bigOfeature

Hell I love off topic. I’m a member of several forums & some times someone misreads the post or even mentions something that the post reminds them of.

Sometime the topic gets dragged deliberately & sometimes accidentally. Unless the original post was extremely serious I can’t see a problem.

During a normal conversation (you must remember the time before computers when we actually spoke to each other face to face) it’s common for the conversation to meander as someone is reminded of something.

Don’t abuse my family deliberately that’s my job.

By BarBob on Jun 25, 2012

Don’t have a problem going off topic as long as it does not cause posters to engage attack mode.
I agree with BarBob regarding the days when we actually spoke face to face with each other and as they say one thing leads to another. This is called conversation.

By rondelrio on Jun 25, 2012

sad how it has come to this over one poster .

By sluggo on Jun 25, 2012

Nothing wrong with veering off topic as long as there’s no ill intent.

By Phil on Jun 26, 2012

I’m a pretty easy-going guy. I presume the main topic of discussion on this site is music, with the exception of contest forums such as this one. And I usually stick to music as a topic on the download forums. I love music. And I agree that I can ignore any post that appears to me to be useless. In a contest forum, the discussion may get political, and there may be a lot of disagreement amongst posters, but such is the nature of the topic of discussion. But I have to say that, in a music forum, endless personal attacks on a single poster are a waste of space and are the very definition of internet trolling. This is not the only music forum I participate in, and in the others, trolls are eliminated. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and to voice their opinion on the subject at hand. But when one’s opinion devolves into nothing other than vitriol against another fellow poster without regard to the topic being discussed, there has to be a limit to how much the rest of us are expected to put up with (and how much we are asked to ignore). I don’t necessarily think BigO needs to ban people from going off topic. Off topic discussions can be good. But for BigO to ban personal attacks that have no merit whatsoever would be, in my opinion, beneficial to the discussion and to the music forum overall. If I can refrain from attacking someone I disagree with, so can others. It’s not difficult. It starts with recognizing that every one of us is entitled to their opinion. And none of us who play by the forum rules are deserving of personal attack. Hell, I don’t agree with everyone here. And I love a good discussion, and even a good argument. But you don’t see me using every opportunity to make insulting posts aimed at people I disagree with. That would be childish, and certainly unnecessary in an adult discussion. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely against censorship, and always have been. But I have seen enough of pointless vitriol. The internet provides anonymity, but that does not mean we should tolerate those who refuse to rise above the level of childish brats. If the attack posts were gone, I wouldn’t miss them.
In summary, for the slow:
1. Off topic is OK.
2. Personal attacks are not OK.
For those of you too young to remember face-to-face conversations, you can start with, “I see your point, but I disagree because…” Out on the streets, people are beginning to shoot each other for less. I hope we can rise above that level.

By aking on Jun 26, 2012

I enjoy when a topic veers off in another direction. It can be interesting and entertaining. I don’t mind if someone puts in a personal message to another member of the forum. It helps us get to know each other more as individuals. What I don’t like is personal attacks. To disagree is fine. But lately here it has degraded into schoolyard taunting. It interrupts any flow of conversation on or off the topic. It’s how my neighbors probably felt many years ago when at night we would ring their doorbells and run away. If things continue down this path the British may tell us not to download Bob Dylan.

By sking on Jun 26, 2012

i’m not sure there’s a real solution to the current verbal rampages evidenced on the site. many have attempted to discourage personal attacks, but anonymity(read:fake names) certainly can give some people license to do as they please. i’ve known a great many who enjoyed obnoxiousness simply for the sake of being rude. some simply have not had enough parental guidance. but i wonder about those who are so invested in this site that they would engage others, simply to berate and belittle them. i honestly enjoy 90% of the posts i read, and i’ve been a mostly silent fan of this site for a good three years. what i will not do, is separate myself from this forum and the music/info provided, because of some foolishness. as jerry garcia once said,”can we have a little coolness?”

hope the tangential nature of my comments doesn’t turn all of you against me

By Billy Jack on Jun 26, 2012

i didnt want to be the first to comment here and each time i came here to check on whether anyone had yet posted anything..no one yet had. i am glad people finally started to put something up. i started to worry.
yes clearly this contest is an issue because someone felt the need to harass me. yes its very sad that this is the cause for a topic here. everyone above has said it so well including rond aking sking billy and phil. thank u all. im sure some will add after my post here. perhaps some will have quality things to say as well. i dont know if i can say anything more that hasnt been said above. the 5 of u have pretty much said it all. thank u so much.
i dont know either if anything can be done. i dont know if someone personally can be blocked from posting or if he should be. i think moderating as if he was a child and needed his postings removed one at a time or in some cases 2 or 3 at a time under various names that he uses.. should not have to be done. the administration has better things to do with his time and energies. the harasser needs to find another hobby. the site and us fans were here long before him and will be here long after he fades away. sure there will be others like him eventually to come along. there always are and yes we will have to deal with them too. just like in the old cowboy movies and tv series. someone has to come along to challenge the fastest gun in the town. when he loses a new jerk will come along sooner or later. even those who arent my friends or on my side here know that i didnt create this situation. i have the right to post what i wish the way i wish without catering to the whims of a few idiots who would try to control me and how i do things. im here cuz i wanna be and i will continue as i am.

he who chisels himself to suit others will soon whittle himself away.

thanks people.

