

 

Sorry, but I think doing that will stifle a lot of discussion on here.

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Sorry, but I think doing that will stifle a lot of discussion on here.

I was wondering if the "General Discussion" category is a bit loose, for want of a better word. I think the threads on the other two categories are generaly more "on topic" as the topics are held in place by category more strongly. General Discussion implies anything is fair game and we need no further encouragement to go off on wild tangents. Please feel free to disagree with this analysis. I suppose what I am suggesting are one or two more categories for serious discussions of things that currently fall under General Discussion umbrella leaving General Discussion for a more serendipitous style of discussion.

 

Anyone familiar with the discussion pages on Ship of Fools will know how tightly some of the categories are controlled by the hosts and how freely others are allowed to spread.

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It has been remarked before that this forum is rather like the chat in a pub. Personally I like it like this and do not mind threads wandering off at tangents - it's part of the charm of the place. (As one of the major offenders I have to say that, don't I? ;) ) But it can be a bit disconcerting when, as happened once, a thread veers off even before the original post has been answered. At least I try to contain myself until the topic has been given a good airing.

 

But John does have a point. It is always worth considering whether your off-topic comment would sit better as a new thread - even if only because it may make it easier to find the discussion again at a later date.

 

I wouldn't get too hung up about it though.

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It has been remarked before that this forum is rather like the chat in a pub. Personally I like it like this and do not mind threads wandering off at tangents - it's part of the charm of the place. (As one of the major offenders I have to say that, don't I? :) ) But it can be a bit disconcerting when, as happened once, a thread veers off even before the original post has been answered. At least I try to contain myself until the topic has been given a good airing.

 

But John does have a point. It is always worth considering whether your off-topic comment would sit better as a new thread - even if only because it may make it easier to find the discussion again at a later date.

 

I wouldn't get too hung up about it though.

 

 

I agree. Now, about my tomato plants........ ;)

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There is also the French version which - according to "MM" - begins promisingly but later degenerates into a noisy toccata.

 

I am not sure what the parallel would be with respect to the original question - however, I am sure that it should involve several chamades....

 

 

=======================

 

 

Thank you pcnd....I was just about to repeat that!!!!!!!!

 

 

:lol:

 

MM

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I agree. Now, about my tomato plants........ :lol:

 

 

==========================

 

 

I have awful trouble with tomato plants and gave up on them.

 

All mine ended up like unseasonal Christmas Trees, with the fruits hanging as from a noose.

 

A gardening friend told me that healthy tomatoes don't grow like that.....something to do with the Island of Mull......but I don't know what he means.

 

MM

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Could I make a fresh (and polite) plea for a little more effort in keeping to the subject of individual threads? All too often these become a veritable ragbag of topics as people start to go off at a tangent with new ideas after only a handful of postings.

 

All too often an interesting thread becomes lost. For example, I've just discovered - quite by chance - a very worthwhile recent debate on Mendelssohn being conducted in two places.

 

We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.

 

End of homily ....

 

JS

 

Just to say that I totally agree with the above comment. It's sometimes frustrating when one is trying to find some information and only to find the topic talking about something completely different within the first few responses and often by the same people. It's guess it's always a risk in having a board like this as it is open to jo public.

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Just to say that I totally agree with the above comment. It's sometimes frustrating when one is trying to find some information and only to find the topic talking about something completely different within the first few responses and often by the same people. It's guess it's always a risk in having a board like this as it is open to jo public.

I have noticed from some of your previous posts that you don't have a very high opinion of "jo public". Well as a non-professional contributor to this board, I presume I am one of those that you choose to sneer at. It doesn't contribute to my day.

JC

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As an old timer I find often that the various coments, including tangents, remind me of something that happened years ago. Sometimes I can post these memories - often it is wiser not to - even more so if the person concerned is still living.

 

FF

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Just to say that I totally agree with the above comment. It's sometimes frustrating when one is trying to find some information and only to find the topic talking about something completely different within the first few responses and often by the same people. It's guess it's always a risk in having a board like this as it is open to jo public.

 

Is this a "discussion board", or a reference library?

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Well, yes. Good point.

 

But that's like asking if it's an organ forum or a souk.

 

It's not unreasonable that members should redirect threads about Cambridge College Chapel instruments into philsophical discourse on the movement of interplanetary space dust and the price of a packet of pork scratchings. But neither is it unreasonable to suppose a thread about Cambridge College Chapel organs will have at least a majority of it's content devoted to organs in Cambridge College Chapels.

 

As it is, one has to read all the contributions to all the threads as it is impossible to know what they might be about from the thread title. It would, of course, be more efficient to have one thread (or section) devoted to chit chat and whimsy rather than all of them. However ...

 

Some time ago someone suggested a Choir to Pub device. The problem with a Pub section, though, is that the board becomes yet another forum for everyone with something to say about anything to say it, and the focus is lost. This way, at least, the majority of the contributions are organ-related.

 

ARCO exams tomorrow. Good luck to everyone involved.

 

J

 

Is this a "discussion board", or a reference library?
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Guest Lee Blick
I have noticed from some of your previous posts that you don't have a very high opinion of "jo public". Well as a non-professional contributor to this board, I presume I am one of those that you choose to sneer at. It doesn't contribute to my day.

JC

 

I have to agree with this, the fact there are both professional and amateurs here. Personally I am glad this discussion board doesn't have the mentality or pretentions of being an extension of the RCO or RSCM. I enjoy both the serious discussion and the less formal chat topics.

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Some time ago someone suggested a Choir to Pub device. The problem with a Pub section, though, is that the board becomes yet another forum for everyone with something to say about anything to say it, and the focus is lost.

I did suggest a separate sub-forum for off-topic posts; someone else suggested calling it "Choir to Pub".* An off-topic forum could be made so that you have to subscribe to it to see the posts. That way those who dislike such trivia don't have to see it. However, I very much doubt it would make much difference to the way the organ threads wander.

 

*BTW, does anyone have a photo of this celebrated coupler? M'sieur Cochereau?

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I did suggest a separate sub-forum for off-topic posts; someone else suggested calling it "Choir to Pub".* An off-topic forum could be made so that you have to subscribe to it to see the posts. That way those who dislike such trivia don't have to see it. However, I very much doubt it would make much difference to the way the organ threads wander.

 

*BTW, does anyone have a photo of this celebrated coupler? M'sieur Cochereau?

 

Well, by a strange co-incidence, tomorrow I am visiting the Director of Music of this very church (we have planned a trip to the local Majestic wine warehouse) - I will try to take a new picture.

 

If not, I shall track down my old prints of the photographs which I took at the time of the rebuild and scan the relevant picture.

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It's guess it's always a risk in having a board like this as it is open to jo public.

 

Do I take it from you posting that you don’t consider yourself a member of the general public? I’ve found that generally most threads wander off subject, but the majority usually end up back on track.

 

:rolleyes:

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Guest Barry Oakley
Do I take it from you posting that you don’t consider yourself a member of the general public? I’ve found that generally most threads wander off subject, but the majority usually end up back on track.

 

:rolleyes:

 

I have to agree with you, Phil. I found the comment highly patronising, too. Without so-called "Jo-Public" taking an interest in the organ, many recitalists would be poor and penniless.

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