to sharon,
heartfelt thanks you for skipping over the jokes. i never miss the pics either. i read all the recent topics. but i never read the personal section, because they're personal. and i LOVE chit-chat.

to billswife99,
perhaps the people most concerned about what their children might see or read on the computer should consider a web monitor. some are very easily over ridden for the use of adults. as for the word raunchy, it's a word. just like toilet. just like hump. just like butt. different meanings, same word. you can't block every word. if you're child goes to school, then he/she is exposed to much worse than anything on this site. and in much more graphic terms. watch tv? not only sexually directed ads, but so much blood and violence it makes your head spin. sexual innuendos reflect a normal part of life. nothing said on this board was ever explicit. every culture laughs at sexual jokes. if people have the choice of not reading what they find offensive, and their teenagers are not reading anything new to them, why should it bother anyone if those silly jokes and/or conversations continue to exist? i know why i think they're funny. it's because people are funny. but why does it annoy anyone that this kind of humor exists on this forum if it is identified as such right our front? i keep saying this, but don't read it if you don't want to. no one reads what they don't find interesting. no one expects anyone else to. why is it okay to tell me that your roses have mildew, when i don't care, but not okay for someone to tell a funny story that's a little risque? i've never seen a 'dirty' word, by any means, in the funniest joke. and i've read more ***** words in general conversations than in jokes.

Butterfly, i was going to be silent, but i can't. This is where the problem is. Admin says if he makes a rule, then some push it to the limit, instead of just being considerate. This is what i see happening. You want a set rule, so you can push the limits. Right now, you are showing an example of the problem. You are being overbearing, pushing, demanding examples, demanding your freedom...i have done this in life too, i'm not immune from this...but look at what is happening. You want what you want, you will bully and be overbearing about it, demanding peoples reasons, and yet, not once4 considering, just considering, toning it down, and just being considerate of what others find inappropriate. Even if you know something is within your personal guidlines for allowable, but you know it hurts or offends someone else, is it so much more important for your voice to be heard, than to quietly be considerate of others? There used to be 9occasional jokes on here, i liked them, but now, theres more and more, like some people just need to be loud and overbearing, and ive been offended when i have seen peoples threads being hi-jacked by a few people. Its ok to have fun on someones thread, if the person that started the thread is part of the fun, but to take a serious subject, and then have two or three overbearing people come along, and suddenly be raunchy all over the thread, ive witnessed that a couple of times lately, have not said anythig to anyone until now, but it has bothered me.
I do have more to say on this whole subject, but im finding it too upsetting, so i will prob say more tomorrow.

One of my suggestions to admin is less rules, so rules cant be pushed, but guidlines, more consideration between members, and the only rule is, when my kids would ask me why, if i was really irritated, the answer was, cus i said so. This is your forum admin, and you dont have to 4ever give reasons for anything. I'll say more tomorrow

I've been out of touch here for a few weeks so just saw this now. I was never on a message board before just a few months ago. I started with needing support and info about medical problems. Then it occurred to me to find a fun, more happy topic of interest, specifically quilting. I needed a club that didn't require me to show up or do things on their timetable. I love this board. I learn a lot from it.

I think you are doing a great job. One of my 2 medical-condition-specific boards is like this one... moderated, the other, with no moderator, is hugely different and has problems, some that you mentioned. I learned a lot from your post above. I've seen that bump thing done on another board (I don't go there as often as here) and I couldn't figure it out. On that board I also saw how the first couple funny comments can tornado it away into something totally off the original topic. It is frustrating, but even worse if it's "inside jokes". I haven't really noticed that here so either I simply didn't read those posts or it's happened recently when I wasn't here. Most importantly, I've never seen the meanness of any trolls who seem to want to insult and get everybody all riled up... thank you so much for sparing us that!

Since I just returned, I found your special sections for pets and get-well wishes etc. I like it... easy to find but if my time is limited, I can stick to quilting questions and answers. I think I may have inadvertantly posted wrong earlier this evening. I was finishing a well received post I started weeks ago about suggestions of quilting terms as a name for my dog. So, now I've just announced that I got one and the name, so I'm all done with that. From now on, if I have anything to say about my pets, I'll put it into Critters... easy-peasy.

I think I'm kinda get the hang of message boards and will try hard to do things correctly. This is a delightful and informative board. Keep up the good work.

