(Out of Topic) Do we need a "OUT OF TOPIC" forum?

[Wilhelm M.]

@sheepdog

I think you missed his irony! As far as I could understand him, his message was:
"ALLWAYS we will forget someone of them."
and thats true, of course. There will always be people who cannot use their native tongue here. You cannot avoid that but you can achieve that most of the postings are understood by most of the people. If you want to do that you must stick to English.

(Nevertheless: allowing at least the 3 established languages in the new forum would be an interesting experiment...)

[CoMiKe]

I've read in another topic that Ghisler can read Spanish, and, who knows, perhaps he can learn a bit more reading Spanish posts.

And now that the forum is moderated, he could choose a moderator for spanish posts (perhaps Jqn (Joaquin)).

[pdavit]

I don't see any reason why not to put three languages in the offtopic forum.

Either I can read the topic or not. If I can read it, I can take part, if not I cannot. If there is a topic taking my interest, but I do not unerstand I can post a request for translation/summary in my language. Maybe someone will help.

To keep track of it one may add the language info as Lefteous proposed..

Yes, it really is as simple as you have state it!

One of the aspects of an off-topic forum apart from contents not related to the main topic of a forum is its free nature. From this perspective it should either be just English (generally due to its rare use), or cover every language and just apply a simple and straightforward functional separation (color coding, icon indexing, sorting etc. comes to mind).

In addition, another key element for the existence of an off-topic forum is to make off-topic posts expecting to get a reply by your "virtual" friends that you know and respect from the remaining of the forum. It's extremely rare to get posts on off-topic sections by new members despite of the fact that situation looks the exact opposite. If you look for an answer you just don't pick a random forum, look for its off-topic section, and then contribute your thoughts and ideas.

[ghisler(Author)]

Yes, I can read Spanish (somehow), but I could neither answer nor see fine differences like irony or so. And from our last poll, there isn't a big need - to the contrary, 23 users voted strongly against an additional language forum, only 7 in favor.

About an off-topic forum: As long as the number of off-topic threads is low, I prefer to keep them in their respective language forum with a note [off-topic] in front.

This also has an advantage for the posters of these messages: They get read more. For example, I am following several other forums like the Topfield receiver forum, and I'm not reading their off-topic forum at all.

[pdavit]

About an off-topic forum: As long as the number of off-topic threads is low, I prefer to keep them in their respective language forum with a note [off-topic] in front.

That's fine (although not ideal), but a note should be placed somewhere so that those members not informed by the "[off-topic]" scheme of posting won't be bombarded by our (kind) moderators.

Maybe an added number in the forum rules section or a note under the title filed when posting a new thread should do!

[majkinetor]

I keep wondering why this croud always talk about TC when we all have many things in common except TC and first of all our passion for digital.

SO I purpose we open a new forum which is to be named TAVERN in wich we can talk about other things in life and universe which even doesn't have to be abot computers at all.

Me and Squire will discuss poetry there, we can all continue 3trd party tools conversation there, with nice cold bear, Leftious can finally chillout a little from his job here (and practice other types of human conversation), even a Hacker is welcome (I still need to think about this).

And your host will be, me ofcourse - the Dark Lord Majkinetor - since I have a very rare gift of lidership.

Or maybe that old bag of meat, Sans.. I think he deserved to manage a TAVERN after all things he passed in life....

[Sir_SiLvA]

Sorry there are enough boards in the WWW for THAT.
THIS is a TC Support Only Board - and thats all that is needed here

[majkinetor]

well, that's one vote for NO.

You are right but we are gettering people from THIS forum, that is the point. You will still have other TC related forums, I don't know why complains of this kind... maybe something like... I don't like bear would be better argument

[icfu]

Mark offtopic threads with [OT], that's enough tavern and will keep the community integrated, not separated.

I have to switch between German and English already and don't want to visit two additional OT forums in the German and English section.

Icfu

[Hacker]

Mark offtopic threads with [OT]

Yepp, an [OT] before the title of this thread would be nice, too.

Roman

[majkinetor]

2 votes for NO...

Then we will have bunch of OT topics in forum which should be related to TC.

I have to switch between German and English already and don't want to visit two additional OT forums in the German and English section.

Who needs anything when he have a Tavern....
Why don't you find some intelegent agent that can browse instead of you German and English until we are having a good time in the TAVERN

Cmon, people... don't act like some too early matured girls.

[sas2000]

 
[OT] before the title it's enough, i also think that [OT] posts should be in someway related to Tc, posts like "[OT] Which is the best motherboard for P4" should be avoid.
 

[majkinetor]

I don't understand this isue. In the topic that Lefti mentioned everybody thoguht it is a good idea. And now, suddenly everybody thinks.. naaaa... who needs THAT. OK, you are 1 year older then in first post but... I guess you evoluate at higher speed than any living crature so TAVERN is not an existing object in your current evolution stage.

About those language trips:
It should be on English, like everything else in this world. English should be offical computer language. I don't say that all other languages should disapear (I hope it will happen someday) but that everybody should understand and write English. When I see native lanugage Windows, I feel like I am halucinating....

So, I guess it will be NO. So you want OT every 5 minutes, since that would be speed for it according to the frequency of OT topics this days...

I must say I am very surprised, I expected more organisation here. And jungle of OT and NON OT topics is not in my definition of being good organised.

[B@rndH]

I don't understand the heated discussion. As I lack to see the need for an OT forum so far ...

Top left of -my- TC-forum page is the large enough TotalCommander emblem. That tells me what I have to expect: a forum with topics on TC. I do hope that it will remain so.

If the need to discuss other things really arises, the OT demarkation will help readers like myself to stay away from those topics. And as far as organization is concerned: the forum is splitted in so many parts by now that it's already difficult to keep track. Perhaps other might feel that that is my personal problem but I'm visiting regularly and I'm still taken aback by the sheer size of the forum. One- or two-timers might find themselves simply lost, so why create more confusion? Stick to the KISS principle and:

• Keep It Simple, Stupid ([OT] derived from Occam's razor [/OT])
• Stick to what it's originally about: TC

Enjoy TC!

[Sheepdog]

I don't understand this isue. In the topic that Lefti mentioned everybody thoguht it is a good idea. And now, suddenly everybody thinks.. naaaa... who needs THAT.

One point is that in principle the OT is against the forum rule 3.

Otherwise there had been in between a quite clear statement of @ghisler that he will tolerate those OT threads. And in the meantime it turned out (for me) that it's a good solution to put those OT threads - visible marked in the title - in one of the existing forums and theres no need for a separate OT- forum.

sheepdog