The Nature of Forum Threads

[Major Carrales]

I thought we might have a discussion of the nature of forum threads.  As you know, this is a sort of free forum (save for the extablished policies) and such freedom to initiate THREADS, which separates this forum form a blog, is what drive discussion.

For the sake of definition, let us look at some terms...

Post- An individual reply or innitial communication of a forum

Thread- a series of posts made up of replies, statements and other posts

Threadster- A person who is an active member of the forum and make posts on threads

lurker- a non-participating read

toad- a disruptive threadster

Now, there are some questions we can address...

1) How long does a thread have to go before it stops having meaning?

I would say three pages.  When a post is in its first page, it is easy to scroll up and down to follow the flow of the discussion.  However, once a page has gone on to page 3, it become unrealistic to expect person to have followed the flow of debate.

Add this to the feature that lets a threadster "zoom" to the latest post and we have a situation where a person is more likely to "reply out of context" without having read the prior posts.

Also,  post morphing, where an original idea is lost in favor of an ancillary issue...is more common when the psot has gone into its 3rd or 4th page.  Thsi is about the point there a MODERATOR locks or splits the thread.

2) How can theads be made more accessable?

In theory, only a classification system could do that.  This is where Blogs have a one up on Forums.  A blog normally classifies the initial post, forums are more fluid and make this a bit more problematic.

3)  Why is a serch function on a mega-forum pretty much useless?

Searching a forum is a good place to start looking for information, however, when a forum becomes so massive that simple items cannot be searched without thousands of threads coming up (basically one would need a seach engine for the search) it becomes useless.

Many threadsters are quick to point newbies to the "Search" function, but really, if the newbie needs an answer...a PM would better serve the purpose than sending one to a "seach."  The later is merely a dramatic show of theatrics designed to make a newbie look stupid.

4) What exactally is a post and its potential.

A post was intially defined at the on set of this discussion.  But what it the purpsoe of a post?

1) An inquiry from a person who needs information.
2) A statement of some fact
3) to solicit opinons
4) Spread news
5) Spread rumor
6) chat on unrelated matters
7) Say hello
8 ) shock
9) entertain
10) toad around and disrupt (including insults and libel/slander)

Now, the matter of a the morphing thread is been discussed.  Many times a post can take on new shape even by simply trying to keep a post on track.

During more heated debate, a thread is often disjointed purposely. Often someone will throw in a non-sequitur.  Sometimes, an ancillary point will "catch wind" and take the post off task.  To which someone will eventually say words to the effect of... " to get this post back on track"  or "now back to what we were talking about."

That is "post potential," the idea that any given post can potentially start a thread on any give matter.

Comments?

[RogueLeader]

Flame on?

I think that you have done an excellent amount of research on this, and have hit the nail on the thread

[Major Carrales]

Flame on?

I think that you have done an excellent amount of research on this, and have hit the nail on the thread

Sometimes trying to understand...or even being aware of how these forums works can prevent all the flaming and insure that we can discuss things in a bot more of a civil manner.

I've also done a study on the nature of "flaming."  Maybe I'll post it next week.

By the way, these are part of some research a friend of mine are doing.

[BillB]

Can someone tell me why a convoy of black vans was seen heading to South Texas? And another smaller convoy headed to the central Florida East Coast?

[Major Carrales]

Can someone tell me why a convoy of black vans was seen heading to South Texas? And another smaller convoy headed to the central Florida East Coast?

THEY'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE....

[RogueLeader]

Flame on?

I think that you have done an excellent amount of research on this, and have hit the nail on the thread

I've also done a study on the nature of "flaming."  Maybe I'll post it next week.

By the way, these are part of some research a friend of mine are doing.

I was trying to make a joke of the flamers, I guess it didn't take.

[Major Carrales]

Flame on?

I think that you have done an excellent amount of research on this, and have hit the nail on the thread

I've also done a study on the nature of "flaming."  Maybe I'll post it next week.

By the way, these are part of some research a friend of mine are doing.

I was trying to make a joke of the flamers, I guess it didn't take.

I know...it just happened that I have a report on flaming...

Here you go... 

[RogueLeader]

Flame on?

I think that you have done an excellent amount of research on this, and have hit the nail on the thread

I've also done a study on the nature of "flaming."  Maybe I'll post it next week.

By the way, these are part of some research a friend of mine are doing.

I was trying to make a joke of the flamers, I guess it didn't take.

I know...it just happened that I have a report on flaming...

Here you go... 

:angel:

[Capt M. Sherrod]

It definitely is an interesting dynamic to see how a thread topic shifts from the original post to what the topic is 7 pages later...

Take for example the thread "Beards?" on the Uniform section.

[RogueLeader]

It definitely is an interesting dynamic to see how a thread topic shifts from the original post to what the topic is 7 pages later...

Take for example the thread "Beards?" on the Uniform section.

I know, I was thinking that myself.

[Major Carrales]

It definitely is an interesting dynamic to see how a thread topic shifts from the original post to what the topic is 7 pages later...

Take for example the thread "Beards?" on the Uniform section.

You are correct, in that thread, the underlying issues not readily on the surface, float to the top around page 5.  There even starts to be an issue of discrimination and the old "USAF Style versus CAP Style" in there.

