Author's Hangout Poll

[wildsweetone]

At this moment, there are a couple of threads relating to new authors and over a dozen threads relating to unmentionable rubbish (yep, in my opinion a waste of time). I don't mind the occasional joke thread, or smartarse welcome thread, but mountains of threads discussing the merits of faeces and where it ends up is really beginning to be overpowering to what I believed the AH was all about.

Is this the way the AH is going to continue? Frankly I'm getting a trifle fed up. If I wanted to wade through this kind of stuff I'd hang out in the General Board.

 

[jfinn]

Funny, but I was just thinking about this myself. I've been away from the board for a few weeks and just started catching up on what was going on yesterday. This is really the first thread I've even been tempted to respond to.

I like the fun stuff, don't get me wrong, but I'm really missing the writing discussions that got me hooked on this forum in the first place. I'd start something myself, but it seems lately that anytime anyone does try to do that, the thread gets hijacked immediately so really there doesn't seem to be any point.

Hope we can reach a happy medium here soon.

Jayne

 

[wildsweetone]

Thanks for your comments Jayne.

 

[The_old_man]

Clean up? In what way?

There are a number of non-relevant threads, and even more hijacked threads. Yes I would like to see the guidelines enforced. I would not request the purging of existing threads but enforce the guidelines on future posts.

The General board got a bit wild last year but is somewhat better now. This board would, in all probability, self correct, however it would take a fair amount of time and get much worse first.

 

[Master_Vassago]

I'm for fun as much as the next person but sadly yes I agree. Less poo, more screw. Well that is what W/we write about isn't it?lol.

 

[Guest]

Here Here!

No Shit!


I couldn't agree more......

 

[TheEarl]

A little agreed. I like the AH the way it is; I like all of the jokes and weird thingswe discuss. Then again I do miss some of the writing deeleybobs. So if we had pretty much the same, but with more literary threads then I'd be happy.

The Earl

 

[Octavian]

I am in agreement with WSO on this. The odd contribution has been very funny but the subject has been done to death.

However I would't want to see the pendulum swing too far in the opposite direction. Of course there are intelligent authors with serious points to make but I would hope there is still room for some frivolity.

Octavian

 

[karmadog]

Waaah waaah waaah

If you want discussions about writing, start one and quit pissing and moaning.

I've been away too, because I just don't have the time anymore, and it's true that there are very few 'author' threads going on.

But good God, whose fault do you think that is?

 

[English Lady]

well,with the broken wrist i am stuck with right now i can't do much typing, and what typing i do do is very rarely here in the hangout. I agree, the balance is a bit off right now,but as karmadog so eloquently puts it

if you want disscusions about writing-start one.

fair-do's really!

 

[oggbashan]

Oops

I was one of the worst offenders. Holds hand up but I think the board has already got the message.

I enjoy the humour but the pendulum had swung too far.

I think the bias will self-correct but we have to have interesting threads as well as the humour.

So back to the f*ck and less of the m*ck.

Og

 

[Svenskaflicka]

*quietly hiding in a corner, hoping the Clean Up won't affect any HP-threads...*

 

[redrider4u]

At this moment, there are a couple of threads relating to new authors and over a dozen threads relating to unmentionable rubbish (yep, in my opinion a waste of time). I don't mind the occasional joke thread, or smartarse welcome thread, but mountains of threads discussing the merits of faeces and where it ends up is really beginning to be overpowering to what I believed the AH was all about.

Is this the way the AH is going to continue? Frankly I'm getting a trifle fed up. If I wanted to wade through this kind of stuff I'd hang out in the General Board.

I'm still new to AH, but I've noticed that questionable and or irrelevant threads eventually die out from lack of visits in other parts of Lit. I'm guilty, as I had an inspiration and started a thread while in AH; should have been in another forum. Wish there was a way to move a thread from one forum to another.

 

[oggbashan]

*quietly hiding in a corner, hoping the Clean Up won't affect any HP-threads...*

Don't worry, Svenskaflicka, if you still want to post after your visit to London, I'm sure there will be space for HP.

Og

 

[Svenskaflicka]

*hugs og*

 

[oggbashan]

Thank you

Thanks, Svenskaflicka.

Doffs cake.

I needed that.

Og

 

[sirhugs]

one thread for play?

Perhaps the thing to do is to designate one thread where the regulars, and visitors can chat about any old thing- a social lounge if you like, easier to navigate than searching for each other all over the place. BDSM Talk Forum, for example, has the " Fireside Lounge", wehere nothing is off topic, since there ain't no topic.

The moderator could then vigourously keep the remaining threads on the forum topic of discussion of matters of authourship.

but then, there'd have to be a moderator...Km, ogg, who else is willing to be nominated???

 

[oggbashan]

Moderator

No thanks.

Trying to keep this lot in order would need WMD.

Moderation should come from within.

Og

 

[SexyChele]

I don't know about a "clean up", but I think a little less on the joking would be a big help. I don't post that much here anymore because I simply don't do the silly threads well. Especially toilet humor. Got over that when I entered the 1st grade.

Anyway, it truly is up to the populace to change - if they so choose to do so. I used to find this place an interesting hangout to learn and discover, as well as the occasionaly funny and witty thread that brought a smile to my day. I'd like to see that return.

Thanks, WSO, for starting this thread!

 

[Guest]

This is a good discussion, though when I first read the entry yesterday I was worried about 'freedom' issues on the board.

I was easily sucked into the poop threads, and shamelessly enjoyed the experience. But as can be seen already 'we' are not stuck in the muck, the lapse has passed.

I've looked into other threads that appalled me with bad language, or rather ill use of language, and thoughtless and even mean-spirited wanks. All I had to do was hit the back-arrow though. I did not feel it necessary to make a formal protest.

