When I log in, the first thing I see is a list indicating the new items of the forums that I follow.

Most of the time a new item is indicated in the Daylily forum. I click to find only a new item on the Porch Swing that is not related to Daylilies.

If we have an off topic forum, why do we need an off topic thread in this forum?

Finally, I apologize for posting this off topic item in the daylily forum!

Frank,
Before ATP, Dave started the "Cubits" site - and I started the Daylily Cubit there. Many of the members of that Cubit came from that "other" site that Dave started years ago. When Dave started ATP, we moved all the posts and info from the Daylily Cubit to ATP, and the tradition of the Porch Swing thread came with it. So, back when I had the Daylily Cubit, we had the Porch Swing for every day chat. It was to keep people from posting get well, happy birthday, announcements of grandchildren, photos of pets etc. in the main daylily forum. Keeping this talk all in one thread.

There is a certain amount of "chit chat" that tends to go on in forums. I think you will find that many of the forums here have a "chat" thread, not just Daylilies. Just from experience, I think it is good to have a place for forum members to casually talk to each other, without starting multiple off topic threads within the forum. There are lots of people who have been members of ATP for a long time who don't even know we have a Sandbox Forum.

It pops up in your new threads because I think it may be the most popular thread on all of ATP.

Quite a while back, we asked the members if they wanted the thread moved to the Sandbox, and the majority wanted us to leave it in the Daylily Forum. Periodically, the older Porch Swing threads are deleted so they do not clutter up the forum.

Technically, the Weather thread is off topic too… but it is something that the members wanted to have within the Daylily Forum.

I hope that helped you to understand….

Well said Juli! I guess us daylily folks are just a chatty bunch. I come to the OT thread here, and rarely visit the other forums. It's just easier for me.

same here

add me to that list of those who agree with how well Juli described it, and how Jan feels about it.

Think of ATP as a city, and the different forums as neighborhoods. We hang out in our own neighborhood, and have a block party here we call the porch swing. The SandBox forum is a city-wide block-party. Personally, I'm more comfortable with the smaller sub-set. And it's one conversation (albeit a huge conversation) as opposed to multiple threads like the Sand Box has.

So I come into ATP, drink my coffee and visit my friends on the porch swing, and then move onto the other threads.

Mary, what kind of drink in your hand?

I have been drinking wine.

profesora said:Mary, what kind of drink in your hand?

I have been drinking wine.

in the mornings, it would be coffee, of course. Right now, I've been drinking lots of water to make up for not drinking enough of it last week. But your wine sounds like a grand idea, if I weren't already heading to bed.

Well, it is nearly time for the rum and coke here while looking out to sea.

151 and Coke is good.

Also like Rebel Yell and coke.