I think threadsucking and bookmarking are workable solutions. Just keep in mind that incorporating those methods will also change board culture.

Wha? Those methods have always been available.

Yes, of course. I'm sorry that was vague and confusing. We haven't used those tools to sustain an ongoing, on-topic conversation in Natter, over the long haul. If the suggestion is actually, rather than add a thread, have any kind of conversation you want, in Natter, and use these tools to help sustain it, I'm actually somewhat game. I'm still more at home on a linear board. But I do think we'll see changes, either way (if, and only if, people have shows they really want to talk about, which they might not, and then, if and only if, we vote down any threads). I'm trying not to say too much, or go on too long, because honestly, I don't know what I want. ita's right when she says there's no perfect world, here. So, shutting up, now.

I think that move slowly shifts us more towards a tv discussion board rather than a ME board. And I'm not saying that is a horrible thing that must be stopped, but I would like to see it at least acknowledged.

OKay, I get that. To me, we quit being a straight ME board when Music and Movies and Literary and Smallville and Fanfic and other threads we added back at WX were started; possibly before that, on TT, when we started the first Natter thread. But yes, this would be a further step in that direction, assuming the poll and vote shows we want to take that step.

I don't have the time or the inclination to try to manage conversatons in Natter using bookmarks and threadsucking, but if that's what most people are the most comfortable with, I'll understand.

we quit being a straight ME board

But, as we announce to the world, we're here for "discussions of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly with humor, intelligence and obsessiveness."

Obviously not as viable as it once was, but if we're going to become something else (spare the snark, spoile the networks?), it bears quite a bit of discussion. General TV board may not be it.

given that we already have a Smallville/Stargate thread.

Where, to make a small point, Stargate isn't even mentioned in the description, but has taken most of the posts in recent months. Would that it had a thread of its own, I say, but, then, I can't stand RDA.

Not sure if I actually have a point, now that I think about, except to vent my own personal dislike of all the Stargate discussion I have to wade through for the tiny crumbs of Farscape discussion that still come up (soon to change, I'm sure).

I mean, seriously, I'd propose a Stargate thread before anything else, just to get the discussion elsewhere.

Frank, do you think there'd be more Farscape discussion if Stargate had its own thread? Or it would just be easier for you to get to what you want?

I do understand the disgruntlement, but I'd rather the entire board only talked about stuff I was interested in, and I didn't have to skip the irritating conversations.

Except I wouldn't honestly rather. It's just how things are.

No I get that, which is why I've never even considered proposing a Stargate (or, in a similar degree of annoyance, The O.C.) thread just to move the discussion elsewhere. But since it's being discussed, I thought I'd comment.

To answer your question, though, it's more that it would be easier to get what I'd want. Which, since I try not to make larger issues all memememe if it is just, well, me, I wouldn't. The way I use the board is - when I see new posts in a thread I like, I got to it. I've never figured out what the subscribing option does, for instance. So, in the scheme of things, it's a minor annoyance.

I'd still vote for a Stargate or an OC thread in a heartbeat, though, if it ever looked like there was strong support for one and it was proposed. And, as I (sort of) said before, I don't think any new show I like is established enough for me to say the same thing (i.e. LOST). MAYBE and HBO Sunday thread or something. I'm all for waiting for a groundswell of sentiment before starting new show threads. I just don't think they should be discouraged (server/board maintenance issues aside).

Edited cause I'm up to early to be coherent on first pass

when I see new posts in a thread I like, I got to it.

Basically, I do that too. Sometimes I read them, because the posts actually interest me, and sometimes I skip or skim. People discuss movies I don't watch, or books I haven't read, or politics I don't follow, or a million other things.

And in a dedicated show thread, they'll discuss characters I don't like, or plotlines that irritate me, or just have opinions I don't care to dwell on. It wouldn't make the board that much more designed for my individual reading pleasure.

All being said, Natter discussion works for me. I'm perfectly okay with sporadic TV discussion. I'm perfectly okay with bookmarking the first OC/Lost post of an evening, and going back and reading it 4 hours later.

I don't want the board to be a general TV board. I don't particularly fear it, because I'm not getting the sense there's enough volume to do that. Or enough to challenge the board resources. If I'd sensed such a chafing need, then I'd have to bow to the inevitable, but would then be worried about board resources under such a looming increase in volume.

I just don't get any of the whys other than "Well, I'd like it better that way, see."

I just don't get any of the whys other than "Well, I'd like it better that way, see."

Hence, my groundswell comment. I think my two cents, now that I've thought about it a little more, is just to point out that I (and possibly others) would vote for a thread to get discussion away from certain threads, and not just to get it into one of their own.

I just don't get any of the whys other than "Well, I'd like it better that way, see."

Well, why does there have to be any other why?

Even though the OC is the only one of the mentioned shows I watch, I think, I REALLY don't think it would support its own thread -- there's a fair amount of whitefont, but essentially no analysis. It's just not that kind of show. EVEN IF we want to have more non-ME single-show threads, I think we'd want to focus on the obsessive analysis part of our "charter," rather than the "talk about TV" part. Not that a whole thread of Kat foolishly insisting on the hers-ness of Teh Seth wouldn't be entertaining.