By darth on Jun 26, 2012

after you used the word “I” 17 times “I” kinda lost interest.

By corn- fooshus on Jun 26, 2012

OK with me to go off topic. If you don’t like what someone is saying then quit reading it.
Heck i’m here for the free music. A big thanks Bigo

By wh dupree on Jun 26, 2012

as stated,we are only here cos its free,and we love the music,

By paul on Jun 26, 2012

People like to put things on paper – they do that in response to something that they have read or heard. They like to add their views, but are they ‘off topic’?
Are we assuming that everybody has equal literacy skills? There are two factors here;
Did the writer completely understand the statement that he or she is responding to?
Did the writer have the literacy skills to put his or her thoughts down in such a way that they can be understood by the reader?
If not, then maybe people are not going ‘off topic’, what they have written may mean something to them, if not to everyone who reads what they have written.
On the other hand, if you are watching TV and you don’t like what you see, turn it off. If you are listening to music and you don’t like it, turn it off.If you are reading something that you don’t like or if you can’t see where it’s going ……….(Fill in the gap)

By Daij on Jun 27, 2012

couldnt have lost too much interest if u sat there counting how many times someone used a one letter word.

By darth on Jun 27, 2012

He may have been pointing out ego-centric posting.

By BarBob on Jun 27, 2012

the topic presented by the big-o admin is about whether or not to allow going off topic .
Some believe the topic is merely there for “ego -centric posting ” [good one] to sate their narcissism.

By corn- fooshus on Jun 27, 2012

The print in fairly small on my computer so if the post is overly long I usually don’t bother reading it. I try to keep my rare posts to thanking BigO and Phil for the downloads and encourage them to post more. However, some contributors have interesting facts to share and that is OK too. If someone has spent time with Keith Richards, I want to hear it. I think it is the length of the posts that upset people more than anything else. We all are all music fans, and a dying breed at that. I hope we can all get along.

By Mackster on Jun 27, 2012

Correction, the last sentence should read “We are all music fans,….

By Mackster on Jun 27, 2012

the point is.. he said he lost interest. not that he was pointing out an ego centric posting. my posting wasnt ego centric just because i was using the word ‘i’ in it. clearly the subject of the entire contest here was initially based around me and those who have nothing better to do than harass me. there is no way for me to discuss this without me saying ‘i’ when referring to myself. i could have referred to myself in the 3rd person but how obnoxious would that have been? cmon now. i could have said ‘one’ and found other ways to talk in abstract terms but what would be the point?
the claim was that he lost interest. he did nothing of the sort. he read every fucking word of my posting. not only that.. he read it twice and the 2nd time thru he sat there and counted carefully how many times i used the word ‘i’. dont u think thats a little psychotic? then he goes into the regular music forums changes names yet again and posts 4-5 more times using all caps now and starts flooding the pages with more stupid crap. how much of this are u gonna put up with???

By darth on Jun 27, 2012

WHOAA HOLD ON THERE DARTH. YOU DON`T WANT PEOPLE POKIN` THEIR NOSE IN YOUR POSTS AND NOW YOU ARE PICKING ON ME ? I NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT YOU ALL ALONG THROUGH YOUR TROUBLES. WOW.
WHAT A HYPOCRIT.

By dropkick sarge on Jun 27, 2012

Okay, I come for the music and a little bit of the commentary — off-topic is just part and parcel of what conversations are; they wander and evolve, just like the language we use…as for use of ALL CAPS? Tawdry at best and none-to-easy to read; easy to skip…and stupid crap? well, if the universe at level of dense matter is about anything at all, stupid crap about covers it…Thanks for the musical interlude Big O!

By taichi charlie on Jun 28, 2012

I HAVE VERY POOR EYESITE AND FIND SMALLER LETTERS HARD TO READ.

By dropkick sarge on Jun 28, 2012

Got nothing against going off topic! And I like reading posts. Just as long as nobody gets really offensive, I don’t think BigO should change at all! Keep up the good work

By frank capra on Jun 28, 2012

BUB DIELAN
http://www.willardswormholes.com/?cat=51

By dropkick sarge on Jun 28, 2012

i am just here for the music, the articles are usually left wing ideas, always threatening the end of the world or some such nonsense, that never comes to pass.. grab a beer, listen to some tunes, relax & take it easy

By Liam NSW on Jun 29, 2012

Music is our passion and we love to feel the soul of musicians in live concerts!

