Hey, Phil!

We've had a recent increase in the number of off-topic posts. I know I've helped to inflate that number, myself.

Do you think we should add an "Anything goes" section? I've seen similar setups on other forums, and they seem to help keep the "main" area clean.

AK

Maybe it's a good idea to post the question:"does anybody mind the OFF topic items in te forum" and then go from there.

Maybe it was intended to be only about PLCs, but it has come to be about PLC people and what problems they encounter in their everyday life (including PLCs). Thats OK by me.
But a few threads are not even indirectly about PLCs or PLC people. I dont hope that we get too many of those.

I would be careful with OT threads. I definitely don't want to see anything of a politcal nature. I don't even want to know which way individuals here lean.

I don't mind the OT stuff that may be of mild interest to people in this field, but keep away from any other stuff.

I really think the fourm is working fine the way it is. The Off Topic threads, and posts help to keep it more interesting, kinda like mixing busneiss with a social occasion. It helps us to get to know eachother a little better, and develops comrodaery amoungst the forum community. I dont mind them at all, as long as it doesnt turn into something like an AOL chat room. Besides you dont have to respond....

IMHO... Mike

I tend to stray off topic every once in a while myself, but, very recently we had a political thread and I definitely think we need to stay away from that. I was glad Phil removed that thread (hats off gesture).

But I agree with Mike in that a little departure from purely PLC stuff is okay. Breaking up the monotony is healthy.

I was on Fred Raud's chat room the other day and started conversation with someone who, I found out later, was a female high school student from Australia. It was 3:00 AM in Australia at the time. She didn't know what a PLC was. After I found out who she was I politely got the hell off the chat room.

This forum is a lot of help for Automation in general--not just PLCs. I think it's just about right and if someone tends to blow past the "line" , well, we're a pretty friggin smart bunch--just don't reply. It takes more than one to have a discussion.

Off topic

I was on Fred Raud's chat room the other day and started conversation with someone who, I found out later, was a female high school student from Australia.

Click to expand...

Do you know where she is in Ozz? Might be interested.

Seriously though, I agree whole heartedly with the general concences that it is fine as it is. Most of the off topic subjects are related to systems integration, motors and many other things that we all have to deal with day to day.

Hi,

I'd rather not get involved with adding a general conversation area. Besides the reasons others wrote above... it will also increase the size of the database (ie. forum). The bigger it gets, the more problems that appear and the slower it gets.

Realistically... some of the older posts should be removed(ie. pruned) to increase the speed of the forum. But doing that takes away the knowledge that was shared before, and that's counterproductive to our goal of sharing knowledge. So, we are all sacrificing 'forum speed' for 'forum knowledge size'. Adding more size with a conversation area will only slow things down more.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Enjoy,

Not to mention the moderation effort required in such a section would be much larger.

So, If I get what Phil said, all our non-senes OT gabbing slows down the forum server.....

Gabbing doesn't effect it much.
Uploading Cindy Margolis pictures does.

gbradley said:

Gabbing doesn't effect it much.
Uploading Cindy Margolis pictures does.

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That's definitely correct. The old phrase that 'a picture is worth a 1000 words' is absolutely true in this case.

By the way, coincidentally, we switched to a new server this morning so you should be seeing a large speed increase. This switch should open the door for some new upgrades as well

Enjoy,

Zoooooom!...

Phil Melore said:

By the way, coincidentally, we switched to a new server this morning so you should be seeing a large speed increase.

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Definitely noticeable! Many thanks, Phil!... :site:

beerchug

-Eric

I approve, each place must be specifies, to captivate and to keep the identity. Although necessary, to argue automation could direct for other forums, these remain weeks without new topics.

On the contend, opinion to create a group of processing topics, to form a knowledge structure and to group old and similar topics.
I already start to make this, in my type. In the truth it exists, excess information for medium little knowledge.

I perceived, better speed.