FORUM CATEGORIES - (Just hear me out…)

[carbonman]

New people coming for cpap/sleep apnea help might have looked at this and simply left.

When I found cpaptalk.com I was desperate for any information I could get.
I was scared.
I didn't have a clue what the nomenclature of cpap was.
That was more intimidating than OT posts.
I had no idea what was on topic or off topic.....
I had no idea what many of the topics were about.
After reading for a few hours, I knew one thing...
I needed to know all this stuff.

I was glued to this place for hours at a time...for days.

If a newbie shows up here and leaves because they see an OT post.....
they are only looking for a reason to fail.

[rested gal]

New people coming for cpap/sleep apnea help might have looked at this and simply left. I don't know but it is something I think we need to be conscious of, given the support for cpap/sleep apnea issues nature of this forum.

Well, I suspect there have also been plenty of new people who have stumbled upon a very much on-topic heavy technical type of thread that happened to be at the top the day they arrived, looked at it, and simply left.

Or perhaps looked at a thread that was very much on topic as far as being about a cpap issue, but saw a tough love 2x4 being wielded, and simply left. Or... a thread about taping the mouth... were horrified, and left.

There are always far, far more "cpap" topics going on in this forum at any given time than there are OT topics. If a newcomer is so upset by coming across one or two or even three OT discussions that he/she won't even take a look at the FORTY or more pure "cpap" topics also always appearing right there on page one, so be it.

As for OT discussions pushing some cpap posts off page one, that happens no matter what. This is a very active, fast moving forum, whether the posts are "off" topic or "on."

Anyone can skip past posts at will -- whether it be an OT (off topic) subject that doesn't interest them, or... even a particular cpap (on topic) post that doesn't interest them.

I love the way carbonman (and Den) put it:

....well, I have hung up my sprinkler repairman hat for the day....

the popcorn is just about ready.....

.....I have deposited an adult beverage into an old A&W mug
that was just removed from the freezer......

......and none too soon.......this is quite a group we have here.

I say:
intellectualize,
theorize,
socialize,
personalize,
make soup,
generalize,
humanize,
...but please don't categorize.

It is the OT threads where we all get to know each other....
we speak our minds, we fight, we leave, we cool off,
in the end, we support one another,
in life.....
beyond the mechanics of blowing air up your nose......

all brought together by needing to know how to.....
blow air up your nose.

It's ALL "social networking" in my opinion.
Den

In the end, all things come full circle.

[TheTwinsMom1]

I am fairly new to this forum and I love it just the way it is. I typically read back over the four or five newest pages anyhow. I like the OT discussions because I get to learn about other members in normal every day discussions. If they come and leave because there were a few OT threads, they probably would have trouble with any forum, not just this one.

[GumbyCT]

Ok we heard you out....

This thread is now closed and will be moved....

to the Newly Declared Moron Section (NDMS).

::gets 2x4::

There are plenty of forums already just the way you like them - go there. We miss you all already

[DoriC]

As usual, RG has put it all into proper perspective and addressed all the questions about categories. I love this forum just the way it is. Thanks.

[jules]

gumby - you trying to lock threads and move them too?


a newbie has tons to read if they want long before they deal with all the OT stuff down here in the main part of the forum

there are 3 stickies to wander through, and if they figure things out, they can read the new users area and the wiki and look at videos

they will have to be back to read all of that stuff and digest it

the sheer quantity of useful information before finding all the OT threads might send them away and to a place where everything is censored - but if they want info they will be back

[Bearcat42]

Tattooyu, personally I agree with you. I have been thinking the same thing lately and I can, at the same time see where some may think it would take something away from the site by adding relevant categories. It seems to be free for all as is and alot of people seem to like that bur to me it just seems disorganized.

Now the newbies and those looking and researching information concerning Cpap have the Wiki to help them or they can use the forum to find answers but in the forum everything just gets jumbled together. I suppose everyone being different and having their own preferences will always play a big part in anything done here because it's impossible to make everyone happy but the results of your poll should be enlightening one way or the other. Good luck my friend.