Also, and I did not note this but have discussed in it PM, there are some topics that make "rounds" in the forum.  "Beards" is one such subject.  There is also... "Ribbons," "Uniforms," "stricter Professional Development,"  "USAF Style versus CAP Style (including Corportate Dress and Aux on/Aux Off)" and "Grudges of Leadership."

These are among the some 7-10 issues of which we cover the same ground over and over again.

[Dragoon]

That hints at how the fundamental the underlying issues are, and how addressing them might resolve a multitude of "symptoms."

[IceNine]

Ah yes good old circular conversations

There is a simple solution to this as well

2 eyes, 2 ears, and one mouth for a reason.  Use them accordingly

[RogueLeader]

Ah yes good old circular conversations

There is a simple solution to this as well

2 eyes, 2 ears, and one mouth for a reason.  Use them accordingly

I have two ears. . . . Wow. . . .paradigm change. . . . oh . . . the pressure .. oh the pressure. . .

[ColonelJack]

[paradigm change

Paradigms ... twenty cents.

Jack

[RogueLeader]

[paradigm change

Paradigms ... twenty cents.

Jack

Thought they were two bits.

[Major Carrales]

Now, let's remember that around here solving problems often creates two more...the detail change but the subjects remain the same.


Now, at Civil Air Portal my goals were to try to solve these issues...I really approached that forum with plans to create solutions.  It is extremely precarious...


Let's just take the recurring issues I mentioned...

Ribbons:Only a few possibilities...ALL, SOME or NONE.  More ribons, less ribbons.  Wear them on a shirt or not.  We give too many, we give too few.  Consolidiate them down to one.  Do away with them.

Rank: We need to be more like the USAF, we need to do our own things.  Rank is everything, Rank is nothing.  Do away with rank.  Too many Lt Cols, not enough Generals.  The USAF hates our rank, the USAF doesn't care.

Uniforms:  There are too many.  They need to be less military, they need to be more military. The USAF hates our Corporate Dress; the USAF doesn't care. I have the TPU, I love the TPU.  Hard rank, no hard rank, hard rank at all costs, hard rank at no costs. We need to look like 1955, we need to look like 2055.  Golf Shirts suck, Golf Shirts are all we should have, ribbons on Golf shirts, more golfing/less flying.  Blue epaulets, Gray Epaulets, no epaulets, no maroon epaulets...watch your step.  CAP Cutouts versus US.  The Geneva convention.  Bolivian Admirals from the Great State of Nebraska.

stricter Professional Development:  We need no be USAF lite, we need to be USAFR Light, we should be part of the National Guard.  We should be a Homeland Security agency, we should be a SAR agency.  We nee dour own Civil Defense training, we need to comply to National Standards.  We need more professional development, we need less professional development, we need professional development 9more or less).  Stricter Level I, why put up barriers and hurdles.  Everyone with two years o college, no college.  Warrant officers, NCOS...Warrent-CO's.  Things are fine, things suck.  Rank should not be part of professional development, professional development is a joke.  Professional development is too strict.

USAF Style versus CAP Style (including Corporate Dress and Aux on/Aux Off) We are the USAF Auxiliary, we are the USAF auxiliary, we are the usaf AUXILIARY, we are Corporate CAP.  I'll never wear that "clown's suit," I'll kill to wear that suit.  Posse Comitatus.  Like law enforcement... nothing like law enforcement.  Fly only USAF missions, FLY all missions, Fly no missions.  We are here for ES, we are here for Cadets, what the hell is Aerospace Education?  

Grudges of Leadership:  So and so is the DEVIL.  So and so is a Saint.  You were seen with SO and SO thus you are the DEVIL as well.  We're all doomed, were all saved.  Everything is his fault.  Every thing is his fault and if you disagree you are part of the problem.  Nothing is his fault.  Nothing is his fault and you are just a paranoid nut.  Sometimes paranoid people are right.  Let's bring him down, let raise him up.  You got a promotion, your a lackey.  I didn't get a promotion, it's his fault/


And the list goes on...

Now, how do we solve all that?  Or will it go 'round in circles (will it fly high like a bird up in the sky) ad infinitum?

[RogueLeader]

That is what diversity brings us though.  We just have to work through it.

[capchiro]

That pretty much wraps this up and now, let's discuss beards, ladies with beards, ladies with beards that I met while serving with the Navy of the Great State of Nebraska.. At least she said she was a lady..

[MIKE]

I don't like how threads drift so much here and can't seem to stay on topic.  I wish people would make a conscious effort to stay on topic if at all possible... and have enough sense to start a new topic when they think of something while posting rather than let the topic drift.  

I don't like topic spam either however.  Do we really need three threads on the same subject?

Keep the chat to a minimum.  There's a difference between a chat room and a discussion board.  IMO not really appropriate on CAP Talk. Likewise, when it's just you and one other person having an argument/discussion, you can save us from having to wade through it by taking it outside... Take it to PM.

Also, don't be a n00b... Learn how to post on forums.  The help pages and my stickies are there for you to read.  Some of you have a tendency to just hit reply with quote... So half of the thread is stuff we've already read.