This was typical for the chowhound cookware community, of which many have joined here. And I see the same pattern now here. Maybe the cookware boys and girls are cut from a different cloth but in general we like/love thread drift and just general banter.
On chowhound it happened all the time: new joiners with their first question on induction cookware would be bombarded with lenghty essays on disc bottom versus clad, responsiveness this and that, and of course all the ongoing personal feuds.
At some point I felt sorry for these new people wanting a simple answer and I created a thread specifically meant for banter among the cookware clique. Funny thing is that that thread died quickly within 2 days!
I think the only person that might be negatively affected by thread drift is the OP. For him/her there is the option to unsubscribe from the thread once they have the answers, and/or even mute annoying people.
I remember that, Damiano, and I remember somewhat chiding some OP who did get mad at the OT pan discussion that ensued, as you related. I think I told him, “But we’re learning…”, he relented and said to carry on!
Then there’s us, who took OT to another level, lol!
Great topic. After a while, piss on it, let the thread go. If we’re talking, that’s good. I always liked your input; and, if we find a common, who gives a rip? Talk.
I have learned a tremendous amount on thread drifts. Topics and opinions/facts I’d never otherwise encountered. As suggested above several times, if I don’t like the direction, no one is keeping me there.
I tend once I have been on a thread that interested me to stay with it, even when one or more aspects get boring, snarky, or annoying. It helps me to understand better those with whom I disagree.
what does not float my boat is a reply / replies to two-three-four-ten year old threads that have drifted far off the thread title. and rather a lot of the recent replies are quite inane to the topic.
some software shows the date of the OP. when I see a new member replying to a six year old thread, I don’t even bother with it.
there are differing opinions, but I think any thread inactive for two years should be locked to new replies. if the software creators would respond, one could envision something like a new thread with “Response to xx-year old thread {{link here}}” but people who write forum software seldom use it, so convincing them of some new and really cool feature is quite difficult.
I regularly post on old threads when I’m returning to the same topic, looking up a recipe, revisiting a city or sharing a trip report. I often post relevant recipes to old Cuisine of the Quarter threads.
I understand not liking it when old posts surface, but I personally like updating old posts whether they are related to cooking or travel.
I don’t like newer duplicate posts much.
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Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
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It’s a dilemma with posting reviews of a revisited restaurant.
Egullet used to prefer posts to an existing thread, arguing that one could follow the progress of a restaurant, maybe through different chefs. On the other hand, my recollection is that Chowhound used to prefer a new thread for each review. When I first came to HO, I continued the Chowhound model but have now reverted to the egullet model which I think I prefer.
Not to mention folks are joining all the time, so what’s old news to some is a new and interesting discussion to others. Sometimes it’s kind of fun to see an old discussion resurface. Other times I just move on.
I didn’t even remember I was the author of the pizza thread, which is pretty funny. I like revived threads. The knowledge contained in old threads is immense.
The knowledge contained in old threads is immense.
