So is that an argument for one of the options?

Nope. I'm not sure which side I'd argue at this point. My main point is just that no matter what, proposing any change will make some people unhappy.

Yeah, you're right, I don't think they'd quite be a general thread, but I'm betting we're going to see at least a little increased volume. This may be a problem.

I think it will be a fraction of the volume we'd see from a real general TV thread, because if we increase volume it will be from the participants who already check those threads seperately becoming more chatty, not from new users, per se.

We may all get more chatty, we may not. If we get "more chatty" increased volume, how much of a problem is that going to be?

If we get more chatty, then there was precisely no advantage to rolling them together, and we're trying to be as neat as possible, without pissing on anyone's fun.

the original reason for the smallville thread was that it was taking over natter, correct?

So I think (and I do read Smallville) that since that is no longer happening, it could be closed.

As mentioned, it was taking over Bitches, and I think it's possible that S3 Smallville, as the lead-in show for Angel, and with a Buffy writer on staff, will generate MORE talk than S2 Smallville did, and I think that should be kept in mind.

DS was started because it was taking over Smallville back on WX.

If we get more chatty, then there was precisely no advantage to rolling them together, and we're trying to be as neat as possible, without pissing on anyone's fun.

Then that is a problem.

Except that maybe I'm not understanding Kristen's carpool theory. My understanding is that rolling three threads into one would allow for a slight net increase in chattiness because instead of responding to three posts with a necessary three posts across three threads, you're responding to three posts with one post in one thread.

Am I thinking this through wrong, or does this not actually allow for a net increase in chattiness?

And if we're that concerned with even a small increase in the level of posts, aren't we then hosed?

It seems that if even the smallest increase in postiness could crash us, I don't know that there's any house cleaning will have any effect at all.

Let me set my definition:

Chattiness is measured in number of posts -- Kristen's scenario had fewer posts, ergo less chatty.

It seems that if even the smallest increase in postiness could crash us, I don't know that there's any house cleaning will have any effect at all.

My point is -- if there's a decent risk that this would increase the number of posts, why bother? You're shifting a status quo for what benefit?

It's not the size of the post, Sean, it's how many times you get down with the act.

Hm? What's doing in Smallville? click Oh, what Ple said cracks me up! I'll respond. click Hey, I'll COMM that! click Posting in COMM. click I wonder what's doing in Natter? click Jobma, healthma, questionable link, quiz, Bush is an ass.

So basically, we don't know. If the thread becomes a default general TV thread, there could be a lot more posts, which is worse. If it means that people who would have gone into three threads go into one and post one thing instead of three, which is better.

Is there any way we could start it, try it for X period of time, and yank it if the MySQL use gets up there?

Dingoes ate my post.

You're shifting a status quo for what benefit?

To satisfy an expressed need within the community while trying to avoid some of the drawbacks that a more general thread would have.

I mean, maybe we should just leave everything right as it is, but then I become quite concerned that we're just hosed, whether something happens to spike posts in between now and Oct.1, or the increased posts of the first Angel broadcasts does, it feels like it's just a matter of time.

If that is the case, is there anything we can do? Should we just switch to a dedicated server now?

I know that we think we should wait on talk like that, but now it sounds like we're going to be fine until we're not (whenever that comes), and once we're not fine any more we get shut down until such time as we can afford as a dedicated server.

I guess it just seems like we're at a sort of "nobody post any more than they already do, and maybe try to post less" point, which sounds exactly like "let's start the fund-raising drive right now" to me.