1 - I am posting something very specific to Comedy, or Technique, or Hist Fic, so I'll post in the relevant group 2 - I have a query about something about the publishing industry which I don't want the whole world to read, but I don't mind my post hanging around forever - I'll post that in the appropriate place (ie the Lounge ?) 3 - I want to have a scrap about how much I hate Gordon Brown / Harry Potter / chick lit / religion / whatever - it could get messy - so I'll post in the Chatroom.

Which should make pretty much everything not posted in the Chat Forum worth keeping, shouldn't it? I don't know. I think so though.

Looking forward to what Team: WW decides.

Nik.

Which should make pretty much everything not posted in the Chat Forum worth keeping, shouldn't it? I don't know. I think so though.

Yes, that's fine. That's what everyone wants...

EXCEPT... that we already have a bunch of historical posts in the Lounge which weren't made with that kind of clear separation of content. There's two separate problems - what to do in the future, and what to do about the past. Lots of us would like to be able to delete our old stuff from the Lounge. But I don't believe anyone is going to go back and delete "useful" discussions about writing, which I think is what you're worried about, Nik ?

The problem is, Griff, that threads wander. People go off topic, get into scraps, post a personal anecdote, gossip, etc.
Gossip is rarely specific enough to be able to say at the start 'this is a chatroom topic'; 'this is a lounge one', it just develops.
And then there are the members who don't want their stuff archived, period. Are they going to stay in the Lounge if there is a chatroom alternative?


- NaomiM

The problem is, Griff, that threads wander. People go off topic, get into scraps, post a personal anecdote, gossip, etc.

Threads only wander in the Lounge, where people feel they have freedom to wander.
I've never seen a discussion in any of the Groups spiral out of control, they are always very reasoned and polite.

So if people knew there was a Chatroom for kicking off in, I think that discussions in the other areas would remain non-controversial. Obviously, if the odd regrettable post is made in a non-Chatroom area, there is still the option of asking DB to delete it.

And if a thread in the lounge started to go off topic or get more personal, members could easily agree to continue it in the chat forum.

Casey

I like that Casey - like a 'let's take this outside!' Fab!

Meet you there in 5 minutes, Nik

Casey

It's like that is it Casey??? But you're a married woman!

Heh, heh...maybe we should have a blue room

Ahem, *clears throat*. Now back to the main discussion....!

Seriously, though, it's an option, if threads start to get personal or way off topic, it would be nice to take it somewhere other than the lounge and leave that thread open for more relevant posts.

Casey

Why do I keep getting timed out and have to log in again? Anyone else having this problem?

Anyway, back to the discussion, Nik/Casey, aren't you going to end up with a whole load of disjointed threads if you do that?
And people will think 'oh those two just want a natter, we'll leave them alone' if a couple of people up sticks and takes to to the chatroom.
- You know we're only going to gossip about you while you're gone

I'm sorry, don't have a strong opinion about any of the important issues here but this...

Sums it up well Nik. Tell my wife I'm out of the office all afternoon, and oh, get me a coffee, black, no sugar, there's a princess.

...just made me laugh so much! Brilliant!

aren't you going to end up with a whole load of disjointed threads if you do that?

Well that's what I'd have thought. Wait and see what Team WW says.

And yes, LOL Caroline.

Nik.

I feel a little like an interloper by joining in after such a prolonged period offline but here goes anyway.

Firstly I'd vote against a 'chat room'. Such 'places' can be great fun on the right site but they can also be a breeding ground for misplaced comments and vitriol. By their very nature they are hard - almost impossible - to moderate and tend to become inhabited by a very small clique of users. I'm quite sure David and the WW team have enough work to do without spending time and money on something that might end up being used by only a tiny fraction of the membership and, in my opinion, may fade in popularity quickly.

Apart from anything else, we're a pretty verbose bunch - it'd be odd if we weren't - and chat rooms are far more suitable for those who express themselves in one line punches.

One of the major selling points of the 'chat room' seems to be that it's somewhere posts can or will be deleted quickly. It seems to me that this is merely diverting the core issue - that of whether the lounge posts should offer this option. If it's the retention of posts and the possibility of deletion that's the issue then surely it's better to pursue that problem as it pertains to the lounge - an established and well used area - rather than spawning another area. Without wishing to sound facetious, in six months time will we want another chat room because the first has a deletion limit of 2 weeks and we want one with a 1 week limit?

Perhaps more importantly I simply don't think the nature and personality of the WW members would suit a chat room. I get great enjoyment from reading the long and involved threads here - one of the few places on the web where you can be guaranteed of interesting and intelligent discussion - and the idea that some of this might be consigned to a scrap of paper that's discarded each night is upsetting.

Secondly, yes, technical issues will always creep into a lounge area - that's common to every board in existence. I don't see it as a problem so long as moderators redirect or repost when necessary. The biggest danger is that structured sites such as this one end up being focused around a single area, making the site less usable and attractive to newbies. Technical or artistic postings in the lounge should be moved to the appropriate forums and those involved should be encouraged to follow them there to ensure the site has a good 'busy' feel to it.

Well, I'm quite puffed out by that. Time for the pub, methinks

Jon

Well said, shellgrip
I second that.


- NaomiM

Naomi, I just spotted this among the *chat*…

Why do I keep getting timed out and have to log in again?

I used to have this problem a while ago. I can't remember what the problem was, but David cured it. Email him… you shouldn’t have to keep logging in.

Dee