[mars]

Hi All

As one of those Forum members who have morphed into a mainly OT poster (apart from my 3 monthly spat with someone or other) I thought I would add my twopennorth to the discussion.

Things change, and my posting is no exception.

I started off needing help.
I got the help I needed, which I am very thankful for.
I was able to give back a bit of what I have learned.
Mainly on the Sandman machine (not a popular machine), and relationship/addiction issues.
I had a popular mask, so my thoughts on problems with that have usually already been stated.
I try not to post the same suggestion that some else has already posted, unless it needs emphasising.

My 3 monthly spats seem to have a life of their own, over which I have no control

So..................................

Postby Wulfman on 07 Aug 2010, 18:11

It's ALL "social networking" in my opinion.

Den

I agree with Den, it is all social networking. We do not go to work, and just talk about work, we share our lives with each other, to whatever degree we are comfortable with.

New postby jnk on 07 Aug 2010, 20:57

For me the most important things are that the forum stays welcoming, nurturing, informative, and fun. All I can do is try to be that myself to the best of my ability, though I'm sure I fail as often as anybody else. (I even had the gall a few weeks back to chew out a poster for attempting to chew out a poster! Who did I think I was? Fortunately he seems to have forgiven me.) The rest of the chips just have to fall where they may, as far as I am concerned. But human nature is that some people are attracted to virtual anarchy, some people are repulsed by it, and some people are confused by it.

Jeff says it very well, and I go along with his philosophy about the Forum.

New postby Hawthorne on 07 Aug 2010, 22:06

Most OT posts on the forum are brief, People can take them or leave them. I tend to read some and not others.

The ones that seem to have raised this became so dominant and grew to pages upon pages on the forum and cpap/sleep apnea issues, which the board is about, got pushed farther and farther down even onto page 2 or 3 even where they may never be noticed again. To me, on this forum, that is unfortunate.

I agree with Hawthorne, this is a concern. When I have time, I go back a couple of pages, and see who has no responses or a very low response. If I can credibly post, I will do so, and bump it back to the top again. I am sure others also do this.

Before I start an OT thread I do a search to see if the projected post has been covered before, I also check CPAP and Sleep Apnea News at the top left hand corner. I also think about how helpful the post would be, and if there would be enough interest in it if I did post. I do not post about 35% of articles/studies that I originally considered for posting.

And I do not start threads in order to disagree with people. Such a suggestion is ridiculous.

I still post cpap related posts at times, but not as much as I used to. A lot of bright younger cpap users have joined the Forum since I did, and there is no point in my repeating what they say.

Given that a Moron section is guaranteed to cause controversy and .................

Postby jnk on 07 Aug 2010, 16:12

I call dibs on being considered for section moderator if there's ever a "moron" section.

I suggest that Rooster and I should be considered as back-up in case Jeff goes on holiday.

All things considered, I think the Forum works well as it is.

cheers

Mars

[LoQ]

LoQ's Law: All forums which are based on learning how to do something eventually devolve into social forums.

[jules]

LoQ's Law: All forums which are based on learning how to do something eventually devolve into social forums.

Corollary: All forums which have more than one poster are social forums and the one person forum lacks only a second poster to become one.

[Physician]

GUILTY! I even posted my Chicken Soup Recipe here! And it got rave reviews BTW!
Are we still On or Off Topic? I'm getting confused!

Please PM your chicken soup recipe to me.

Thanks

[Amigo]

...

Hypothetically, just for example to get an understanding of the proposal, if I want to make a comment about the pink bow on someone's ass, in which category would I post it?

If categorization fails, anywhere you please.

[Amigo]

Oh, and by the way, for those of you who want categorization so badly, and moderators who yield an iron fist, please do feel free to move HERE.

[-SWS]

Oh, and by the way, for those of you who want categorization so badly, and moderators who yield an iron fist, please do feel free to move HERE.

They should also feel free to stick around here and express their opinions to their heart's content...

Absolutely.

[ozij]

Oh, and by the way, for those of you who want categorization so badly, and moderators who yield an iron fist, please do feel free to move HERE.

They should also feel free to stick around here and express their opinions to their heart's content...

Absolutely.

Yup.