Who Owns the Threads?

[Valandil]

This is a Thread about Threads:

What is proper Entmoot protocol about 'ownership' or 'control' or threads? Of course, administrators and moderators have ultimate control to rein things in when necessary, but otherwise:

1. Does the 'thread-starter' have control over the thread they create - such that it's like: "This is MY thread so we'll talk about what I want to talk about!!!"

OR

2. Does a thread sort of take on a life of it's own and everything is fair game - just so it either continues along the initial lines of the thread - or if it naturally shifts into a tangential line of discussion? Kind of like when a conversation is started.

Or is it just considered unofficial 'moot courtesy' that a thread-starter be given a little leeway to take some control of the evolution of a thread?

And what does it really mean if I tell Afro-Elf, "Nice threads!!"?

Does this thread belong to me or to you ?

[jerseydevil]

Threads belong to the starter in as far as they can moderate their own thread and tell people to get back on topic and so forth and control the discussion. It's only if the person wants to take that responsibilty though, otherwise the threads take on a complete life of their own.

I choose to consider threads I start as being mine - and if I feel that they are going off topic from what they were meant to discuss - I will tell people to get back on topic or that something is off topic and that I don't want that discussed in my thread - create a new one.

[Falagar]

For some reason, this made me think of...

Lord of the Threads

"In Eregion long ago many Elven-posts were made, in-depht posts as you call them, and they were, of course, of various kinds: some more potent and some less. The lesser posts were only essays in the writing before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-posters but trifles - yet still to my mind dangerous to the readers. But the Great Posts, the Posts of Power, they were perilious.
A reader, Frodo, who reads one of the Great Posts, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues, until at last every minute is a weariness."

Sorry, a bit off-topic here...

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Falagar
Sorry, a bit off-topic here...

I don't mind, if I'm the one that matters!

I thought it was funny anyway... and this IS a 'thread about threads' - in a more general sense.

[Falagar]

...and with this encouragement, Falagar wrote on:

"'Let the Thread be your weapon, if it has such power as you say. Read it and go forth in victory!'
'Alas, no,' said Delron 'We cannot read the Ruler-Thread. That we now know too well. It belongs to Sauron and was written by him alone, and is altogether evil. Its writing, Boringmir, is too small for anyone to read at will, save only those who already are very small.'
I fear to take the Thread to hide it. I will not take the Thread to read it.'
Then in Ongdor we must trust to such pens, scissors and papers as we have.'"

I'll stop now.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Falagar
...and with this encouragement, Falagar wrote on:

"'Let the Thread be your weapon, if it has such power as you say. Read it and go forth in victory!'
'Alas, no,' said Delron 'We cannot read the Ruler-Thread. That we now know too well. It belongs to Sauron and was written by him alone, and is altogether evil. Its writing, Boringmir, is too small for anyone to read at will, save only those who already are very small.'
I fear to take the Thread to hide it. I will not take the Thread to read it.'
Then in Ongdor we must trust to such pens, scissors and papers as we have.'"

I'll stop now.

Hah! Still funny!! ... but maybe I shouldn't encourage you anymore.

What then? Shall I take this Thread unto myself? Exert my own will and claim it as my own?

[Sister Golden Hair]

Does a thread sort of take on a life of it's own and everything is fair game - just so it either continues along the initial lines of the thread - or if it naturally shifts into a tangential line of discussion? Kind of like when a conversation is started.

Or is it just considered unofficial 'moot courtesy' that a thread-starter be given a little leeway to take some control of the evolution of a thread?

The thread starter has a right to moderate their own thread, as JD said. All threads, especially ones that become lengthy usually will at some point veer off topic, which is normal and usually allowed by the staff, as long as it does not go so far off that the original topic is no longer being discussed. This happens in normal conversation. If the thread starter chooses to say something to get the thread back on topic, that's fine. If the thread becomes majorly off topic, or becomes loaded, then this is where the staff steps in.

[Lizra]

I enjoy hijacking threads. Beware of seemingly innocent thread drift......

[HOBBIT]

There is no entmoot rule that says threads belong to starter of topic, JD. (maybe there should be - it is useful to have thread starter moderate own topic. I don't believe there is a rule that says what JD and SGH have just stated - correct me if I'm wrong).

If you want to sort of moderate the topic you may, thats fine. But it is the job of entmoot's moderators to moderate topics.

As curtosy to the thread starter, you should do what topic starter is asking if it is things like "stay on topic."

We've had run-ins with "who owns topic" stuff before (that silly story, what was it called?), where a bunch of people posted a topic from entmoot on another site saying that they owned it - several entmoot admins disagreed (mostly tater).

Technically bmilder owns all of the board - he owns the threads. Who knows who the contents of the threads belong to - I say me

[Giroth]

Who owns the threads? That would be me, the DRAGONQUEEN!!!!
I rule ALL the threads! BUWAHAHAHA!!!!

[Lizra]

No, no, no! If I want a thread....I will take it! Threads! Come to mama!

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by HOBBIT
There is no entmoot rule that says threads belong to starter of topic, JD. (maybe there should be - it is useful to have thread starter moderate own topic. I don't believe there is a rule that says what JD and SGH have just stated - correct me if I'm wrong).

And where did I or SGH say there was a rule to this? If you read my post - i said it was completely up to the thread starter as to whether they wanted to moderate their threads. I choose to with most of my threads.

If you want to sort of moderate the topic you may, thats fine. But it is the job of entmoot's moderators to moderate topics.

Which is EXACTLY what SGH and I said.

As curtosy to the thread starter, you should do what topic starter is asking if it is things like "stay on topic."

Which is where the thread starter is moderating their own topic.

