Meta thread

[dogoftheunderworld]

Is there a polite way to ask someone to stop posting in your thread?

Asking for a friend.

 

[tommybahama]

Start a blog?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Asking for a friend.

Short answer- no.

Long answer-
If you create a "+" thread, it's supposed to be productive and not negative. If someone comes in and starts posting negative things, you can request moderation (I believe).

Other than that, there is no "thread ownership." I start a fair number of thread, and it is inevitable that there will be thread drift. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, sometimes people end up talking about something totally different! Unless they are breaking the forum rules, it's all fair game. That said, the best way to keep the conversation focused is to continue to participate in a productive and healthy manner and try to occasionally nudge it back on topic.

 

[TheSword]

I guess it depends on the reason. If you think the thread is going off topic you can gently nudge it back on topic. If it’s one of your players and you don’t want to read then tell them directly.

If it’s someone you don’t like or don’t want to engage with then you’re probably best off blocking them. As I understand it, you can’t see a thread if it was created by someone who has you on block.

Just remember if you do that you’re missing out on any good stuff people say, as well as the bad. I recently unblocked a couple of people about a month ago, and I’ve found I’ve been liking more and more of their posts in the last few weeks.

 

[Umbran]

Short answer- no.

Long answer-
If you create a "+" thread, it's supposed to be productive and not negative. If someone comes in and starts posting negative things, you can request moderation (I believe).

Other than that, there is no "thread ownership."

The above is all pretty much accurate. I'll add that if you want them to stop posting in the thread because they are being a big old jerk, you can report their posts, and moderators will take a look at it. But if it is just that you don't like them, or they are civil, but taking the thread in a direction you don't like, you are going to have to live with it.

If it’s someone you don’t like or don’t want to engage with then you’re probably best off blocking them. As I understand it, you can’t see a thread if it was created by someone who has you on block.

Two things:

1) There are two forms of block - one is "I don't see your posts", and the other is "I don't see your posts, and you don't see mine." You have to be sure you have the second enabled if you want that latter option.

2) Block no longer works to make entire threads invisible, if I recall correctly. New board software, so it behaves differently.

 

[dogoftheunderworld]

Start a blog?

I think this is my answer.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, a thread is a like a conversation. You don't own it, you just happened to start it.

So topic drift - not much you can do. That's conversation for you!

Somebody being a jerk - report the post, and the mods will handle it if appropriate.

 

[CapnZapp]

If you start a thread to discuss ways to do X, and people post only to say "don't do X" and generally discuss everything EXCEPT what you started the thread for, that pretty much kills the idea of a discussion forum.

Thread drift yes, but every thread is started to discuss something, and by spamming the thread with actively unhelpful posts really should be moderated as off topic.

If you can't tell people to start a new thread for "don't do X" and can't get moderators to do it either, then there's an effective ban on any topic that a sufficiently vocal group dislikes enough to derail.

 

[J.Quondam]

If you start a thread to discuss ways to do X, and people post only to say "don't do X" and generally discuss everything EXCEPT what you started the thread for, that pretty much kills the idea of a discussion forum.

Thread drift yes, but every thread is started to discuss something, and by spamming the thread with actively unhelpful posts really should be moderated as off topic.

If you can't tell people to start a new thread for "don't do X" and can't get moderators to do it either, then there's an effective ban on any topic that a sufficiently vocal group dislikes enough to derail.

That's pretty much what a "+" thread is for, I believe?
Just remind posters in the OP that the topic is [whatever] and to keep things positive with respect to that. I'm not certain, but I think mods take the "+" into consideration when doing their thing.

 

[Umbran]

That's pretty much what a "+" thread is for, I believe?

Yep. And we do generally take that "+" into account.

If you start a thread to discuss ways to do X, and people post only to say "don't do X" and generally discuss everything EXCEPT what you started the thread for, that pretty much kills the idea of a discussion forum.

Use a "+" thread, or maybe consider the possibility that X is actually a really bad idea.