Anyone else have this experience:
You’re reading one of the excellent threads here on C&F, revelling in the discussion, composing your own thoughts to submit your astounding knock-'em-on-the-head argument, when suddenly the thread veers wildly off-topic, into realms not even remotely related to the initial subject of discussion. Shortly thereafter, the thread dies, even if both the main topic and the side topic it generated are worthy of more exploration. The thread just can’t sustain two topics, something must give, and so the heart of the thread stops beating, and the thing just dies there, just as it was hitting its stride. Or you can never locate an interesting thread again, because the subject title is so unrelated to the subsequent content that you can’t find the thing again.
Also this:
You point a friend or a beginner or a fellow musician to C&F, thinking they might enjoy the discussion there, and later they tell you, “Yeah, it seemed interesting, but just as I was learning about rolls, a huge argument about (abortion/sexuality/politics) started and it just got really weird, so I don’t think I’ll check in anymore.”
Maybe it’s just me. Probably it is. But if it’s not, what I propose is this: when the thread you are reading ignites in your mind an unrelated topic, start a new topic on that subject, rather than hijacking the current thread with your brilliant (and sometimes they are brilliant, or at least very shiny) idea. That way, a thread about rolls is likely to stay more or less about rolls. A thread about animal rights is likely to stay more or less about animal rights. A thread about sexuality will remain more or less about sexuality. A thread about the relative merits of various whistles (or politicians) is likely . . . and so on.
And our wonderful ideas about whatever-it-is are much nore likely to get the attention they deserve, and from people who are actually interested in the subject at hand. People who are interested in the music will be able to read about the music without having a heart attack when I suggest that eating meat may not be the best thing one can do for the world, or when Cranberry opens his heart on a touchy subject, or when Nano makes those weird noises he makes when he’s sitting in the corner over there, rocking back and forth.
Not to say that divergences and jokes and asides are unwelcome, because clearly we all love those. Just this: if you think your subject is worthy of considered discussion, then start a new thread, rather than hijack someone else’s thread. It’d sure be easier to find and follow threads, and to participate more fully in the discussions, if we all did that. My thought is we’d have just as many varied discussions as we do now, but maybe be able to engage in them even more fully. And we won’t frighten off new and potentially valuable members who run when they see what happens to some very interesting threads. There’s a danger in becoming too cliquish with established members and alienating new blood.
Or maybe not. I’m probably just cranky today.