I have read through this whole thread, several times and I think what Admin is saying has a lot of validity but at the same time it is a big change for the board. I understand that many people would be unhappy to go to the Chit/Chat section and see the first 10 topics are about death, illness, job loss, etc.... But, the friendly, caring and compassionate nature of the board has been what has captured and drawn people from being lurkers to members. From the time that I have found the board to now, I have watched the members go from being polite and friendly strangers, to friends, to what we now refer to as an extended quilting family. When you have 7000+ members, there are going to be a lot of these type of life issues occuring daily. This is a group of quilters, who have a history of banding together during the bad times. It may be through uplifting or sympathetic posts, community quilts, PM's, emails, whatever we as individuals felt was right or that we wanted/were able to do. With the membership rising it is becoming more prominent, and will increase even more as the membership continues to rise.
How do we be compassionate and caring to other members, without infringing on the rights/feelings of other board members or potential members who visit this site? If a board member is having surgery, has an illness or a loved one has passed, for example, could a locked statement be written in the Chit Chat section? It could be submitted/approved by a Moderator. Because of the amount of members, it could be information restricted to the member and immediate family. Then if anyone wants to respond, they could do so in the member's Personal Diary and Announcement section of the board. Prayer requests could also be discussed there, in a more private setting. (If Admin is okay with that) However, the question arises, how many times can a board member submit during a one year time frame? For example, if every member posted 3 times a year, that would be 21,000+ posts of this nature. Realistically ofcourse, not every one does post about these situations in their lives, but if you allow one, you have to allow all 7000+ members the same opportunity too. And is it fair to ask one, two or three Moderators to keep track of 7000 members and their share of these types of messages? We would HAVE to be willing to police ourselves, and be reasonable in how often we use this post. Some life events could be PM'd to those you are closer to on the board,or placed in the PDA section, saving the more serious events for the Chit Chat section.
Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I feel these messages should NOT be posted. But Admin has asked us for suggestions on how to fix this issue and I hope that we can brainstorm and come up with a workable solution. If we can't, I guess it would be fair to say that all of these types of announcements will be restricted to the PDA section of the board.

As to the Jokes and joking around, if we are being asked to keep it cleaner and tone it down, than I think we should. If Admin and the moderators feel it has gotten out of hand at times and has brought it to our attention, then we need to be responsible and follow their rules and guidelines. We like to feel that we are all a part of the board, want a say in some aspects of it, but the bottom line is that Admin owns it, so it is my opinion that we need to respect his wishes and final say. We also need to remember that it has been mentioned before that Admin needs to keep this site "clean" so that there are not any problems with referrals and links to this board. That is a small request and easily honored......

As to Happy Birthday wishes, I hope that we can continue these in Chit Chat. There really are not all that many posted, and it is nice to be able to say Happy Birthday in a group fashion to our members.

I would like to see newborn announcements stay in Chit Chat...quilter's like to brag about their newborn children and grandchildren. Again, a statement in Chit Chat, pictures and discussion in the PDA section.

I don't know what to say about pet pictures, I enjoy looking at them, I know some don't...but the amount of views some get and as clearly labeled as most are it would be easy to bypass these if you are not interested. I would like to see them remain in the Chit Chat section.

I do want to thank you for allowing mare stare to remain in Chit Chat. I know that many members watch the topic without leaving any replies. I also acknowledge that we do need to be more careful about the topics discussed during the stares. I know that I have forgotten that children and young adults do come to our board and I need to be more diligent in remembering that.

I appreciate being able to be a member of this board, I appreciate all of the hard work that goes into running it, and I also appreciate the opportunity to say my piece about this issue. Thank you Admin, Patrice and Shadow for all of the time and work that you put in to keep this board going for us all.

good mornin', ya'll. [yaaaaaaaaawn] sorry to be late, but i forgot to buy coffee yesterday. i just HAD to make a dash to the store.

as we continue the conversation today, let's please remember:

-US, US, US
-let's keep it a discussion and avoid arguing
-please review all the comments since you looked last to catch up

if I interpret correctly Admin's statements so far, here's where i think we are:

he will not add any more special sections. we need to develop a clear, concise, easily understood and easily moderated set of policies about how we'll post and behave within the sections we already have.

