dusty wrote:Yes, Mike, to some degree (because it distracts and is often the factor that causes the thread to go jump track. But the greater frustration for me is that it all leads to not being able to search the thread.
If I cannot get back to a post, that I know is there, but is not detectable by a logical search, then the forum has LOST VALUE (at least to me). This happens whenever the a thread is derailed. The basic subject of the original thread is completely lost and the subject of the side bar is never declared.
I have no problem with the religious, political or humorous side comments or in some cases complete threads because I can ignoe or choose not to read - except to extent that, again, it all detracts from the value of the forum to me.
Now, I know that this forum is not here for me and I can always go somewhere else for that purpose. Believe me, I have given that some thought. It is the Shopsmith tie that keeps me here and little else.
Thanks for explaining. I now understand your primary and secondary concern.
Regarding your primary search concern, I feel your pain. The search engine used by this vbulletin forum software is not the most advanced. Hopefully, jpg's thread will introduce some techniques not all of us are aware of. I created my own "search engine" on both my
Greenie and
ER restoration threads. Notice post # 1 of each thread includes a
table of contents with links to each topic. That was my way of helping myself when I was looking for stuff.
With threads going off track, we could make a better attempt to stay on topic. Speaking for myself, my brain don't always follow such a logical course. It probably has to do with the amount of time that goes by between posts and where my brain has gone in between those times. Many times, in casual conversation, topics within a single conversation are numerous. In formal structured discussion (i.e. meetings, court cases, presentations etc.), it tends to be far more linear.
The casual conversation I have with my wife.....she is able to bring a story off what I think is the "logical" course to the point where I don't even know how we got to where we are but
miraculously (to me at least), at some point, she ties it all together and pulls all the pieces back to our original topic. Each point outside "the line" comes back in. She adds all the other pieces as supporting tidbits, and does so quite effectively. By then, I've forgotten what we were even talking about. Somehow in the end, it all makes sense though. Just don't ask me to have to repeat the path we took throughout the conversation.
Generally, I am more of a point A to B guy in verbal discussion unless I am socializing. When socializing, I can go all over the place. When I am here, I feel like I am both in discussion AND socializing. I can stay very much on point, but at times, the socializing part of me kicks in. Don't know that I can or would even want to try and control that. It's my nature. Other peoples nature is probably the complete opposite, in both directions....pure socializing, pure discussion.
So blah, blah, blah...I don't even know for sure where I took this other than to share my 2 cents worth on what conversation is all about as viewed by this simple little pea brain.
