State of the Boards

[String o' beads]

In response to cnosni asking the opinion of site members on the debate about content herein, I've started this thread as that one appears to be locked.What 'should' be allowed in 'General Chat' then? Well, I'm a member of several message boards and I visit many others. I can't think of one board that doesn't have a general chat forum. They are provided so that people who have got to know one another through the site can discuss stuff that's not strictly on topic. I think that's valid, and I think such a forum deserves a place here. Often, someone will mention something that has nothing to do with Leeds, a childhood memory perhaps, but then that can touch off some fascinating anecdotes that do relate to Leeds. As long as contributors observe the normal rules I think it should be anything goes. And if anyone wants only to read strictly Leeds related topics they can just ignore the General Chat thread.IMHO as always.

[Phill_dvsn]

I too love many of the off topics discussions. I have a wide interest in many things. Anything to do with Sad bag anorak stuff. Trains, old busses, trams. Old signs, pubs. The tales of old Leeds, the characters like Woodbine Lizz e.t.c.But i do think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. The site was set up for a specific topic which was 'Secret Leeds' however the site diverged into wider areas, and for the good of the site as well. Very interesting stuff has been posted on here because of it.I do think it is a small percentage who pay scant regard to what the site was initially set up for tho. General chat is fine, but if you fill the site up with nothing but general chat then it deteriates rapidly (as people have voiced there opinion about already)Allowing posts like ''where is the best place to buy a car'' just opens the floodgates for posts like.Which is the best bus for the White Rose centre?How do i fix my washing machine.Uncle Ernie's budgie has died.I certainly don't want to click on to Secret Leeds to see this kind of thing. It will ruin the site and is a complete waste of tax payers money. Anything goes simply should not be allowed in my opinion.If your topic wouldn't interest a stranger at a bus stoporyou can use Google search to answer your question then don't post it on Secret Leeds i would say is a good rule of thumb.        

[cnosni]

Geordie-exile wrote: In response to cnosni asking the opinion of site members on the debate about content herein, I've started this thread as that one appears to be locked.What 'should' be allowed in 'General Chat' then? Well, I'm a member of several message boards and I visit many others. I can't think of one board that doesn't have a general chat forum. They are provided so that people who have got to know one another through the site can discuss stuff that's not strictly on topic. I think that's valid, and I think such a forum deserves a place here. Often, someone will mention something that has nothing to do with Leeds, a childhood memory perhaps, but then that can touch off some fascinating anecdotes that do relate to Leeds. As long as contributors observe the normal rules I think it should be anything goes. And if anyone wants only to read strictly Leeds related topics they can just ignore the General Chat thread.IMHO as always. My sentiments Geordie,but if it is general chat,then surely opposing opinions to threads and posts made under that banner should also be accomadated.They cant have their cake and not expect someone to try and take bite.

[String o' beads]

cnosni wrote: Geordie-exile wrote: In response to cnosni asking the opinion of site members on the debate about content herein, I've started this thread as that one appears to be locked.What 'should' be allowed in 'General Chat' then? Well, I'm a member of several message boards and I visit many others. I can't think of one board that doesn't have a general chat forum. They are provided so that people who have got to know one another through the site can discuss stuff that's not strictly on topic. I think that's valid, and I think such a forum deserves a place here. Often, someone will mention something that has nothing to do with Leeds, a childhood memory perhaps, but then that can touch off some fascinating anecdotes that do relate to Leeds. As long as contributors observe the normal rules I think it should be anything goes. And if anyone wants only to read strictly Leeds related topics they can just ignore the General Chat thread.IMHO as always. My sentiments Geordie,but if it is general chat,then surely opposing opinions to threads and posts made under that banner should also be accomadated.They cant have their cake and not expect someone to try and take bite. Of course! Everyone should be able to state their opinion as long as they obey the normal conventions.

