Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Now I understand what meaubry is talking about with Chit-Chat being the biggest liability of all the sections, but if Chit-Chat was removed wouldn't the "noise" wind up in other areas? It seems to me that it is easier to keep a closer eye on one section of the forums. This gives the "noise" a place to go than to clutter other sections and be "muffled" if needed.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Keep it.

If you dont like the off topic discussion now, imagine how much worse it'll be when most of it is no longer centered in chit chat.

Cory

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Thats what I would say, if I were posting my opinion.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Agreed.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Pro Chit Chat.

What I get most from CD is community. In any community, there needs to be a place where members can have off topic conversations. It's the water cooler of CD.
It serves a important function. It allows the other conversations to remain clean of the extra stuff.

Could the chit chat forum be made opt-in? If you don't want it then turn that option off.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Interesting point. Thank you for bringing that up.

My question is, does having a Chit Chat section really gather up the noises in the area area?

I think it does, to a certain extend. People who want to chat to other people about some random stuff do post in the chit chat forum. But those are things completely unrelated to FIRST. I do not think those topic will reach over to the main forum is there is no place for it. Things like video games, evil laughter, etc.

I say it does to a certain extend because I've observed that threads to get off topic in the main forum with or without the Chit Chat section, though most are still some what related to FIRST, or some inside jokes few people share among themselves. Those will remain there with or without the chit chat section.

I want to touch on the point of the possibility that having the chit chat section may be affecting the main forum in a negative way. Lots of new members come into the chit chat forum, sense the loose attitude of posting without a certain reservation, and repeat the same attitude in the regular forums. The regular veteran posters will post because they have something to contribute, others I've seen will post because they can. That may or may not come from the chit chat section.

I've also noticed some threads in chit chat that are very political. Those kind of threads have caused many flaming wars, and may be what Meabury is talking about. Those discussions sometimes grow beyond control and have to be closed by moderators. In a way, that's not the best things to expose to the FIRST community.

I am not sure I fully understand the full impact of the chit chat section on the entire forum. It can go one way or the other. I suspect some of both is happening (chit chat section help containing the off topics, and chit chat section help increasing the off topics). Any insightful inputs will be greatly appreciated.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Speaking of politically induced headaches whatever happened to SilenceNo More?

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Who cares? he isn't here :P

A group of people figured out what team he was from and let him know that they knew.

That scared him off real quick :D

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

3 things I never argue about.

Religious Beliefs.

Politics.

Money.

Ken - I wasn't defending myself. I re-read it after work and I realize it seems like it - but I'm just getting really tired with the amount of people questioning CD.com and it's users. If the people don't like it out there - they don't have to be here. If people abuse their powers on CD.com - they will be warned/banned. I think Brandon and all the other moderators are doing an excellent job - remember this is a form - so they can't be on here 100% of the time - but it sure seems like it. I am disappointed at some of the recent thread deletions because I would like to look back in 1 or so years and remember this time.

Remember - this is the web. IT CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED. There will be times where you will be 'flamed' and other times when you do the 'flaming.' Some people feel they have to put in their .02 even if it brings down the people on CD.com/web/CD.com itself. You can try to control it - but I believe most people on the web have an open mind and can realize when someone is just being a bone head and when they are pointing out something valid.

I'm tired and have to go to court tomorrow (Traffic Ticket :mad:.) I'll post more tomorrow when I get some time at/after work.

-Matt

P.S. Ken - I'm not saying that you where questioning anyone in particular - but I am getting a 'vibe' off of the question you posted in the way you did. Am I probably thinking too much - but at this point from the past few weeks - I'd rather keep my guard up than let it down for now... :(

[edit]
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?p=287076

I think we all should take a break and laugh. We'll continue with the serious stuff tomorrow...:)

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

I think Chit Chat is fine, but there needs to be stricter rules. Sometimes people just do the "post for the sake of posting" and they make thread after thread after pointless thread. A bit more posting control in that forum and it should be fine.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

How come I never hear of these things?
I miss all the fun.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

I don't even know if Chit Chat really needs stricter rules or if posters just need reminders on posting rules in general. FIRST is not all work and no play, so consider Chit Chat the recess room. I've seen several comments from posters that out right say threads in Chit Chat are useless, but I disagree. I don't think ChrisH giving us an update on his wife's progress with her health is a useless thread, but then, I see FIRST as being more about the people than the machines. Nor do I think Raven_Writer giving a warning about a scholarship scam as useless either. And before there was a separate NASA section, all NASA threads were in Chit Chat...

Heidi

<========>
"A glass slipper, once shattered, can't be resoled." -Gregory Maguire

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

This quote really sums up my feelings on the topic, but I'll elaborate.

I'm one of the few people who voted against the Chit-Chat forum.

CD over the years has become one of the best resources in all of FIRST. People can count on CD for the answers to all their FIRST related questions. There's a wealth of experienced engineers and professionals who can help you with all sorts of problems.

I firmly believe that eliminating the chit-chat forum will help keep this site as such a valuable resource.

There are plenty of other online forums on the web for people to kill time and have fun. Since when did ChiefDelphi become an entertainment vessel? The point the Ken is bringing up is that many people who come here for technical information get turned off by all the nonsense in chit-chat. Many mentors do not read CD, because they see it as being too juvenile. The chit-chat forum kills a large degree of professional that this site tries to maintain.

By eliminating the Chit-Chat forum, things would become a lot more serious around here, and we would gain many new readers and posters with various new insights and information, which would make CD a much better resource. Sure, we wouldn't be able to have a lot the fun little threads that we've all come to enjoy (and yes, despite me sounding like a grinch right now, I'd miss a lot of it too). But there's no reason that these discussions couldn't occur on another board not hosted by ChiefDelphi.

I'm not saying that everything here needs to 100% business-like, but I do believe there needs to be some sort of professionalism. My rule of thumb is that I don't post anything here that I wouldn't normally be saying in a FIRST team meeting. For example, I rarely in the middle of my team meetings say "Who would you rather vote for, Bush or Kerry?". I'm still willing to joke around, but it's important to stay on topic, and in my opinion the topic is FIRST.

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

Allright - we may gain SOME readers - but how many would we loose...?

:o

Re: To chit chat or not to chit chat
 

I disagree.
People don't come here because they don't participate in messge boards not because it has a frivilous time waster. If you don't like the page just don't use it but don't punish the other posters because it goes against your philosiphy.
Besides, the Chit Chat section is not listed in the portal so unless you search for it you won't spot it.