I had an interesting tree mail asking about the move of the thread in the Seedling thread. If you post off topic, and there are a few posts that follow - then the topic goes back to the original subject -- no problem. It is natural for forum topics to wander a bit. My understanding is when there are quite a few posts that have gone off topic, they would like posts split and put in the Sandbox forum - which is all off gardening topic chat. Please don't take it personally - we are trying to keep the forums organized and on topic.

If I split a thread, I will always post a link to where it "went"... If you click that link, and make sure you have clicked Watch Thread, you will be notified on your home page when the thread has a new post.

Juli I don't have a problem with you moving the threads around, the Sandbox is a fun place to go.

me too, I agree also ~Jan

The OT Porch Swing thread will stay alive and well, and a great place to chat.

Dave and Trish have very few "rules" here. You should see moderators in most forums following the new guideline and splitting off topic chat into a separate thread. If the new topic relates to what the forum is about, the thread will stay in that forum. If it is an off gardening topic, we are to move it to the Sandbox. Dave even gave the moderators a button to move something directly to the Sandbox.... so I think it is something they would really like the moderators to do.

I agree with Margaret also.

Makes sense. Keeps the topic threads more simple to follow while providing a separate venue for new topics and those who would like to follow them. Thank you, Juli, for taking care of everyone.

Thanks to everyone for understanding!

I love the fact that we have our porch swing thread. We can and do discuss all sorts of things there. The rest of the threads do need to stay more or less on topic. Haven't noticed it here but on some of the forums things really, really go off topic into sillyness sometimes and Dave used to just move them into the sandbox. I guess the new guidelines just make it easier.

I wish more people would join us on the Porch Swing thread. I have been told that the high number of posts intimidate new people, so perhaps I will start new threads more often. I hope people feel welcome to jump in.

I wish everyone would get on the porch swing chat thread also. And I wish more of the forums here would have a general chat thread but they just don't. Some of the posters here at the daylily forum are on other forums here that I am also on but many are not. The chat threads just make you get to know people better.

Sometimes I do go back to Daves but I never go to Cubits since ATP. I do visit Gardenweb and will more often as soon as things start growing and the traffic picks up. But this ATP Daylily Forum is my main place to be. I open a web browser tab with it here where it stays open most of the day. I love ATP and my friends here!

Speaking as a "new person" (more or less) -- the porch swing thread *does* intimidate me. Too many pages, too many postings...it's hard to jump in at the end not knowing the preceding conversation, and there's too many pages of preceding conversation to try and catch up.

That said, I just looked and the current porch swing has 12 pages and 231 replies as of 45 seconds ago. It's hard for me to suggest a good point for starting a new one... maybe 5-6 pages? 100 replies? My greyhound message board (I don't own it, I just live there) starts a new thread at 50 pages, 1000 replies, so I feel like a wimp saying 12/231 seems like a lot. But I never go in the greyhound chat thread either. Maybe I'm just not a chatty cathy (my friends would NEVER buy that).

(Totally off-topic in my own post -- I just found out I can drag and drop text. I highlighted something to delete it and dragged it instead. It moved, and stayed moved. COOL!)

You might consider starting a new porch swing at 6pages a few times, and see if that increases participation. If it doesn't, then go back to whatever you're currently doing.

Mary, in your profile settings you can change the site preferences to have up to 500 replies per page, that way there are not so many pages to go through or what have you. If you told me to go to page 12 I wouldn't have a clue as too what you were talking about because mine shows only one page for the current porch swing; I could find reply 231 however.

I usually don't go to the porch swing or the threads with a lot of replies because usually when I try to type a reply it takes eons for the words to show up on the screen after I type them even though I'm NOT on dial-up. I'm not sure at what number reply it starts this or if it has to do with what time I have gotten on (maybe too many people on server), I just know the times I have tried it took way too long to type.

I leave my profile settings at default page lengths on every message board I belong to. I used to change them, but back then not every board gave me the option, and it got too confusing. So now I never do. (and when I say "back then" -- I've been on message boards since the late 90s I think)

tink3472 said: I wouldn't have a clue as too what you were talking about because mine shows only one page for the current porch swing; I could find reply 231 however.

I usually don't go to the porch swing or the threads with a lot of replies because usually when I try to type a reply it takes eons for the words to show up on the screen after I type them even though I'm NOT on dial-up.

Tink, try setting the number of posts back to 50, and see if you have the same lag time.

This type of info and feedback is great!

I would not worry about reading all the posts in a long thread before you jump in and post. Jump in anytime. Especially on the Porch Swing thread. We are constantly changing subjects... Not like it is one long story or topic.

daylily said:
I would not worry about reading all the posts in a long thread before you jump in and post. Jump in anytime. Especially on the Porch Swing thread. We are constantly changing subjects... Not like it is one long story or topic.

You know that and I know that, but you're dealing with other people's perception of the reality. Just like you can tell me that carpenter bees don't sting unless provoked, and I'll still run from one that's buzzing by me.

Yes, jump in about anything. News about your day, what you are making for dinner, books you like to read, movies or TV you watch, anything.