[chemimike]

As a regular reader and occasional contributor to SL, may i say that I completely agree with Phill. There is nothing wrong with a general chat section, but at least make it of some interest, and not just waffling for the sake of writing something. There is a thread just started today in general chat "Gritting in leeds". The first post was put in by mistake and edited to say : sorry wrong section. However five people then felt the necessity to comment, despite not really saying anything of interest.

[cnosni]

Phill_dvsn wrote: I too love many of the off topics discussions. I have a wide interest in many things. Anything to do with Sad bag anorak stuff. Trains, old busses, trams. Old signs, pubs. The tales of old Leeds, the characters like Woodbine Lizz e.t.c.But i do think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. The site was set up for a specific topic which was 'Secret Leeds' however the site diverged into wider areas, and for the good of the site as well. Very interesting stuff has been posted on here because of it.I do think it is a small percentage who pay scant regard to what the site was initially set up for tho. General chat is fine, but if you fill the site up with nothing but general chat then it deteriates rapidly (as people have voiced there opinion about already)Allowing posts like ''where is the best place to buy a car'' just opens the floodgates for posts like.Which is the best bus for the White Rose centre?How do i fix my washing machine.Uncle Ernie's budgie has died.I certainly don't want to click on to Secret Leeds to see this kind of thing. It will ruin the site and is a complete waste of tax payers money. Anything goes simply should not be allowed in my opinion.If your topic wouldn't interest a stranger at a bus stoporyou can use Google search to answer your question then don't post it on Secret Leeds i would say is a good rule of thumb.         That last paragraph sums it up for me

[kango]

I think Phill raises a salient point in that this is not just a public forum but a publicly funded forum, which by its very nature requires a more rigid adherence to its original intent. That said I think a change of title for general chat to one of "Leeds in general" could satisfy both camps.A lot of younger members might not to be able to latch on to some of the posts from older members, describing something You did or a work related event "back in 55" has small resonance with a lot of young people , who are also taxpayers, so a thread like the one I suggest may allow them to ease into the site where they either get a feel for it or decide it's not for Them.Just a few musings after one or two sherberts.Kango

[Steve Jones]

I think we can have a general chat along the lines phil said above.i also think though we need some sort of FAQ about how the site is run.it is easy for a forum to descend into chaos if someone decides they aren't going to abide by any rules.I personally think the owners and mods are doing a good job so far.It has been pointed out as well ,this site is hosted by Leeds Council,if too much bickering and stupidity take over,they can just as easily pull the plug; and there goes all the information,resources and effort, put in over the years by people who cared about giving freely of their knowledge and information.

[chameleon]

Steve Jones wrote: I think we can have a general chat along the lines phil said above.i also think though we need some sort of FAQ about how the site is run.it is easy for a forum to descend into chaos if someone decides they aren't going to abide by any rules.I personally think the owners and mods are doing a good job so far.It has been pointed out as well ,this site is hosted by Leeds Council,if too much bickering and stupidity take over,they can just as easily pull the plug; and there goes all the information,resources and effort, put in over the years by people who cared about giving freely of their knowledge and information. We have a need here for the Administrators to step in Steve - endless debate and rebuff by a few disenters serves no purpose.I'm sure that in your professional as well as personal life you will have found that so often it is the very people giving need for rules to exist who are the ones who always think those rules don't apply to them.Society can do without them I feel.

[Leodian]

chemimike wrote: As a regular reader and occasional contributor to SL, may i say that I completely agree with Phill. There is nothing wrong with a general chat section, but at least make it of some interest, and not just waffling for the sake of writing something. There is a thread just started today in general chat "Gritting in leeds". The first post was put in by mistake and edited to say : sorry wrong section. However five people then felt the necessity to comment, despite not really saying anything of interest. As one of those contributors to that thread it is nice to know that my post had nothing of interest. To you perhaps, but it was related to Leeds as some may find it of interest that for example the planet Jupiter was the bright object. I also raised a question about how it was known that gritting would be needed in Leeds, which I think is relevant. I most certainly was "not just waffling for the sake of writing something". In my opinion your post has only further addded to the unfriendliness that is occurring in the forum.