pets (which includes such things as mare stares), vacations, happy news (such as births, graduations, anniversaries, etc, etc, etc) will almost certainly be allowed to return to GeneralChitChat when Admin gets back. no need to campaign further for those. :wink:

the subject of jokes seems to have generated a lot of heat. i don't pretend to have the perfect answer. let's keep this in perspective if we can. whether a joke (or any other post, for that matter) stays or goes is not going to make a difference to anything truly important going on in the world around us. (if somebody finds that one joke that can end disease, disaster, famine and pestilence AND bring immediate world peace, please let me know. we'll post in with a sticky. :wink: )

i think it's always going to boil down to a human judgement call on the part of whichever Admin or Moderator is reading it. if a joke you don't like is allowed to stay ... well ... all i can say is don't read it again. you already know you don't like it. if a joke gets deleted ... sorry ... get over it.

it sounds to me as though we are headed toward a policy that limits GCC to good & happy. if you think somebody will need to grab a kleenex or a bucket while they read it, the post is best added to your PDA (diary/journal). not everyone will be happy about that. but please remember ... it does not change WHAT can be posted. it only changes WHERE it goes.

there will be exceptional cases in which the best place for bad news is, in fact, GCC. if you review the first page of GCC, you'll find an example of unhappy news that was allowed to stay because we knew that most of the members would want to know the event had occured and offer their condolences. (you will also see a happy post that, under the current system, would normally get moved to diaries or deleted. i chose to leave it there as a sign of things most likely to come back. please don't take it as a green light for everything. keep in mind that Admin has not yet come to a final decision about anything.)

in the event of unhappy news that is personal but that you believe will be of truly general interest and that needs to be easily and quickly seen by all, just send a pm to Admin or to me. we can make a decision based on the interests of the general membership and you don't risk getting your feelings hurt if your post is deleted.

i want to thank everyone who has contributed constructive suggestions and offered their personal assistance. that's what will keep our board the best quilting board on the internet. i'm so proud i could cry. :P

if there's something we haven't yet talked about, today is a good day to bring it up. just remember, please, to present your thoughts in a way you'd want somebody else to present them to you. they don't call it "The Golden Rule" for nuthin'. ;-)

Good morning Patrice and everyone!

I just wanted to say that I like the way this is going - it seems that we're reaching a consensus on many things. The sticking point seems to be the funnies. I KNOW Admin doesn't want anymore sections but MAYBE just one thread in GCC for funnies? So then there aren't a load of threads in GCC, each featuring only one joke or link but just ONE thread, 'stuck' to the top for funnies. Jokes and links often spark humourous discussions and these could all take place on this one thread. Obviously, the debate about what is and isn't funny would still go on but I think that board policy MUST prevail and we all have to abide by that.

I also just wanted to say here that I know I've been involved in hijacking in the past. I'm sorry to all those I've offended or upset with this. I'm now trying to think twice before I press 'submit'. I hope it helps. :D

many of us have hijacked topics. (including me.) most of us who've done it didn't even realize at the time that's what we were doing. i've seen very few situations in which the hijacker had an obvious, selfish, unfriendly purpose for doing it.

we're reading through a thread; a thought pops into our head; we post; and off we're headed into Tangent Land. :lol:

when the original subject is of interest to enough readers, we bring it back on-topic without even thinking about it because we begin again to post relevant input. if it never gets back to the original subject, it's likely that subject had run its course.

sometimes, i get more caught up and interested in the tangent(s) a topic has been taken to than i was in the original subject. but i can't always find it again to keep up with it because the original title has no relation to the new conversation. sooooooo ... in addition to being discourteous to the person who started the thread (my apologies for past transgressions :oops: ), we're kinda shooting ourselves in the foot, too.

unless you hijacked somebody at "ugly-point", it's best to not beat yourself up about it. slap yourself on the wrist, give yourself a tsk-tsk-tsk and be more careful next time. (and by "you" i mean me, too.) :wink:

P.S. i'm off to work, now, to earn your tax dollars. behave yourselves 'til i get back. put the spitballs away. teacher will be watching. :lol:

Thanks Patrice, that makes me feel a WHOLE lot better!!!

Maybe we should have a policy where, if Tangent Land (I LIKE that! :wink: ) becomes interesting in it's own right, someone says 'hey, I'm starting a new thread called 'blah' so we can carry on with this conversation?

