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Do you mind off-topic posts in comments sections?
- Thread starter manu chao
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If you see posts that you believe to be "off-topic," the best thing to do is make a report to the mods, by clicking the Report tab below any post.
My question was more along the lines of how strict others think the no-off-topic comments rule should be interpreted?
That question is really for the mods to decide. Every report is handled on a case by case basis. That is why the staff encourages people to make a report if they believe they see a possible off-topic violation etc.
It is for the mods to decide how users here feel about certain posts?
Not sure if this is the best example at these three things are interlinked.
IMHO some deviation from the original topic is fine and comes with the natural flow of communication. The issue is more with people who create topics with the goal of steering them in an off-topic direction, or people systematically hijacking topics. Or those pretending to be mods, lol.
I’m assuming you’re referring to a comment you made that was deleted from the ‘Gates’ article on the main page, which is why you created this topic.
I don’t think it’s uncommon for posts to stray away from the topic, when it only takes one person to say something and then entire thread changes course. But to what degree is considered ‘off-topic’, when it could be tangibly related. Your question has multiple outcomes based on the response from the user and how ‘off-topic’ is it from the actual thread article.
This thread here was inspired by a comment of mine that was deleted because it was off-topic, but it was not in the Gates article comment thread. It was a comment that was going meta, something along the lines of whether 'Deals' articles should be in the main news 'feed' or in a separate 'deals' feed.
Blink twice if you feel you cannot speak freely.
Bill Gates Says His Preference for Android Over iPhone is Due to Pre-Installed Software
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates this week participated in his first meeting on Clubhouse, the increasingly popular invite-only conversation app, where he fielded a range of questions as part of an ongoing book tour. Gates was interviewed by journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, and given that the...
forums.macrumors.com
I'd say it is only natural for some discussion of Microsoft to creep into this thread, but I would need to see a specific example to give you a clear answer.
But in general, we don't allow off-topic posts in threads, particularly news threads.
There is one exception for things that come up organically in a thread. Let's say the thread topic is "Post a picture of your dog" and someone posts, "Hey where can I find that dog feeder gadget in your photo", then that is followed by the answer and a thank you post... that would be allowed.
Someone opens a topic about Cancel culture and crafts it so the topic will really converge into grievances about the new admin. Happens all the time. Or, someone manages to sneak their grievances in about BLM into an Apple Holiday ad that features a Black performer.
Not to mention the notorious COVID misinformers who take every opportunity to disseminate unsubstantiated nonsense preferentially targeting Apple Store related topics.
This is clearly one of those areas where the mods are setting the mood and quality of the forum in a way that can't quite be quantified into a fixed set of rules.
Personally I think that they have let too many people here skirt the rules in certain areas; and occasionally I think they have been too harsh with some "off topic" discussions.
The only thing that we really can do is to bring up these discussions here, as that will put people's feelings into words (as well as reframing concepts that the mods might think of differently); and then we'll long-term see if the forum changes character or not.
Personally I think that they have let too many people here skirt the rules in certain areas; and occasionally I think they have been too harsh with some "off topic" discussions.
The only thing that we really can do is to bring up these discussions here, as that will put people's feelings into words (as well as reframing concepts that the mods might think of differently); and then we'll long-term see if the forum changes character or not.
Speaking as an individual moderator, I would have deleted such a comment, with a note to the member whose post was deleted that comments about editorial choices, including thread placement, should be made in the Site & Forum Feedback forum. The reason is that the "meta topic" is a completely separate question from the original topic.
In general, people who visit a thread are there to read or discuss the thread's subject, not to discuss whether the thread should exist, where it should be placed, and so on. If the two are mixed, it can lead to a meta-meta-topic, which is a discussion (or argument) of whether discussing the meta-topic in the same thread as the original topic is permitted, or whether the meta-topic discussion is off-topic.
