I totally agree that was a great thread. I’m perfectly willing to criticize CC, but I don’t think criticism here is warranted. I cannot imagine an author agreeing to an open ended thread that could go on for days/weeks/months, especially when that author is in the midst of promoting a high profile book, doing lots of interviews, podcasts etc. I don’t think closing the thread is a decision CC made, I think it is something Jeff S. probably decided. Plus, he wants you to go buy his book, not learn everything he knows for free here on CC. Perhaps it would have avoided any annoyance if the admin had announced up front that they would keep the thread going for whatever time period (a week, three days, whatever) up front in the first post.
(Side note, Jeff’s book is well worth reading IMHO)
We used to have nice meandering conversations on here. Now it seems that anytime a thread goes off topic, we are reminded to stay on course.
Besides the fact that it seems like being schooled like we are middle schoolers, one of my great delights of old CC were threads that changed and evolved over time.
Even when I don’t feel that the conversation goes off topic, we are told to move on. I understand when there is conflict but when there’s not?
Is there a TOS, thou shall not discuss anything but the topic at hand? Or thou shall not discuss something in depth?
With the dearth of posting on here, I would think that any posts would be appreciated, even those that slightly go “off topic”
Sometimes “off topic” means two or more posters start what should be a private convo:
“Oh, I haven’t seen you here in a while! How are you? Hid did your DD’s job interviews go?”
And then they are off. This happens less often now simply because there is less traffic, but it used to happen frequently and I found those deviations somewhat annoying. JMO.
Q1. Yes, particularly when the post has nothing to do with the topic
Q. No. But when the posts become an extended conversation between 2 users, it’s a conversation better suited for PM. Or if the 2 posters just start arguing the same point over and over and over.
IMO there is a dynamic to the life cycle of parent posting.
It starts when trying to find out where kid #1 should apply to college.
Then perhaps more info during 1st year college.
Repeat for other kids.
Some of us choose to “give back” by helping others.
Some like it here and choose to “shoot the breeze” on parent cafe.
Eventually kids graduate, their college experiences become increasingly distant.
Parents’ posting patterns shift accordingly.
I’ve had several periods where I “swore off” , thought I would quit, but then came back for a while. I did notice last time I came back that a few of my favorite posters, who had given valuable information, had been banned while I was gone. It’s a loss, IMO. But it is not for me to question moderator’s decisions, and I have no basis to do so.
I do imagine some people quit due to the format changes, I certainly had trouble with it a couple times. If you’re not really actively seeking information it becomes more discretionary and easily dropped if it is frustrating.
To me, the best period on the sub-forum I mostly follow was when several current students, who then became recent grads, kept posting and sharing information. That was about end of 2004 to beginning 2009. It was very lively then.
More typically, kids come on to get information and then don’t give back. I believe a psychologist would say that is the more typical expected behavior for that stage of life, especially given how busy they are. Or actually most of the students never came on here in the first place, it was their parents who did.
If there was some way to engage more current students and recent grads, to make it more like that prior experience with that sub-forum, that would help. Maybe this posting format isn’t modern enough for them. Maybe it has to be on “Tik Tok” or something, I’ve no idea what they are doing now. Or maybe now there is some other place/format that really provides the same type of discourse ? I’ve no idea…
Also, it’s gotta be tough on these kids, who suffered the covid adjustments through 2020. It’s not just missing the classroom experience or social aspects. They’ve been cut off from the ordinary interactions with teachers and the GC. Who’s at least getting them started on the college search? Where can they just run through an idea?
I’m trying to see it that way. Especially for seniors, who probably expected this access right now.
As the OP and the first person to mention the “lunch table,” I want to clarify that I don’t think I ever used the phrase “mean girls” or similar. I really was referring to the fact that I got the impression that there was a LOT of conversation happening in PMs. I felt alone at the lunch table because I use PMs to exchange specific information or share additional information about a thread etc. I suppose maybe I am not as socially savvy to create off-line relationships via PM or Facebook.
While I would love the chance to get to know some of you better, I also hope that we can keep interesting threads alive here too. I imagine there are many people who are reading along and learning from different threads and if all the conversation is via PM then there is less for the general audience to participate in.
I too have been put off a little by the “you’re getting off topic” warnings lately.
For a thread that has MANY MANY pages, of course we’re likely to go away from, and usually back to, the original topic over time.
I understand the mods have a tough job to do, but unless things are getting nasty, or it truly is something nobody else can learn from, it would be nice if discussions are allowed to wander.
I wouldn’t have learned nearly as much as I have over the years or found the site as interesting if we were forced to stick to the topic pretty stringently.
Exactly. More posts = more site traffic, which is very important, so what exactly is the problem? I guess it’s the arbitrary condemnation of mega threads?
That does beg the question. If a thread meanders a bit, why does anyone care? Is the purpose to get site traffic, or is it not? Sometimes we get these warnings and I don’t even know what they’re talking about. A thread can get dull if it is narrowly focused. Perhaps the title of the thread and the initial post should be vague.
Since we are taking a little break from the Fight Club rules, I’ll chime in.
I think, on average, the site is a bit over-moderated. I think this limits the interest and value of the site. Perhaps I missed the details, but since all the threads are titled, users can see what they are getting. And if it drifts off-topic, I am one click away from leaving the thread.
I also think that most of the “recent” user interface changes have not been good. (The “annual culling of the users”.)
Now, competing against this is the fact that I am a guest here and can’t request a refund.
