Meta: Derailings

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Okay, I am against things like what's happening in this thread and it's a bad idea and doesn't really help the board at all ect ect, but this is really cracking me up
—Dan, on the "ILXors that have emailed you" thread, which has become a "vent spleen at Calum/generally crack wise" thread.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's the thing. I think derailings are virtually the only way to keep a discussion alive. Does that mean it's healthy to derail the very SECOND a discussion starts? No. But when a thread becomes something other than what its title indicates, is this of necessity a bad thing? I don't think so - I think actually that the best discussions (here as elsewhere) are those which evolve, mutate, and eventually become several polygonal new selves.

I think the general subject of derailings is worth discussing!

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

obviously the fair-play move would be for somebody to reply with a recipe for baba-ganoush

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It's part of ILX for threads to get derailed, it's very rare for a thread to stay on topic isn't it? It's a problem when people get silly on a serious thread, but they usually get back on track.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a problem when people get silly on a serious thread

Yeah, that's very annoying. Otherwise, I don't really see it as a problem per se.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

well but "silly/serious" is a binary where both sides can help one another! vide the Wife of Bath for example. Or all Shakespeare's comedies. I just think that looser = better where discussions are concerned.

[insert several dozen sex jokes here, obv]

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

that's why i like calum posting on the discussion threads

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

what's lousy is when someone (not naming any names here) drops a little on topic joke into an otherwise serious thread and instead of going, "um, okay, but further to..." the posters get all snippy about how someone (not naming any names here) just wants to make jokes and ruins threads and then people get their feelings hurt.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

oh fuck you meant "looser" as in "looser".

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

derailing's okay but when it gets too overboard it's time to start a new thread.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

derailings are the reasons behind both the best things and the worst things that have ever happened on this board. It's the simple fact that nobody is clever enough on their own to start a thread called "take artwork by <whoever that guy was I forgot> and caption it in such a way as to be really injokey and pally about ILX with one another" but when enough clever people start participating in a derailing it turns into lots of fun.

Derailings which come from anger are usually really horrible, they're basically the reason I've stated multiple times that I think ILX should get the tabula rasa treatment.

I don't know what silly/serious means on this board anymore half the time. Frankly you can be silly all you like, I don't care, just be funny (YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU ARE DO YOU). Not being funny is like the second worst sin you can commit on this board.

― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

derailings had nothing to do with the best things that has ever happened on the board

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.wowlinux.com/etc/img/wink.gif

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Huck OTM re: folks stubbornly not allowing comic relief on serious threads. (Not that I'm condoning some of the overboard replace-serious-thread-with-stupid-humor attempts.)

xpost Dammit Huck, the thread's about derailings, and you go and post a cartoon penguin. What the fuck's your problem?

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.simpson.edu/~RITS/news/littlerock/derailment.JPEG

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

There are degrees of derailings, I guess tangets are best. I hate 'character' derailings, they are a snore. Someone, ought to make an analysis of the different sorts of derailing.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

the winking penguin was a cross-post. Sorry, Martin M.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone, ought to make an analysis of the different sorts of derailing.

Well, for starters there's "tangents" as you pointed out.

I would say there is also the "ILX as a whole isn't going to take your questions seriously variety" (i.e. pizimp my ride, hare die, mr. cena)

Third is Jon started posting an assload of pictures.

And the fourth one I can think of is "Uh-oh, Ned and C-Man have ended up in the same discussion again." (Also known as "C-Man started it.")

I'm sure there are others I've missed... This is just off the top of my head.

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't bear derailings whereby people get into snarky debates about linguistic & semantic negligibilities rather than concentrating on the fundamental topic.

(it's not just Jon who does the arseload of pictures derailing, either)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

To derail this thread, the post quoted was less about thread derailment and more about responding to Calum's deeply obvious bait.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

(Also Markelby has just admitted that he hates me! SOB.)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Well - sure, Calum's bait is obvious, but it need not necessarily derail into nonsense, and if we make a good thread out of it, then we've effectively made lemonade, right? That's my thinking anyhow.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

pictures don't bother me, it's quite odd just seeing "sillypic.jpg or wtf.gif"

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't you call me an SOB, you AH.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

SUCH ABUSE

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

The pictures don't bother me either, but I have a fast connection from both places where I commonly post.

