To think that posters who derail threads should start their own instead

[Fitbitironic]

... Rather than just keep banging on with their own agenda!

If you're not taking the facts of the OP or developing discussion into account, what's the point of going off on a tangent, other than as a deliberate effort to derail? If said poster felt that strongly, surely they would start their own post instead of make it difficult for others to comment without some irrelevant reply.

I'm all for discussion, this being a public forum after all, but there's a big difference.

Or are derailers a specific type of troll?

I think it's the way spoken language works and why shouldn't forums be the same. When talking to someone, you're likely to go off on tangents which pique your interest.

The nice thing about forums is that you can easily ignore someone who you don't want to engage with.

I guess that often people don't want to start a new thread is that they want to engage with participants already on the original.

Hi pool. Yeah, I get some ppl disagree or go off on tangents of interest. The ones I'm thinking of tend to pick out one small fact, pretty irrelevant to the original q, and repeat the same thing again and again until the discussion is all about something completely different. More a goady argument than an interesting tangent which others are contributing to...

As I said, at least they're easier to ignore than in real life!

I wish there was a 'hide user' function but I can see how that would be a problem on a site where name-changing is so frequent and people would claim to be 'outed'.

True!

There’s no point starting their own thread - that would be a TAAT. One of the good things about threads is their tangential value, and sometimes posters can help you see an issue from angles you never thought about. However, some are deliberately goady, and you can report those - but be careful not to over-report. You do need to develop a fairly thick skin and learn to ignore the posts that aren’t helpful to you, and only respond to those that are.

Well, spin-off threads sometimes last, but sometimes are deleted as a TAAT, so it's not relaiabke advice.

Also, I think that - as this is essentially a TAST as well - it's hard to know if you are being reasonable otpr not. One person's derailment is another person's crucial supporting point. And this is an open chat site and people are free to make those points.

So, what thread are you TAATing about?

I've no idea if you mean something utterly irrelevant (that people would rather talk about than the OP - threads can and do wander, utterly normal) . Or some 'small' which should always be challenged - like casual ageism.

A prohibition on TAATs can't possibly coexist with a prohibition on digression.

How would you adjudicate it anyway? This isn't Just a Minute.

You need full moderation if you want no digression.

I think you'd have to look to another site if that's what you want.

I like the tangents here - where threads go might not be expected, but it's usually very interesting.

So, what thread are you TAATing about?

Yes, do tell.

Sometimes the tangents are sometimes hilarious, and way more interesting that the subject matter of the thread.

Ha, if I mentioned a specific thread, this one would get zapped.
Funny derailments are entertaining, no argument there. Goady ones not so much. Obviously not going to detail a current thread because that's a TAAT, but I'm thinking along the lines of OP asking why disabled access wasn't better in a certain place, then someone coming along and asking why they were using a wheelchair, because when they broke their leg they managed fine on crutches. Again and again... Hope that's not a current thread!

If only you could control what everyone posted on here eh?

Interesting thread.

Did I tell you I like flowers? Tulips. Are my favourite. I also like cake. Let's talk about cake.

I am going out for cake this morning.

Battleax

I love the idea of Just a Minute rules.

Well that didn't take long!

I doubt MNHQ will pool

You could always ask them to put 'no derailing' into the TG.

Imagine if conversations went that way IRL though.

No, stop bringing anything else into it. We can ONLY talk about X. Would be a bit weird - conversations are organic!

If you see this as a campaigning/consciousness-raising site, then I can see why it might get irritating.

But I think that at it's core, MN is a chat site and it's going to digress all the time, and so it should. It's conversation and it can go wherever posters want it to. If the 'derailment' is more interesting, then that will be what gets attention. And I'm making lemon biscuits today, not

Got a bit worried there fit in case you wer referring to me

But your wheelchair example is excellent and i can see what you mean

Those types of derailments are very goady in my opinion

some are no doubt amusing, other are deliberately goady, and I always leave the thread at that point as its basically ruined.

Yabu why wouldn't you be happy for Harry and Meghan?

This makes me immediately think of - "My Bluetooth doesn't work like that."