By Rochacrimson on Jun 29, 2012

drop - i never said i didnt want people pokin their nose in my posts. youre misquoting me. im also not picking on u. clearly u are fucking with me even if u dont directly use my name. the majority of people here arent stupid. 4-5 postings of yours.. not including the wonderful ones u made like the fairport and traffic offerings.. were clearly intended as harassment and mockery. u can deny it all u like but the administration should have removed them. u knew what u were doing and so did everyone else. thats why u were ignored. as u continue to make a fool of yourself u will be ignored. we have all decided thats how we will handle u. thats what u do with children. when u act like an adult and offer up worthwhile postings u will get appreciative postings and thank u’s accordingly. act like the idiot u have been and we will ignore u. eventually u will figure it out. we hope.
i have said nothing hypocritical.
oh..and as for your inability to see lower case letters and your usage of caps.. that doesnt really make much sense. u seem to be able to read what we are typing just fine but when it comes to typing a response thats when u need to use caps? huh? wheres the logic there? what are we all missing?

By darth on Jun 30, 2012

as for your inability to see lower case letters and your usage of caps.. that doesnt really make much sense. u seem to be able to read what we are typing just fine but when it comes to typing a response thats when u need to use caps? huh? wheres the logic there? what are we all missing?

COMPASSION ,I`M ALMOST BLIND AND USE A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO READ THE POSTS.

By dropkick sarge on Jul 1, 2012

There is no topic that is off topic. The topic is conversation.

By geoff on Jul 4, 2012

Got nothing against going off topic! And I like reading posts. Just as long as nobody gets really offensive.

By zannick on Jul 6, 2012

when is bigo going to ban darth posts?

By dweezil the weezil on Jul 7, 2012

Other than thanking the nice folks for sharing some wonderful music and maybe some add-on info for some of us “anal retentive” types, I don’t see the need for posting. Unnecessary conversation often leads to problems.

By madbaddad on Jul 8, 2012

darth said: “just like in the old cowboy movies and tv series. someone has to come along to challenge the fastest gun in the town.”

That analogy speaks volumes.

“The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing.” Leigh Hunt

By dingus on Jul 10, 2012

darth, none of the people who posted before you said they supported you or your behavior, they were against attacks. You want the “attacks” against you to end, yet you call your “harassers” idiots, psychotic, fools, and children. You whine about others “flooding the pages with more stupid crap”, yet you post 10x more copy than anyone else, most of it “defending” your obnoxious behavior. You want everyone to ignore your harassers, yet you can’t ignore those who “harass” you.

Anyone who tries to politely reason with you is insulted and dismissed. You claim “i have the right to post what i wish the way i wish” (on someone else’s website), yet you attack others who do the same.

We recently had a 16 day period with no attacks or harassment, followed by a similar 10 day period. Both times, you felt the need to “defend” yourself, which led to a renewal of the “attacks”.

In summary, for the slow… darth, you’ve created your own problems here.

By Garth on Jul 10, 2012

Sigh…
Off-topic can be fun. Some people here tell witty stories, some add oblique insights, etc etc. Mostly they are enjoyable and do not distract from the threads.
In any case, one can move on if one is bored with a comment, right? That is the polite thing to do in someone else’s home - which in internet terms, BigO is. We are all guests here.

But as for Darth: I had no problem his long posts. Most I ignored it because I found then overlong and dull - but not a problem.
Then, one day, I made a brief witty comment in response to someone else’s witty comment…
… and suddenly I found that I had become the subject of an offensive response from a paranoid Darth, with F-ing and all the rest, telling me what a nasty person I am.

So - I now have NO sympathy for him at all. I can see why trolls bait him - because he takes himself way too seriously.

Whether you ban “off-topic” conversations or not, I shall simply continue to ignore Darth’s posts, because in MY single experience of him, he showed himself to be an offensive boor.

Peace BigO and, as always, thanks for the music

By Tony on Jul 11, 2012

Agreed - rigid adherence to a topic is no fun. But personal attacks, name calling and the like is unacceptable. I enjoy the forums because we all have the love of music in common (not always the same music of course!) but range widely in other matters. Cheers.