The jokes are as much trouble as politics or religious topics. Maybe, for the contentment of the whole--they should join the 'not allowed' with the others?

I to am guilty, and have slapped my hand. And I do promise to think twice in the future, before submitting what I have written!

SNIP

I didn't snip to reduce content...only for brevity. This is the root of one problem as I see it. You can put any label you want to on a topic, but then 1 cute jokey comment is added to the thread. Well, fine, then it just keeps going and going and then finally, its just gone tooo far. And is is certainly not related to the thread topic. And I'm not one who sees all adult humor as x-rated.

Example: Say you are sitting with your grandchild and looking at the veggies in k3n's garden all of a sudden...whoops...hide that babies eyes!!
I'll admit that I have played in a few of those threads...probably even encouraging some of it, but it is inappropriate for this site. I quit reading and posting in those threads when I felt it had gone too far. I think this is what Admin is trying to cure....so maybe if the mods see a couple of things that take the post way of subject...they will have to delete? I hate that solution, but if we can't behave responsibly...then maybe they will have to. :?

Ok, I only occasionally post anything here...mainly because all you are so much more knowledgeable than I am. I visit this board once, or twice, a day. I have my little routine...I check out GCC first. Like I do with my personal emails, I just scan the topics and open the ones that look interesting to me. Jokes are fine....but, one day it seemed that was all there was on the first page. Sometimes I read a few, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I will read a few to my hubby, if he happens to be home.

My thought regarding several of the jokes and personal-type conversations...most of you seem very 'chummy', perhaps you could just use your email and send your messages to each other that way? I know with my email, when I read a joke (or something political, religious, etc) that has been sent to me, I can either delete it, or pass it on to ONLY those people I think it would be appropriate to send it to. On a board such as this, there is not that capability. What you put out here has the potential to be read by anybody. And I think sometimes people forget that!

I do not read the personal diary section at all. At first I thought it would be more of a quilting 'blog' and that might be interesting, even encouraging or inspirational. Not so....unless one is part of a particular 'conversation' there are so many twists and turns throughout the pages and pages of responses that I do not have the time to read. Oh,my...again...they often times seem more like 'private' conversations.

My favorite parts of the board right now are the pictures and the main board. And, even there, I know that sometimes people get snippy when someone brings up a topic that has already been discussed. But, you know...if one missed that particular topic strand, or perhaps it was not relevant to one at that particular time, you really don't need to get snippy. And I do think sometimes people are a little critical about where people buy fabric. The last time that was the topic of discussion, some people were not very nice at all.

The Word Association Game is a perfect example of how many/most conversations go - for a while the series goes as I would expect -
one, two, three, four - and then the next person will add something that is a bit of a surprise, but still logical - four, squares, rectangles, triangles -
then once in a while someone throws in a word that I am unable to see any connection at all to the previous words - triangles, spaghetti

that is how most conversations go - they wander from topic to topic - so I don't think that inadvertent hijacking should be considered a major "offense"

I feel that "negativity" is blowing someone off when they are in distress or not allowing a place to come to for comfort.

Some of us are new and/or don't have anyone that will listen/read about our problems/challenges/losses/etc. I have NEVER felt that bad/sad news was inappropriate in the GCC section.

Although I am still surprised/puzzled by where it seems to be a no-no to REQUEST prayers, but okay to have prayers OFFERED. I personally have no issues/problems with either. Just don't say that only a certain sect/synod/parish of a certain "faith/belief system " is acceptable/unacceptable.

Another thought - instead of the Personal Announcement section - change it to "Lamentations" and everything that could be construed as a "downer" could go there. I really have learned a lot from some of the responses to some of the postings from so-called "negative" events. Usually the responses are so kind, and I've felt uplifted by the "positive" responses.


Then everything else could get dumped back into the GCC section.

It seems to me that things go in cycles - look at the TV programming as an example - we used to have many Westerns, then the Leave it to Beaver type Shows, then the Marcus Welby doctor shows - we NEVER saw blood and gore on those shows - now we are flooded with "reality" shows and gore - CSI and other forensic type and ER medical type shows. It seems we are kind of heading back to variety shows - so maybe the "humor" is just a phase that the board is going through???

As far as humor goes, I have never seen/read anything that even comes close to the raunchiness of some of the TV shows - Two and a Half Men being an example that comes to mind. And that is a major network show that airs relatively early in the evening.