We've had run-ins with "who owns topic" stuff before (that silly story, what was it called?), where a bunch of people posted a topic from entmoot on another site saying that they owned it - several entmoot admins disagreed (mostly tater).

it was the Fellowship of the Messagebaord - look in my damn sig. The only reason Tater gave a rat's ass about the stie was because it was Aldesign that did the website.

Technically bmilder owns all of the board - he owns the threads. Who knows who the contents of the threads belong to - I say me

Actually - he only owns the content if it's actually stated in the agreement when people sign up. Otherwise it's free domain. And NO ONE owns my ideas - but me, as i said during the whole "Fellowship of the Messageboard" fiasco.

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
And where did I or SGH say there was a rule to this? If you read my post - i said it was completely up to the thread starter as to whether they wanted to moderate their threads. I choose to with most of my threads.

Which is EXACTLY what SGH and I said.

Which is where the thread starter is moderating their own topic.

it was the Fellowship of the Messagebaord - look in my damn sig. The only reason Tater gave a rat's ass about the stie was because it was Aldesign that did the website.

Actually - he only owns the content if it's actually stated in the agreement when people sign up. Otherwise it's free domain. And NO ONE owns my ideas - but me, as i said during the whole "Fellowship of the Messageboard" fiasco.

w0ah calm down, lol...

[HOBBIT]

take a chill pill dude :P

And no, there was more to it than just aldesign. This was the underlying issue - it just made it worse that aldesign made the site. Or maybe both equally, who knows. It wasn't just that though.

[Laurelyn]

If you don't mind me asking, why was it a problem that aldesign made the website? I remember both the FotMB and the debate, but I hadn't realized that it being aldesign behind it sparked some of that trouble.
Perhaps it was something I missed then in my newbiedom.
For the sake of research, whatever happened to the debate thread about the use of Moot content? I remember it as quite . . . . lively . . . perhaps spoken kindly, that is.

I know I think of some of the threads I start as 'mine.' For instance, long after I'd abandoned YKYLTTMW to the people who had inspiration left (and were funnier than me anyways), I'd look fondly back at it, growing to some ungodly length, and I'd say, "It's mine . . . my precious . . . ." Of course, seeing as it was very early in my Mooting career, that was a big achievment. Now I rarely start threads, though. Partly that's because I don't want the seeming responsibility for it if it goes awry, or if it dies and serves to only be a cluttering byte weighting down Ben's website. It depends on the Mooter, though- I'm sure plenty of us look upon our own threads with dispassionate eyes and expressions that bear no recognition.

But is a conversation ever the property of the one who began it? Can you really hold it in your hand and claim it for your own? That's what a thread is; a conversation. For me, all sense of ownership is merely my pride showing itself.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by HOBBIT
take a chill pill dude :P

I don't have to take a chill pill. Learn to read people's posts before saying they same things - after stating that what the person said was wrong.

And no, there was more to it than just aldesign. This was the underlying issue - it just made it worse that aldesign made the site. Or maybe both equally, who knows. It wasn't just that though.

It was mostly aldesign - basically tater told me that if aldesign hadn't made the site - he could have cared less. We weren't selling the damn information that everyone wrote - it didn't take anything away from Entmoot. it was just you guys going on a powertrip and tater complaining about aldesign.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Laurelyn
If you don't mind me asking, why was it a problem that aldesign made the website? I remember both the FotMB and the debate, but I hadn't realized that it being aldesign behind it sparked some of that trouble.
Perhaps it was something I missed then in my newbiedom.
For the sake of research, whatever happened to the debate thread about the use of Moot content? I remember it as quite . . . . lively . . . perhaps spoken kindly, that is.

I think it's in the archives all about the Fellowship of the Messageboard arguments (a lot of the final dsicussion took place offline). I'll tyr finding the threads tomorrow.

I understand tater being pissed off at aldesign since tater had done the tolkien trail - aldesign took it upon himself to redesign tolkien trail and then said - "here is a better design if you want to use it". That ticked off tater and ever since that time tater was pissed at him - which I would be too. i just don't think i would hold as severe a grudge - especially since aldesign apologized publicly on the board even.

But is a conversation ever the property of the one who began it? Can you really hold it in your hand and claim it for your own? That's what a thread is; a conversation. For me, all sense of ownership is merely my pride showing itself.

I don't think it's owning the conversation - but it does depend on the thread. For instance - if it's a debate thread - then the thread starter has more of a role in moderating it and keeping it on topic. But I don't think anyone owns mine or anyone else's ideas. If you state something - you own it.

The argument over Fellowship of the Messageboard was that it was a collaborative effort and developed into an ongoing story. Entmoot felt that since it was posted on entmoot - that it was their story - and not the respective posters. They did not want us to use it, or host it outside of entmoot. Then an agreement was reached on how to host it to make everyone happy - therefore I host the site, although Aldesign created it.

[Tessar]

Really. When are you all going to learn that JD doesn't give a rat's behind and that generally when he sounds mad he's actually quite calm and just stating exactly what he feels?

Anyways, he's actually all cute and fuzzy and friendly.

Kind of.

Yea, anyways...

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Tessar
Really. When are you all going to learn that JD doesn't give a rat's behind and that generally when he sounds mad he's actually quite calm and just stating exactly what he feels?

Anyways, he's actually all cute and fuzzy and friendly.

You are going to ruin my reputation I have worked very hard at establishing here. Anyway - you know I'm pure evil.

[Tessar]

Errr sorry. What I was GOING to say was that you're a mean and evil old man who lives in a dark corner of the world waiting for young children to walk past so you can eat them for lunch.

Much better.