By Jeremy Shatan on Jul 12, 2012

i cant defend myself against no attacks so that made no sense. thats ridiculous. youre making claims that are preposterous. theres no logic there. if u took time off from harassing me u cant claim that i defended myself against your attacks. there were no attacks to defend myself against. think about it. if i found a posting that i hadnt seen for ten days and then responded to it.. that has nothing to do with anything. u dont know if i was unable to get online or something. u cant assume. or at least u shouldnt.

as far as me posting 10x more than anyone else thats my right. it has nothing to do with my postings behind obnoxious..which theyre not. theres nothing wrong with my behavior. u attacking me is obnoxious. me defending myself is not. i cant be blamed for defending. u are to be blamed for attacking. only an idiot puts blame on the defense for defending himself but thinks its acceptable to attack. yes the attacks should end. no the defenses dont have to end til the attacks do. theres something seriously wrong with your way of thinking.
yes there were many people backing me in the music forums even if u didnt notice. of course they didnt have to beforehand. that doesnt make any sense. thats like suggesting i didnt defend myself til i was attacked. well duh.
i shouldnt have to ignore my harassers and i dont whine btw. when will your whining stop?
u talk about me posting some nonsense on other peoples websites. thats imaginary. and even if it did exist.. i dont attack people like u have been using various names to make it appear like there are several of u.
yes i do have the right to post what i wish on a forum that allows that. but the difference is i dont abuse it the way u have been for a bunch of months now harassing someone u dont even know. u are accomplishing nothing. im not going away and im not going to stop posting. all u are doing is ruining this site for others. youre just creating an unpleasant atmosphere here. sure i could ignore u. ive proven that. obviously i have let a number of your posts go without responses. i tried to emplore u to leave me alone. u obviously wont. theres no reasoning with u. u have not been polite regardless of your claims. i stand by all my labels for what u are. u have lived up to every damned one of them.
i did not create my own problems thats just crazy. thats like saying the jews created the genocide that was hitler. that mindset is numbingly stupid. why should i expect better of u?

tony - im not here to entertain u. that u consider my posts long or dull is of no consequence. gee i wont read war and peace because it has too many pages. omg.
i cant believe youre patting yourself on the back and claiming u gave a brief witty comment and claiming it had nothing to do with me but then adding that i responded to it with some sort of an attack on u. wow. u offer no specifics however. hmmm. i guess we’ll just have to accept this story without any facts offered then. maybe its true. probably not tho.
judging from the current evidence at hand.. and that u say that i said u were a nasty person.. i tend think u might be. who knows? we dont have much to go by now do we? i dont know anything about u cept that u seem to be jumping on a bandwagon here. oh joy.
i dont want or need your sympathy. thats not what this is all about. your personal experience.. assuming u really actually had one that is.. shouldnt be what u are going by anyway with regards to this entire topic.
gee.. hope that wasnt too long or boring for ya. (grin)

By darth on Jul 12, 2012

“u offer no specifics however. hmmm. i guess we’ll just have to accept this story without any facts offered then. maybe its true. probably not tho.”

just like u and all your rock star friends and photos

” your personal experience.. assuming u really actually had one that is.. shouldnt be what u are going by anyway with regards to this entire topic.”

seems to work fine for u

By barth on Jul 12, 2012

darth, don’t ever compare yourself to me. Your repetitious ramblings and frothings are merely a pimple on the big fat posterior of literature.

By Leo Tolstoy on Jul 12, 2012

BANNING IS CENSORSHIP! If censorship runs rampant we will no longer have the option to choose what we read or hear.If you don’t like it, don’t read it! I think it’s apparent that I think any off or on topic should be available for readership. If we ban babble, most political speeches would be banned…hmmm. On second thought…

By Tom Billings on Jul 14, 2012

i didnt compare myself to tolstoy. i am mocking the idiot who said that my postings were long and dull therefore he wont read them. war and peace is long and dull. someone who might have it as assigned reading might look at it and say.. no way.. for the same reasons that the idiot who said what he said about not reading my postings. how on earth could u have missed this???

my ‘ramblings’ are only repetitious because of the repetitiousness of the idiots i am responding to. if i keep answering 10 10 10 10 10 and u wonder why til u consider that the questions im being asked are how much is 7+3 or 4+6 or 5+5 or 8+2 or 9+1…how can u blame me???? im only giving u idiots what u ask for. dont blame me for responding to u. blame yourself for coming at me in the first place. this isnt rocket science. what on earth is wrong with u?? u wanna compare yourself to something? u did a fine job with that ‘pimple on the big fat posterior’ line. how very appropeau. u took the words right out of my colon. it musta been while your head was half way up my ass. how much longer are u gonna keep it in there?

By darth on Jul 14, 2012

Off target is fine, just keep keep it kind for one another. If there is an offender that continues to put down people in a viscious manner…”take a time out on step for a month” and we’ll see you then.

By Bubbles on Aug 29, 2012

It was just a matter of time ’till THIS topic went off-topic…

By TDC on Sep 17, 2012