I think that accurate headings might be a step in the right direction. and that the moderators could be enabled to put a subheading in if necessary - but I don't know the mechanics of this so I don't know if that's possible- maybe the only options are leave a posting or delete it?

I don't much like the idea of someone else being able to edit one my postings, either.

You're right Patti - even if we all take care to ensure our thread titles are appropriate, the minute a thread is hijacked, the title is no longer a good indication as to content. Hence my suggestion that the minute an interesting tangent develops, it's flagged that the discussion will continue on a new thread. As to the content of some of these hijacks - I for one will be more considerate in future and keep anything not for general consumption to PMs and emails.

I can also see how some of these hijacks may have seemed like 'private conversations' that others felt excluded by - although I would have always been happy for anyone else to join in - and I'm sorry for causing offence. :D

I agree completely and to me, this is the single greatest thing about this board. But I feel that Patrice's suggestion that general 'bad stuff' goes in PDA and that the mods and Admin will make exceptions in special cases and put up a locked thread in GCC and a link to the relevant PDA entry, this will still continue. Of course, there's the danger that EVERYONE will think their's is a 'special case' but here we have to trust in the judgement of Admin and the mods and accept their 'because I said so's'! :D

I totally enjoy this board, but I just had to weigh in on the new PDA. When people would post personal stuff in the GCC section, I would read it and respond to the ones I chose to. Now that all that stuff is in a separate section under each person's name, I find it very difficult to follow without checking into each person's diary, and I just don't have time to read them all. Consequently, I find that I mostly just skip this section. I don't share a lot of personal stuff, but when someone feels the need to do that I certainly don't have a problem with it, and I will often respond to offer support. I'd far prefer to see these posts in the GCC instead of having to hunt for them. One of the things I love about this board is that each person arrives here a stranger and quickly becomes a friend, so I don't think it's uncalled-for to share personal things.

I agree with you Harmony, but I think the issue for many is the sheer volume of these types of posts recently, and the validity of some of them, although that's a tough one for any of us to judge. :?

Don't you think that, if the mods are prepared to entertain requests from individuals that their circumstances merit a post in GCC, then that could work as a compromise? I too am worried about 'missing out' on a chance to offer help, support, blocks for a joint project, whatever. Like I said, I think it's one of the best, most uplifting things about this board. :D

In seeing all the different suggestions after my original post, I'd have to agree. I think it was suggested that it be a locked post with a link to the individuals pda. This might also work.

I jumped to the end LOL....there is a lot of posts I click in and click right back out...People have tragedies etc and I say a blanket pray for them that need dit but I really don't want to read every word. I like pictures/tutes/questions about help etc. thanks, I feel better.

I really don't want to plow through all the pages in this thread, so I don't know if this has been suggested yet.

I read the first post and especially noticed the section on jokes. As a newbie, I see that this section seems to be mostly jokes. I enjoy them, but scrolling through all of them to find non-joke topics is annoying.

So I'd like to suggest that you have ONE thread titled Jokes or Humor or whatever and let everyone post their jokes there.

And then I'd be able to see whather there are any discussions on here about non-quilting topics.

nope. Admin has made it very clear he will not add more sections.

that won't solve the problem, anyway. he can't keep creating more and more sections every time a particular type of topic gets popular - especially when they don't even relate to quilting. it would never end.

Patrice - I was talking about a sticky thread at the top of GCC for funnies, not a whole new section - would that work or not? :-)

I know I dont read the PDA ...I tried but as many have said you get lost real fast.
How about the PDA section you still have your main diary but you are also allowed to start a I hate to say it this way but, " granny died" then after a month it can be deleted. Or I found out I have ms...maybe that one can stay since it is a life long illness and many have "been there done that" and others learn from reading it even if its a year old.
That way its not adding more sections just allowing "bad news" to get to everyone with out the hunt and peck.....

Some of we quilters can really be verbose, can't we? I'll try to keep mine short, but no promises.

Thanks to Admin and Moderators for this board. I would not want your job at all. I'm sort of like others who did not know there was a big problem. I simply do not open or will close what I am not interested in. And I do seem to be going into Main and Pictures more than GCC. It used to be the other way around.