If one wishes to discuss the meta-topic, one can link to the thread that lead to the meta-topic. Sometimes seeing the original topic's thread can help inform the meta-topical discussion. Sometimes it doesn't matter, as in this case. The question of this meta-topic is general in nature:
Should "Deals" articles be in the main News 'feed' or in a separate "Deals" 'feed'?
It may well be that the question arose in one's mind due to a particular subject or thread, but for this question, I don't see how the original subject of the thread matters at all. And that's pretty much the reason why we have a rule about meta-topics.
I'll finish by saying that this is just how I would have moderated the post(s), and my reasons for doing so. I don't have the final word on such things, and the Contact Us form is the appeals pathway, which goes to the site admins for a final decision.
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manu, I am sorry I don't have much time lately, so can't contribute effectively.
Anyway, numerous threads in PRSI and Alternatives to iOS serve as an example.
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In one of the threads about an Apple software (Final Cut maybe?) potentially becoming subscription-based, there were several posters who were pushing variants of the discredited "Great reset" conspiracy theory, claiming that by 2030 nobody (except the very rich) will own anything (in other versions, different evil elites plan to achieve this by 2030).
Not only is this complete ********, has not much to do with the topic at hand.
So for example, in this thread, I would not mind off-topic about pro and cons discussion about other subscription based software or subs. based software as a phenomenon, but not any kind of related, deeper economic/ social / political discussion (e.g. housing market) and CERTAINLY NOT conspiracy theories with no basis in fact which otherwise could be shoehorned into the topic "buy vs rent"
PS. I am not American (neither from an English speaking country), so I tend to avoid purposefully those threads where the perennial US culture-war topics might appear, but have relatively little tolerance towards clear-cut BS in tech related threads, like that above. (I am aware that some will react with "but free speech", "censorship", and so on, but I dont care about that either. BS is BS.)
Not only is this complete ********, has not much to do with the topic at hand.
So for example, in this thread, I would not mind off-topic about pro and cons discussion about other subscription based software or subs. based software as a phenomenon, but not any kind of related, deeper economic/ social / political discussion (e.g. housing market) and CERTAINLY NOT conspiracy theories with no basis in fact which otherwise could be shoehorned into the topic "buy vs rent"
PS. I am not American (neither from an English speaking country), so I tend to avoid purposefully those threads where the perennial US culture-war topics might appear, but have relatively little tolerance towards clear-cut BS in tech related threads, like that above. (I am aware that some will react with "but free speech", "censorship", and so on, but I dont care about that either. BS is BS.)
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I still can't get over how Mojave OSX resuscitated my MacBook air late 20101
don't get me wrong i like high sierra, but Mojave is much more responsive. and is faster!
i am a very happy notebook owner!
don't get me wrong i like high sierra, but Mojave is much more responsive. and is faster!
i am a very happy notebook owner!
Whenever I have seen complaints about off-topic posts (be it informal or official), it was about posts that flowed out of a natural conversation. The example you provided is something I have never seen outside of pure spam.
Now here is a question: Would there be any way to alert readers of, eg, a ‘deals’ article to a discussion taking place about that elsewhere?
Exactly. And to answer your original question, I tend to find that these naturally evolving off-topic discussions are usually more fun than the topic of the original post. Would you prefer to talk about the length of Thunderbolt cables ? or the US's failure to adopt the metric system? ?
I do get why the rules allow for the deletion of off-topic comments. But it's a tough standard to maintain consistently. It's a very human thing for conversations to meander off-course, and that's what makes conversation so fun and interesting! My feeling is that the MR forums just aren't a very fun place to talk anymore. I try to remind myself of that regularly, before investing time into a discussion that ends up getting swept away in a moment of merciless moderation… but I haven't been very good at it so far.
PS. At least MR hasn't disabled the ability to revive old threads. I only just noticed that this one is from Feb–March 2021, not 2022. ? The Apple support forums are an incredibly frustrating place these days, in large part because they shut down every thread after several weeks of inactivity.