I'm with all of those who are not bothered by the minimal thread drift or mission creep or whatever we're calling it. A lot of what gets posted in both Press and Beep Me is irrelevant to me, but it takes so little time to look at it and go "okay, this is not for me" and hit Message Center again. I admit I'm a little confused as to why this is becoming an issue, when it's so quick and easy to skim those threads.

Can't resist a fray, now can I?

Anyway, as I see it, Press used to be conceptually for things like fandom events, ME actor appearances, etc. Fandom things that we all wanted to know. As we got to become more of a community, and to know each other better, it included our F2F events, big and small. And then, eventually, everything else. As Plei pointed out, definitely started to avoid spamming all the threads. Which we did, because there were some events that needed broad publicity, but it was crazymaking for those of us who read every thread. What should it be? I'm not so sure.

Beep Me definitely started out with intensely important personal info, a way to keep tabs on the board members when we couldn't keep up with natter. I feel partially responsible for the going-grey and dead grandmother posts, because I know I did both of those when the thread was still fairly young (I think?). I remember thinking that people would think I'd fallen off the earth, since I was going from posting in every thread every day, to not posting at all. I had a few responsibilities. And there was some comfort in letting people know what was up, and in knowing that someone would notice if I did fall off the earth.

Later, I was really grateful for Beep Me allowing me to keep up on the pivotal events in people's lives, when I was unable to stay current on the boards. But anyway, yes, I feel like there's been feature creep, and no, I'm not too worried about it. But I wouldn't want us to stray too irrevocably from their purposes.

But as I said, even if someone found one of these two positions controversial, don't think it rules out posting information of this sort in press, when there is something urgent to do.

There is ALWAYS something urgent to do. This should fall under a categorical imperative type rule--should every time a Buffista is outraged about an international human rights violation be posted? Certainly one cannot know beforehand that a buffista has a local friend who is not keeping up with current events, so I really don't want to point to a post post hoc and say, hey, that's good use of this thread.

I know the majority is going with "let it alone." But I think these threads are not akin to a company bulletin board-- pretty much every poster will take the time to look at these posts, and there should be a concomitant consideration that people will make it worth their while.

I end up skipping a lot of things in Beep Me and Press because they are just irrelevant to my life---I'm not in an area where I can go hang out with or easily see any Buffistas so all of that has nothing to do with me.

However, I also don't have the time to read Natter or Bitches. I dropped Bitches and currently am trying to keep up with Natter but end up skipping about 500-800 posts just to skim a few hundre before I run out of time to be online. I can't even read Tim's thread anymore with out massive skimming.

I'm glad to see the posts in Press and Beep Me even if they don't necessarily apply to me becuase otherwise I'd never find out about that stuff.

Deleted due to big cross post with Askye who made every important point I made more succinctly.

Looks like Bitches is about 700 or so away from a new thread...

And? 7600 semi-slut!

I'd like to defend "going dark" messages in Beep Me, and not just because I've been guilty of them. When regular posters disappear, "where is BuffistaX" questions happen. "Going dark for a while" messages let everyone know the absent one is ok.

I know the majority is going with "let it alone." But I think these threads are not akin to a company bulletin board-- pretty much every poster will take the time to look at these posts, and there should be a concomitant consideration that people will make it worth their while.

What Shawn Said.

And, like what Plei said, I look at Press as the thread where things are posted that used to get spammed to every thread.

The premiere of a random TV show just doesn't cut it, for me.

I know the majority is going with "let it alone." But I think these threads are not akin to a company bulletin board-- pretty much every poster will take the time to look at these posts,

which is true of a company bulletin board too.

and there should be a concomitant consideration that people will make it worth their while.

sure - but that does not mean it has to be something every single buffista will want to see.

Also there is a reason press has evolved the way it did. At one time Buffista natter was something that could be kept up with. The Natter thread alone has grown past that point for most, not to mention Bitches, the second Natter thread. There is no longer any place you can put something where you can count on it being widely seen - except the announcement threads. If press starts getting overwhelmed, then you can start thinking about restrictions. But for most of us who skip (and I'll bet thats a lot) or who don't even read one of the two natter threads, it would really make the Buffista board less pleasant if press started getting less stuff.

I don't think press is being overwhelmed by political announcements or poetry contests, or openings of new boards. Don't see how at the currrent level of posting it is problem.

And if the level of posting ever gets to be a problem, then I think you may want to consider dividing it into two threads as several have suggested.

I will point out that arguing about it in Bureaucracy has generated more posts than the past weeks posts in Press. And again what is being complained about is something that has been there almost from the first post in Press.

And quite frankly, if a Buffista publishes an article on-line, I would like to seen it announced in Press. The odds are I may miss it if the they simply put it in Natter. It seems that telling them not do so with seriously inconvenience a bunch of people who are skippy mcskimmerson. And I don't see how allowing them to continue posting in Press inconveniences you. It seens more an irritation of principle "by god that stuff doesn't belong in our precious Sunnydale Press' than any practical loss. Whereas skimmers and skippers actually stand to have the community become a more difficult place to be part of if it is restricted.

Fewer than 30 posts from the 13th-20th. Does not seem like anyone is going to have trouble keeping up with press.

Allyson, of course you aren't hurting my feelings. You're saying that the deathmatch notices don't apply to you, so you ignore them. I think that's an excellent way of dealing with things that don't apply to you.