I posted two jokes, not raunchy, and I want to apologize. That day there were way too many jokes. I got caught up in the moment. Sorry. Won't happen again. I'm finding that jokes are taking over the GCC. As others have said, one has to scroll several lines to find other topics.

I read some of the unhappy events posts and if I'm really interested, I will follow that person's thread. Otherwise I will not open it again. One that I follow is about Jamie's daughter, Morgan. Yes, it is depressing to read about this and all I can offer is prayer and a short note of encouragement. In the middle of the night, when everyone else is asleep, this board may be just what Jamie needs at that time.

I wish we could request prayer and good thoughts or vibes also. We have an upcoming event that could sure use it. But, I do understand it is against the rules and try to follow them.

I enjoy the posts about vacations, new houses or remodels, gardens, critters, and especially those from other countries. I really, really liked all the info and pics of the mini horses.

Again thanks for the good job.

Well, I think that is a good idea. Well said.

If GCC is only happy-fuzzy-kissy stuff, where could we put requests for members to check in when there are hurricanes, fires, disasters, and such? This has been a great way to make sure our friends are safe.

When I have something to add to a thread that could hijack it, I often take it to a pm. My point still gets made, and the topic hasn't been corrupted. It works for me.

Finally, when I joined, I carefully read through the rules and terms of service. At that time, membership was for adults over 18. I have to wonder if people have any concept of the rules that already are in place. Frankly, I'm a bit more offended by forced religion than a little off-color joking, but that's me.

From "Terms of Use", accessed from the bottom of the page.
ALL PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ARE DENIED ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR YOU TO VISIT, READ, OR INTERACT WITH THIS WEBSITE OR ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER. THIS WEBSITE SPECIFICALLY DENIES ACCESS TO ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT IS COVERED BY THE CHILD ONLINE PRIVACY ACT (COPA) OF 1998.

Another site I was active in had "greeters" who would send a welcome to newcomers (could be done as a pm) with link to rules and instructions for file sharing and posting photos. It ensured that everyone knew the basics and worked out well. I'm not sure if that would be possible on this scale.

I apologize to anyone who's thread I have hijacked. The times I had caught myself doing it I had apologized directly to the owner of the thread. But in reading this, I have come to realize that I owe more apologies. Please believe me when I say I never did it with malicious intent. "Side tangents" are something that I have participated in and did not think enough about before submitting replies. I will be more aware of this in the future.

ok. ALL you hijackers out there, listen up:

you apologize
we accept

relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax. it's "all good". it ain't like ya kicked a puppy or spit on a kitten.

next subject ;-)

i've already addressed special circumstances in an earlier post.

are you volunteering to be a greeter? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
'cause i know you don't want to add that to my to-do list. :shock: :lol:

Yeah, I can do it - only trouble is finding out who the newbies are, but making a master greeting, then copy/paste - No biggie.

The member list has always been referenced by number of posts - is there a way to do membership date ranges?

thanks for the offer. :thumbup:

for the record, on a number of occasions, when 'ideas only' have begun their downward spiral, i have suggested that very thing. and, with an explanation of why. i don't mean to insult anyone, but if it was offensive the first time around, don't follow it. please.

what is a sticky?

a "sticky" is an option Admin/Mods can use to keep a post in the blue area at the top of a section.

i tried stickies for pets, birthdays, etc. they are not popular. i can't honestly say i agree with any of the reasons behind the complaints but i'm not sure it would make sense to stick with something [pun intended ... i couldn't resist :mrgreen: ] if we already know it doesn't seem enjoyable to the majority.

can we agree that people are different from each other? that different things matter to different people?

it's very important to some people, not only me, that we feel that no one looks over our shoulder. to respect differences is important. we are all capable of doing that.

we all know how a subject will begin if it's labeled. why can't we take it from there? let each person decide, as so many are saying they already do. i hope CC remains. if Jokes can be separated, then great. if not, then they should have a warning. and please, if they are apt to offend you, please don't read them. some of what is offensive is not that bad. they contain no foul language, no indiscreet pictures. if a person interprets something as 'dirty', that's their interpretation.

the thing i can't get over is that someone wants to tell me what is acceptable. to who? i try not to go beyond that point. as i said - no foul language, no dirty pictures. no violence, no blood, no gore (all three of which is much worse, in my mind. you may not agree). i don't watch tv. why? i don't enjoy what i see. i only listen to my own cd's because i don't like what i hear on the radio. however, i don't expect anyone else to live by my tastes. they can do what they want to. just don't make me. i don't know about jokes told by others, but i get a lot of positive feedback. if i didn't, wouldn't i stop?

