My reading is that you are poking not because it will change the ballot in anyway, but because you want me to prove what threads I do want, to prove that I do want new threads.

No, I was honestly curious, and I appreciate your answer. To be blunt, I read your post last night as being extremely sarcastic; my assumption from your tone was that you were basically saying that everyone has some posts they'd rather not read, and we all just needed to suck it up. Also, I've always been told that if you're going to tear down one idea, you need to offer something else in its place. You weren't. Now you have. And for the record, I like a lot of your ideas.

Will I add them to the proposal? I don't know. The most likely addition would be the general reality thread, because I agree with the reasons you outlined, and because reality shows, as a genre, drew about as much support as The O.C. in the poll.

I think the poll showed a lack of current interest in a dedicated Alias thread, and I feel we could revisit either adding that or folding the discussion into the Lost thread later in the season. I agree Boxed Set should be disaggregated if the board resources to do so are there, but I'm not sure if I'm the one to propose it, since I don't post there and don't really have a strong sense of how the thread is functioning.

The others would be repurposing the board a lot more than the proposal I envisioned would -- adding new TV threads is less of a change than adding pet or body image threads. I feel they should be a separate proposal, and discussed separately.

I think someone above mentioned Lovesick as an example. It hasn't even made it to a thousand posts. How do people feel about having created the thread?

Sometimes a thread needs to exist because there's simply nowhere else to put the posts. That's not what's being proposed here -- LJ wants a better way to talk about those TV shows than how's being done now.

Wonderfalls spoilers were either going nowhere, or going in Lovesick. As such, it fulfilled its purpose exactly.

How do people feel about having created the thread? Was it worth it?

I guess I'd have to say no. I dunno if I had been the one who proposed it or Allyson had. But no, we didn't have a place to talk about spoilers. Far fewer people are spoiled than I thought would be. It might be worth it once the Canadians see it before the US (if that still happens that Canadians will get it earlier). It fulfilled its purpose, but wasn't necessary.

The others would be repurposing the board a lot more than the proposal I envisioned would -- adding new TV threads is less of a change than adding pet or body image threads.

I don't expect you to add them to the proposal at all. you asked me what I'd do and I told you. If I wanted to make any of the changes, I'd propose and do the rest. I just don't care enough to bother.

But it's, in my opinion, inaccurate to say that having a body image thread would repurpose the board a lot more than TV threads. We've never been a general TV board before either and your proposal certainly moves us in that direction. I don't see why we should have TV over any other general purpose thread at all, especially when the topics that generate the most posts are not TV related.

I don't see why we should have TV over any other general purpose thread at all, especially when the topics that generate the most posts are not TV related.

I think it's because we originally bonded over a TV show. Also, unlike a movie thread, or even a book club type thread, it gives a weekly focal point for discussion.

I really don't understand the resistance and the argument that this is changing the direction of the board. We've always talked about TV. We've talked about a number of shows besides Buffy and Angel. It's very close to the core of our culture.

I'm also for a general spoilers thread, no white font, readers beware warnings, sluts galore. We're very tolerant about spoilerphobes throughout the community - it's lovely having a place to let it all hang out.

We have never been a general purpose TV board. We've had technology, movie, music threads before a general TV thread, or even most specialised TV threads.

Of course it'd be a change in direction.

That's not a value judgment, just a statement. It feels more like something that would change the "A community dedicated to discussions of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly with humor, intelligence and obsessiveness" hung above our door, not least of all because some people are vehement it's obvious.

I wouldn't vote for a all-nekkid all-the-time spoiler thread because I am partially spoiled, and happy that way. But then, I have no problem seeking my spoilers (or even my TV discussion) elsewhere.

Does anyone else feel lost?

I'm just ready to vote.

It's funny, Cindy -- I was about to post this whole elaborate highway metaphor, about how other TV shows were part of the same highway as Buffy, but pets or body image were off-ramps, and then you post about being lost.

(Okay, it was funny in my head.)

I do think adding any new thread is a slight change in direction. I don't think adding these will make for a major change compared to where we are now, though of course we can't know that until they're up and running.

Also -- Kat's idea for the general reality thread was interesting. What would the support for that be like, if I added it to the proposal?

I'd be for it, more than for a thread for any single reality show.

Does anyone else feel lost?

Yes.

How about this: A Watch-n-Post thread for whatever. Lost or debates or Veronica Mars, etc. This would leech whitefont away from Natter, and provide a place for people to go to find discussion about a show.

eta: Natter is sort of a utility thread. Things that don't fit elsewhere go there. Watch-n-Post is a discrete use, easily classified.