The Thread to Discuss Threads

I figured "hey, why don't we have a thread where we can talk about threads/topics themselves", and so I made this thread, and all was good.

As for what this thread can be used for, we can discuss other threads, or we can propose topics to see if they're actually something other tropers would discuss and make sure it's not inflammatory (i.e. quality control for threads).

On the other hand, this isn't the place to whine about how some topics are off-limits, or how everyone in a particular thread sucks for not agreeing with you or whatever (unless they are actually being flaming trolls, in which case you can holler a mod who will respond appropriately).

Yes, this is basically threadception. Now that's out of the way, this thread doesn't have to dissolve into a huge joke about how deep down the rabbit hole tvtropes is willing to go. Okay? Okay.

edited 22nd Nov '12 6:35:05 PM by Ekuran

I was actually thinking about starting a thread on public nudity, but I never got a response from the mod I PM'd about it.

Honestly I think most of the threads run pretty well. Some of our mega threads do get somewhat cyclical, but I don't think that can be fixed.

I've noticed the cyclic rate of fire nature of The Military Thread, but that's usually because all the cool stories bear repeating.

Heh, rate of fire.

I'd comment on your comment, but that would ruin the other gem I had stashed away in there.

...

Crap. I just commented, didn't I?

edited 23rd Nov '12 1:23:42 PM by pvtnum11

Would anyone object to a general economics thread?

A general economics thread on OTC would be indistinguishable from the Krugman thread.

Yep.

Maybe we should change that thread's title to "The Economics Thread", or something like it?

edited 8th Dec '12 9:53:00 PM by Ekuran

I think we should. I prefer general threads, they tend to stick around longer.

I suppose that sounds good. I just think we should have a place to discuss the competing theories and alternative systems. Some other threads seem to occasionally get derailed talking about these things.

edited 8th Dec '12 10:19:22 PM by Topazan

I know U.S. Politics spends a lot of time on economics derails.

Alright, should we message a mod then?

EDIT: You know, reading through that thread, it seems pretty focused on Krugman with occasional derails. There are other topics to talk about, so wouldn't it make sense to start a new thread, and leave that one to discuss Krugman specifically?

edited 8th Dec '12 10:52:28 PM by Topazan

Any topic about the school shooting or a media thread in general? Or have they been deemed too volatile?

I'll be open and say that I mainly want to talk about how badly I think the media handles this sort of news and what might work/be more informative/provide better news. I know that it is very close to a complaining thread, but I want to discuss it anyway (and hope it would not turn into a flame war).

I tried making a thread about the Arizona "Dark Knight Rises" theater shooting, but it was never opened and almost immediately erased from the OTC thread. Thus, I doubt that an OTC about this new shooting would be accepted either.

However, the idea behind the shooting and the fact that there's so many copycats these days is definately worth discussing. Or failing that, discuss the reason why that you don't hear about this sort of stuff happening in (most) other countries, or why the targets tend to be areas where the youth tend to congregate, such as schools, malls, colleges and such, and not government offices, the DMV, police stations, etc. This bugs the hell out of me too, and I'd love to see if anybody here has a good answer or is willing to brainstorm something better than the horde of "SOMEBODY SHOULD'VE SHOT THE BASTARD IN THE SPINE AND LET HIM SUFFER" sort of comments that are all over MSNBC and other major sites right now.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:33:45 AM by SgtRicko

I dunno for other countries, but we in Canada got a handful of those. -shrug-

One thread I always felt like starting is an OTC thread on transhumanism, but the one I made on Yack Fest was pretty short lived, so I don't know how it'd be received on OTC.

I think the reason why is because it's Too Soon or because it has too muh potential to become a flame war when it's this recent. I forget exactly what was said when some people tried to make a thread for the Aurora shooting.

There was a thread on the shooting in the Connecticut school. It was deleted along with the first post. Or actually two, I see.

edited 16th Dec '12 10:03:28 AM by SeptimusHeap

Is there anything to really discuss there, though? Any related topic to those things (eg gun control, mental health, etc) would be better discussed in threads already dedicated to that topic. And without that, all we have is everyone's mutual agreement that terrible things are terrible.

That is why I asked if there was a Media thread. I don't care about discussing the shooting so much as the media coverage of it.

Which is certainly worth discussing, as the media have behaved really poorly during this crisis.

Hm, that might make sense. Although you'd have to be careful not to let it derail onto the actual events, I guess.

The reason the threads about the Connecticut shooting were deleted is because there was nothing to discuss. They were set up to be nothing more than hand-wringing about how horrible it was, or wailing about how horrible guns are. Past experience has taught the mods that those types of threads never go anywhere good.

I was wondering why my polyamory/polygamy thread was never opened.

Due to duplication, methinks.

eta: Hm, that one seems to be narrower in scope than the title says.

edited 17th Dec '12 11:42:06 AM by SeptimusHeap

It's narrower than "Polyamory — anything goes here" in the fact that it's not about the sexual mechanics or about making judgment statements that poly is good/bad/right/wrong/cheating by definition/not-cheating by definition/hot/squicky. It does cover a lot of ground outside of those areas. As I said in the mod post here, "In this case the topic is "Polyamory — how does it actually work?"."

And in looking at your OP, I beleive the other reason is that polyamory and polygamy are two very, very, different things, and clumping them in the same thread is a recipe for confusion.

edited 17th Dec '12 3:03:27 PM by Madrugada