I voted 'No' only because I have faith in this adult community to self-censor or just poop out in time (really no pun intended; ever since my sons were babies, poop is a word that often fits a thought).

Perdita

 

[oggbashan]

Freedom and responsibility

Free Speech is a great privilege but it has responsibilities.

I don't think anything on this board recently went too far because those on the Authors' Hangout generally tolerate each other with good humour.

If this board was moderated, very little would have been reported to the moderator because it was (and is) harmless fun and not vindictive or threatening (unless you deliberately call Svenskaflicka "Sven" in which case it is a unsafe personal act like jumping from a plane without a parachute).

We can get TOO serious. We can get TOO fundamental. We can poop all over the serious threads but the humourous threads sometimes cover serious ground as well. Why not? It can be confusing to newcomers but most of them easily learn how to fit in.

Vive la difference. We are not the General Board. We are not dedicated to minute examination of our literary credentials. We write erotica to amuse, to entertain and get people feeling sexy.

So lighten up, folks, but not too much.

Modified rapture is acceptable.

Og

 

[KillerMuffin]

Actually, the forums have had difficulties with people who don't like the climate of the GB turning other forums into a sort of junior general board.

I don't think chatter is a bad thing, however, I'm not for turning the hangout into yet another general board. We've already got two forums dedicated to nothing but chatter.

I'd rather be overrun by give me feedback spam.

I don't think we need a moderator here, either. I think that we're all adults and that we're all perfectly capable of reaching some sort of accord on how we're going to act in here. I also believe that, as adults, we can exercise enough maturity to learn when a joke has gone from funny to annoying. We can learn to respect other people who visit this forum rather than run people off of it.

I also think that putting the fecal miscreants on ignore is a good thing. I already have Durt Girl there. If her puppetmasters get irritating enough, and they're getting very close to that, so long to them, too.

I don't mind jokes and inappropriate behavior with my discourse, but not so that it drowns out the discourse.

I think it's awfully pathetic that a group of so called grown ups would think that it's appropriate to turn a frustrated writer's thread--one who (despite his understandable insults)--actually came here for help, into a forum to discuss feces and sex with sheep. That's General Board behavior and that firmly belongs on the General Board, not here, where we are supposed to be writer friendly.

 

[wildsweetone]

Well, with the responses so far, I can say that's a general majority to the "Yes please let's keep the AH board writer friendly."

I'm all for having an occasional giggle/surprise/chat/etc. The poo prompts were simply becoming too noticable for my comfort level. (take it as a pun or leave it).

I don't see the need for a moderator here anymore. There's enough of us around to be able to 'moderate' ourselves without bogging down another good person with extra work.

None of us really wants the regimental idea of a 'writers serious threads' type of forum. The beauty with Litland is that we are allowed to discuss any topic to virtually any degree, in freedom.

This thread is just a reminder that along with that freedom, comes respect.

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate them.

 

[pop_54]

OK

I too disagree with any form of regimental or compulsory seriousness, life's too short to be serious all the time and as you only get one go at life in this universe, a smile on the face, and a joke with friends is always a bonus.
Of course all those who don't want friends or a laugh, carry on, hey it's a democracy.

Having said that, the hi-jacking of serious threads can be annoying, not just with toilet humour or a piss taking session, but with a total change of direction.
Someone butting in and changing the subject half way through, even in a serious note is rude and aggravating at times.

So it's not just the silly thread thing, as said by others, if you don't like the subject matter, ignore the thread, simple isn't it.

I've said it elsewhere, we need the occasional light relief from seriousness, especially we Brits, all part of our upbringing don't you know.
This hangout could well suffer some embarrassing silences were it to be moderated to serious and itellectual threads only, there's only so much serious crud you can think of to talk about.

There's also nothing wrong with the occasional newbie saying hello here and or asking for feedback about the brand new story they are chuffed to fuck has just been accepted.
None of us came here with 100 stories already posted, we were all new to it and excitable once long ago.

I do object very strongly to the high and mighty attitude of the few regulars who immediately jump on said newbie and tell them to go to another forum with their excitement, to you few, get a real life folks and try to understand real people and their feelings.

I very rarely start any threads, several reasons.
Mainly someone else always seems to ask the question for me by accident just before I intend to, no point in duplicating a question or point.
Secondly, nothing much to ask about that hasn't already been asked or talked about before, or is being talked about.
Third when I did post a couple of threads nobody much seemed over interested and I'm famous for not wasting energy on something pointless. (Well not something serious anyway).

I almost always join in with the silly threads, and I love issuing my one liners and daft replies, well I like a laugh, working class see, common as muck we are, should be banned from the place really.

I don't think this hangout has degenerated to the level of the GB and I don't think it ever will, even the silly toilet humour here is written in a way that most of those who frequent the GB would strugle to understand it.
Also too many of us would fight to stop it going too GB, oh yes I like a bit of a quiet and sensible place to hang out and I would fight to help stop this place going totally to pot.
It's far from that though, and come on folks if you wanna talk serious, post the threads, we'll join in, won't we Durt Gurl.

pops.................

 

[gauchecritic]

I have to say that I'm not a contributor nor beginner of threads (or hijacks) which have excreta as their main source of topic. (They are too much like popular comedians who believe that dressing as a woman is even faintly amusing.)

However, I have no real problem with threads which begin as peurile poo-poo jokes, I can simply not read those. What is a problem for me is the hi-jacking of threads for the same purpose.

On the other-other hand there are just a few too many threads which have flippant reasons for existence.

Not being able to resist I must say that I'm in two minds as to whether to start a thread/poll complaining about the threads/polls complaining about the lowering tone of AH.

Gauche