The reason I singled out Jon as the assload of pictures poster is only because threads often get derailed by the combination of his pictures and other users complaining about said picture overload. I don't notice as many complaints about other picture posters as I do about him. (I got nothing against him myself.)

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't bear derailings whereby people get into snarky debates about linguistic & semantic negligibilities

i have never seen a thread derailed by discussions of the negligibility of linguistics and semantics.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I can understand that, J0hn; it's just that more often than not Calum's threads (or threads with Calum's participation) devolve into ugly mean-spirited sniping that is neither funny nor entertaining.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:27 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.improbimprov.com/painting/art/haha-lala-web.jpg

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

It's entertaining to me, this notion that unpredicated twists and turns within the path of a discussion are something exclusive to online message board conversations.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

every now and then when i talk to friends IRL i pull out a giant posters out of my pocket and break all the discussions.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.gobartimes.org/jan2000/wto.jpg

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

This one time, at band camp, I stuck a flute in my pussy.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought this thread would be about metal railings.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.cluefactory.org.uk/nik/sadcat-t.jpg

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought this thread was about doses of thrush you can get from licking railings

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

these are pretty lousy derailing-attempts.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.marssociety.pl/rings-saturn.jpg

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:05 (twenty-one years ago)

http://circle.bc.ca/wallpapers/giraffe-UFO-800.jpg

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I think there are times when a derailment can avoid everyone treading the same old route again and again (IE not yet on this thread Jon you cockmonkey), but if the same derailment happens one different threads in succession (that month that every thread turned out to be about Kate's love for Julian Casablancas, or anything to do with Aja ever), then it's pretty much dud.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

julien ass-boy

i liked that stuff, but i also liked ally and otis's back and forthing that swamped every ILM thread for like two weeks too, it had vim, it had verve

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Exactly, you can't even pin it down as repetition being the evil bugbear because there is good repetition and bad repitition, neither of which are constant for any one particular poster let alone an entire community.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Tracer that's just cos you wanted to threesome with me and Otis back then, admit it.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Heheh. Dan said "bugbear."

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

If there is a problem, it is that people don't know when to stop making jokes, not that people start making jokes. (Also their jokes suck, BOW DOWN TO ME, KING OF FUNNY.)

(See what I mean?)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

(Also, forgetting that certain words are big gigantic fuckoff red signs that flagpost your amazing geekdom: C/D?)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"Every time you fail to entertain or edify me I hate you a little more."

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

But Dan, this is what I just said, I think 80% of us KNOW what is being spoken about here. I mean you've been in the same chats I have, where someone will make an obtuse allusion to an annoying poster and every single person in chat will respond with the correct name. And those people fall into two camps:

A) People who know they are being total dickwads
B) People who don't understand that everyone hates them

It is basically just like being in school, you've got the "class clowns" that are actually funny, the ones that are trying to imitate the class clowns and are just really coming off like fucktards, and the people who don't get it that the popular kids only tolerate them to laugh at them behind their backs.

FWIW I don't really give a shit because I don't really feel like actually interacting with anyone anymore, I just post random shit that doesn't even really go when I do post.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It is basically just like being in school

now I'm depressed

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Rally, I just wanted to type the phrase "BOW DOWN TO ME, KING OF FUNNY".

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 42 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

So the cool people all live in NYC.
There you go.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

But I'm not in NYC.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I know one cool person who lives in Regina, SK. Who I promise I am not making fun of.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"This is the thread where Dan displays his frightning narcissism."

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

So the cool people all live in NYC.

yeah, but it just dawned on me they're in NYC AND on a message board. Hmmm.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that what you call it, Dan?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

(THE central, lifechanging realization I've made over the last six months is that when The Cool People are nice to you, it might, just might, be because they actually like you.)

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost - some of us have jobs, Anthony.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The idea that needling cliques and infighting is a good thing is way more highschool than the existence of those cliques itself.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

somebody was trying to talk me out of considering moving to NYC earlier this week. that's all.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

some of us have jobs, Anthony.

just nose tweakin'. Actually since I'm in a computer lab killing time rather than posting at work (which is usually the case), I think I'm gonna have to go outside.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

ARRRRRRRRGH

― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

No one is posting on any of the ILX threads other than this one. It's kinda lame.

