Thorns are what makes a forum like the car chat interesting to participate in. Most other forums on the web are mostly model specific, without much a general auto discussion, likely for the lack of "thorns".

 

Dave, I will commit to personally contacting every new member who posts in it confused with a link to where their question should be posted to be answered, or I will report it to you all to let you move it, whichever you prefer. I know you don't want me to be a moderator, but I would volunteer to do that and move off topic from other threads into it.

I care deeply about this forum and posting on it one of the highlights of my day, I want to see it be as enjoyable a place for all of us as it can be.

Maybe the solution isn't a thread, maybe its a forum, maybe its a chat add on, all we are asking is that you be open to trying to find a solution...

 

OK will think on it a bit. I'd like for you to work up an approach that helps figure out when members interested in a general chat thread would start a new discussion thread vs make a post in random chat, how to deal with conflict that arises in that thread so that it's self-policing and address an approach when new members join and post there to guide them to the right spot. Basically write up the rules for the thread that we'd ask everyone who participates in it to follow so it doesn't diminish new potential car chat content discussion in a jumbled mess and confuse newbies. No rush, PM me what you come up with please.

 

I will work on that tonight...thank you for being open to it

 

The recent "do ya wanna feel old" thread is a good case in point. The thread was simply about a mainstream car many of us may have once owned being old enough to have historic plates, and it was evolving nicely with good posts and no conflict. And it got shut down, IMO, without good cause.

We have "on topic" threads getting no activity and traction, and here we had one where there was good engagement and discussion and, by any reasonable analysis, only a slight deviation into "off topic" stuff (like any good conversation will as it develops) and it got shut down. And I don't think it was shut down for that reason, but that's a topic for a PM discussion.

It does seem like the fact that this is already the "off topic" forum of Club Lexus gets lost sometimes.

 

bit and Dave, there's nothing you guys can do about threads going off topic. I don't mean this in a disrespectful way. If for example we're talking about the 2023 Mazda 3, by post #27 it may go off the rails for whatever reason.

I think you guys do a good job removing posts and closing threads that need to be. CL is fine the way it is.

 

The other way is to ban certain topics and make it explicit in a sticky thread title above. Easy to avoid controversial topics if guidelines are set and rules posted. Just give us a list of things we shouldn't talk about.

 

Dave will sometimes ask us NOT to start new threads on some subjects....particularly after they have been shut down. But, in general, I understand your point.

 

Sorry, but we don’t have a free for all “off topic” forum anywhere on Club Lexus. Car chat is a forum for “General discussion about Lexus, other auto manufacturers and automotive news” with threads about discrete topics. That has never meant every thread is open season to devolve into random off topic sidebar offshoots.

We are talking about finding some middle ground approach here in this thread, but there is an ongoing issue with threads jumping the rails both with repetitive arguments and really random tangents. I agree the ‘old’ thread you mention is borderline but there are dozens of others closed with much more egregious issues. You also need to understand sometimes you don’t see the full issue because the mod team has cleaned up posts and handles concerns via private message.

 

So when Acura brought out that horrendous beak grille in 2009, you couldn't say that you didn't think it was attractive? Not saying Acurazine was the site that banned those for being negative, but that's an example.

I also think it's better to bump a 2 year old thread if it applies to your situation rather than flood the forum with another one.

 

Acurazine is one of the forums I frequent. It's about the most open forum I've been a part of. I've never seen any real moderation. You should check out their Religion and Politics section!

 

We do let the off-topic go on for a little bit, just like the refs standing around during a hockey fight to allow some punches to be thrown.

However, it's when the off-topic doesn't get back on topic is when action needs to be taken. We can't have 2 guys beaten to a pulp and get knocked unconscious on the ice rink?

This is what makes ClubLexus a mature, informative and quality site.

 

But isn’t there a difference between a thread going off topic and people bludgeoning each other?

I 100% understand that approach when members are fighting, but when a conversation comes to a conclusion about a specific topic and evolves into conversations about other topics, I just don’t see the value in closing the thread and not allowing that conversation to continue. You have members who are interacting with each other in an enjoyable and respectful way, and isn’t that the goal of a discussion forum?

 

It's two different distinct concerns, both end up getting threads closed eventually or troublemakers booted from threads. Sometimes the off topic shunt creates the arguments.

 

There's no reason for anyone to be intimidated at all.

Just like discussed before by Dave, if anyone wants to reply/discuss on a totally different subject (no longer related to the original subject), just feel free to click New Thread-no need to feel any intimidation whatsoever from anyone here.

And we moderators are here as volunteers in addition to being a member also.

On a lighter note, just like your thread regarding your family re-union, "my house, my rule"

It's a small favor-we hope everyone can agree.