Weaning Off CF Over Discouragement

[Red Mantis]

It's not that the comment threads drift too far; it's that the original topics are too narrow!

[Canibul]

Thread drift? I just clip em off with my teeth and then melt the ends with my cigarette lighter.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Don,

Have you seen Janet's new Avatar? The occassional flash of those legs is worth hanging around for

Cartoon a**, what could be better!

[Stillraining]

Hey, David and I get excited easily..what can we say..

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by skeedaddy

What kind of anchor is best for thread drift?

Wanna Drift... get a Danforth...

[Stillraining]

I have decide to never announce my proposed leaving of CF.

I would probably not get the attention this thread has and it could be detrimental to my well being..

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

I have decide to never announce my proposed leaving of CF.

I would probably not get the attention this thread has at it could be detrimental to my well being..

No go ahead and do it! I said way back that it was crack to me, but that I was going to try to stick to the social postings.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I'll second that....
Whatever you do.... don't listen to that wanker Boatman...
The only things he sails are in his bathtub....
David_Old_Jersey
Registered User

Wisest thing I have said for a while

Now, where's me Rubber Duck and Battleship?

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

none in Thailand as we were on the pick.

Ok. No "Soapy" in Thailand. I'll beleive ya

[boatman61]

Hey Dave was gonna send a THANKS for great comment....
but got a pop up says I gotta spread it round....
Thank you all....

[feelsgood]

Well I have been called arogant,big headed ,small minded and some other names that I cant print here. BUT and its a big BUT I have made many many friends on this site and I have been thanked for some of the advice I have given. I have also enjoyed some of the arguements(though not realy serious) about which boat is better than another. In the end I have come to realise that on this forum we meet some very interesting people, some very scared people and some boring people but in the end isnt that why we come here to MEET other people. Lets face it if we all got together in a bar we probably would talk about the very things here that anoy us. As for me at 63 I have found the woman I adore and the boat I have always wanted and we all get along just fine. So what I am saying is my world is perfect. Yep thats me big headed, arogant, boring and enjoying every day of it. Oh and by the way I cant spell for s****t but do I care NAAAA.
Love to you all keep the faith and enjoy the sailing

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Ever notice that the original poster of the thread lots of times just disappears from the topic?

I did a bit of research to figure out why thread drift seems to bother Don so much more than it bothers me. Looking at Don's public statistics, 103 of his 823 posts have inaugurated now threads. In other words, his start-new-thread to post ratio is an incredible 7.99. Ultimately what this means is that almost one out of every eight times Don posts on this forum, it's to start a new thread.

I compared this with my own participation, where 4 of my 1,035 posts have inaugurated new threads. My start-new-thread to post ratio is 258.75. In other words, I start one new thread for every 259 posts on the forum. (And two of my four threads were in the advisor's forum out of public view, which means in the main forum I start a thread fewer than once per every 500 posts.)

It stands to reason that those who frequently initiate threads would be more disconcerted by thread drift than those who do not. The question is: what's the solution?

Perhaps, Don, you'll find that you can lower your frustration level by elevating your start-new-thread to post ratio. In other words, spend more time drifting threads initiated by others than worrying about how drift is taking place in threads you've initiated.

Please note that I'm not in any way suggesting you stop initiating threads. Some of the threads you've started have been quite stimulating. But try not to think of these as your threads. A thread is just a thread. One idea leads to another, and sooner or later all good threads either have to drift or die. Mine tend to die fairly quickly. Of the four threads I've started, one got 2 replies, another got 4, the third got 5, and the big one got 12 replies. Compare that to the 117 replies this current thread has now prompted! Ultimately, this single thread of yours has gotten significantly more replies than my lifetime aggregate.

Let 'em drift.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bash

Perhaps, Don, you'll find it less frustrating to elevate your start-new-thread to post ratio. In other words, spend more time drifting threads initiated by others than worrying about how drift is taking place in threads you've initiated.

I read a lot of threads that I found interesting as orginally posted/asked. But find these drift just as much as anything. Not saying that interesting info doesn't occur during a drift lots of times. But also lots of times the drift got so far from the question that it never got answered.

On the other hand; are you saying I should work at getting other threads to drift off topic to feel better And I'm kidding so lets all go postal etc on me. (for the non US people there was an explaination recently on what going postal means)

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Bash

Of the four threads I've started, one got 2 replies, another got 4, the third got 5, and the big one got 12 replies. Compare that to the 117 replies this current thread has now prompted! Ultimately, this single thread of yours has gotten significantly more replies than my lifetime aggregate.

Getting replies to a thread is an art not a science Getting all useful (to OP) replies is..........impossible A high response just takes practice and is no indicator of quality (just read this thread ) a catchy (rude? ) thread title and a bit of chivvying along helps..........

Apparently I am 1 in 40 and with 2000 posts at 1.6 a day just goes to prove..........I need to get out more

[Dockhead]

Well, if you don't like it, there are infinite and unlimited places in cyberspace. Everyone should wander to those places they like best, and it's no ones place but your own to decide where.

I for one have a very different opinion about this forum. I think it's great! I have lots of interests in life and have participated in lots of different interest-driven forums, and this is by far the best in terms of (a) having a really great mass of truly knowledeable people who are active participants; who (b) are willing to devote a LOT of time patiently sharing that knowledge. I have learned more from this resource than any other single source in all of my decades of sailing. The generosity of people here with their knowledge and time, and their patience with even the dumbest of newby questions (some of them asked by me) is just amazing. In that regard I would like to take the opportunity to thank Paul Blais, Nick of Jedi, Chief Engineer, and a dozen other people from whom I have learned so much and had so much fun doing it.

As to thread drift -- that is the nature of every good conversation. When people gather together who enjoy talking with each other, one thing leads to another. Some of the most interesting things around here are the result of thread drift. Thank God for it.

As to the arguments -- that's also only good, in my opinion. You can't figure out any kind of hard question, if someone isn't challenging you. A good argument teases out all the best things you want to know. Besides that, it's fun.

If you're a "touchy feely kind of guy" and need some kind of social emotional reinforcement, well, maybe this isn't the right place. There are other, better sources for that, and none them online.

A very perceptive comment on thread drift is this, from Bash:

"But try not to think of these as your threads. A thread is just a thread. One idea leads to another, and sooner or later all good threads either have to drift or die."

Just so. You would want, even your child, to have his own ideas and take his own direction in life, right? Why not your thread? You should be pleased if you started a thread that got people talking among themselves, far beyond what you ever intended.