i love the quilting tips ands stories, all the pictures and the critters. if you have a good idea or a great resource, please tell me about it. i share with the board all of those same things. give me a good recipe anytime. i welcome new friends. i'm not a monster. i just find different things funny. that doesn't mean i don't also find your jokes funny. for the most part, i do. i also don't find some of the marginal ones funny. they just aren't funny to me. why can't we just laugh at the ones we like?

if jokes are flagged and downers are flagged do we really need the joke and down police?

i'm really very glad this is out in the open. i wish it had been out a long time ago. and yes, patrice, i knew when i joined that this was an adult site. admin has brought our attention to that disclaimer a number of times for various reasons.

sorry if anyone thinks this is offensive in any way. just the way i feel. please respect my feelings.

I would like to have hijacked explained a bit more. Is it when a thread changes topic completely or is it when we post our own pic on it too and tell about a similar quilt. I have done the latter and would like to know if this is the wrong thing to do.

Good point. For me Hijacking and jokes/subjects getting out of control are the same. I don't always realize it until it is over the line. Nothing ever intentional just happens.

that's a good question 'wife99. i can only tell you how i see it.

let's say a person starts of talking about a quilt they saw that had bras appliqued to it. then somebody jokes that her own bra would be so small she'd have to use it on a doll quilt. or somebody jokes that hers would have to go onto a king size. the next thing you know, we're all joking around about bras and what goes in them. most of us are laughing 'til we cry as we go through the different comments, BUT we have - in fact - hijacked the thread. not everbody would appreciate that.

the other example you presented would also be a hijack because the first member posted to show off her work and get some feedback to either validate her success. if her post inspires you to show us your similar work, you should start your own thread to show yours. it's especially polite to acknowledge the first poster's as having given you the courage to show yours, or something similar.

there are situations in which posting your own pics in somebody else's thread would not be a hijack. let's say i swallowed my pride and posted pics of one of my disasters. then suppose i asked "where did i go wrong?" or "how do i fix it?" if somebody else posts a photo to illustrate their suggestion and make it easier to understand, that is not a hijack. it's a contribution to the conversation.

all you have to do before posting in somebody else's topic is ask yourself how you would feel if it was yours and another member added what you're thinking of tossing in. 99.975% of the time, you'll know what's right. if you make a mistake we'll just tar you, feather you, run you out of town on a rail, and maybe throw some darts at your picture. nothing drastic. or forgive you and move on, whichever involves the least work. :lol:

P.S. theee funniest thing just hit me. this thread is about getting suggestions for reworking the General ChitChat section. so, by going off on a tangent about hijacking, we have just hijacked the thread. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Are you sure or are we trying to get a clearer understanding of what should or should not happen? :wink:
For alot of people this is their first encounter with a message board so alot of the terms and "rules" they dont understand. Its a learning process which trying to find a solution to the issue we have now is a learning process.
Oh well yall have a great day I am off to finish Davids map book so i can deleiver it and the dog to him tomorrow night in Raton NM.......gunna miss this lump of fur :?

Too funny.

I have been trying to read all of the post. I really don't have any suggestions. I would like to say I'm here for the quilting. I don't read the jokes. I get enough of those in my email. I don't read the PDA section. Well, I read one of them. Yes, I'm missing out on the lifes of the other board members. I am also afraid that I am missing out of some good quilting/sew machine info. Oh well. :-) I like the change to the recent topics. It has gotten back to quilting.

THANK YOU very much for the board Admin.

Patrice I wish I could help. But I can't promise that I will be able to moderate during vacations or in the mornings. If you can think of anything I could do PM me. I'm viewing post almost every night, but not always posting. To tired or lazy some times. :-(

Ok, now I have hijacked. :-)

I'm with Moonpi what about the posts requesting for members to check in when there are hurricanes, fires, disasters, and such? Can they stay in GCC. Okay, I know we are trying to gray the line. :-)

I have thought of a suggestion. How about a board etiquette sticky on the main page if that is do-able. All you would need to do is copy some of Patrice's post from this thread. She says it so well. :-)

Deb