Rants vs. Off-Topic

I honestly believe that these two fora could be combined into one forum.

Many of the arguments parallel each other and the traffic in either one sometimes mirrors the other.

Combining them would be the symantic option, and more likely channelize the traffic properly and even drive more posting tenfold by bringing the users together.

Also: in consideration of the need for a separate 'rants' category... I think that any rant inherently suggests that the user does not expect resolution to his problem/situation above and beyond what he or she might have posted in another on-topic support category. It is rather an arena to vent a more terminal kind of frustration, (which ever-so-frequently also happens in G:OT anyway).

You could additionally argue that "sometimes seemingly terminal problems even get resolved at the 11th hour by posts in that category, thusly making it a working support forum..." but this can also be said about G:OT... in fact, probably even more so.

-just thoughts...

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It might be a good idea, but it's not going to happen. Internet.com has put somebody in charge of this message board, but it mostly seems to be "in name only" -- ie he isn't realy doing anything.

I've thought the forums needed rearranging for a long time. But if Sensei never got around to doing it, these new guys sure aren't going to.

...that was my feeling, but thought it worth a shout. *shrug*

... guess not.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Craig McPherson:
<STRONG>these new guys sure aren't going to.</STRONG>

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things will remain status quo (for the reasons craig mention, in my personal opinion)
there is a thin line between rants/off topic, in most cases
i don't feel it is worth time/effort to move a thread from one to the other, they are nearly the same thing

I think we should keep them separate. Being as how they're pretty much the only forums I visit consistantly, it'll make me feel like a total llama if I'm just posting in one forum. Whereas, if there's 2, then I can feel like a semi-llama. :)

It's a difficult one, because in many ways they are seperate. Off topic is just anything that is not really about Linux, although it could probably include a whole load of Linux related stuff (post your screenshots, etc) whereas Rants is all about ranting, but I suppose can be off-topic too. I guess the ultimate difference is that the Rants section is amore likely to be offensive, and opinionated.

Just my £0.02

Quote:

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Originally posted by Counterstrike:
<STRONG>I ... it'll make me feel like a total llama if I'm just posting in one forum.</STRONG>

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HEY! I resemble that llama!

(and BTW: llamas are cool :cool: llamas :cool: )