― Comment dits-on...eh... le NA? (Nick A.), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Jon that is a very sweet little .gif you've posted next to my name, kisses. BTW why do you always come down to NYC the weekends I'm NOT around? You should come down the FOLLOWING weekend, not this coming one.

xpost Chris go fuck yourself already, you're not saying anything I didn't already say in my posts. Or post cute little .gifs instead of fucking yourself.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

whoa awesome.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

man that's twirling your cape and dropping a smoke bomb before leaving a room.

(x-post)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

<MARQUEE>QUICK SOMEONE PUT THAT PICTURE OF DASTOOR PULLING ON HIS OWN FACE AND MAKING IT HIDEOUS AS THE BACKGROUND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Ally, I didn't know you even lived in NYC until, uh, recently? There's a chance I might come down that weekend too, but who knows.

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

ahhhhhhhh meta

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't leave, Tombot! Not that you'll listen to me, but oh well.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I LUV U ILX
― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Jon, really? That's cos I never barely come out anymore, it's sad. You should come down though, I always think you seem like a cool guy to meet, I said that even today to someone.
― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Me and Jon and Ally hanging out in NYC is just like the COOLEST PEOPLE EVER IN THE WORLD. The rest of you should all stop posting right now!!!
― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah there. Anyway, yes, please do NOT leave.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I never pay attention to these threads; what just happened?

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

No, Tom, you should go, I'm trying to pick up on Jon.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"I just want to say that the campers you're about to see SUCK DICK! Nevertheless, please (eye roll) welcome them."

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

those fears erase when I remember that every single person involved is sitting at a computer.

Yeah, I was kinda kiddin about the FEAR.

Kinda nice to think that I'm gettin paid to sit in front of this computer now that I think of it.

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude Tom you should call Spinktor and Josh and all that noise anyway, we should hang out with them this weekend. Like we'll go out to BFE Saturday during the day and then at night we could meet up with them? Then on Sunday we'll do that other thing.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom and Jon look kinda alike, altho Tom has more hair.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I will see what I can do. Meanwhile I would like to point out that what happened on this thread is exactly what I was talking about in my first post to it, sort of both at once though.

― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

dude :( my hairline is recovering :((((

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.tinthepark.co.uk/images/artist/streets_large.jpg

― AK-47, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe what we have here is what the old boys would have called an "object lesson"

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

JON do you like ROGAINE?

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:16 (twenty-one years ago)

hstencil stop rubbing your luxurious mane in his face.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe what we have here is what the old boys would have called an "object lesson"

...

Sigh.

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/nlopez54/x-staartinbroekkat.gif

WORST. GIF. EVER.

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

SOMEONE IS BEGINNING TO SOUND A LOT LIKE DEANOMGWTF

― I LUV FAETTY (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

THAT IS GREAT.

― allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I would like to derail this derailing with some generic self-pity and paranoia because it's always OK when you're posting it and never when it's someone else.

*insert picture of food here*

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.keyw.com/timages/page/spiderman_dancing.jpg

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://originaldo.com/oral-roberts-jesus.jpg

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm gonna go start a thread about how Jon and hstencil and possibly all of ilx are jealous trying to ruin me and Tom's happiness now.

http://www.rnb.hpg.ig.com.br/slash.1.jpg

― AK-47, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

This is a thread for Anthony.

ANTHONY.

http://bitchcakes.topcities.com/July4/confusedant.jpg

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Ally you're insane! ~~Next thing you'll be saying I was trying to sneak peeks while you and Tom were gettin' cozy on that couch thing at the bar...~~

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pic/hypercube/hypercube05.jpg
http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pics/hypercube/hypercube02.jpg

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pics/hypercube/hypercube05.jpg
http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pics/hypercube/hypercube02.jpg

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pics/hypercube/hypercube03.jpg
http://www.fridas.ru/cinema/p/review/pics/hypercube/hypercube04.jpg

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.