Chat room vs. discussion forum (was: Partly on Posting limits Plus ...)

[dumbledore11214]

Alla:
I guess I was never really bothered with the volume either, because 
I read messages on the website and simply skip the topics or posters 
I am not interested reading. I find it very easy to do, honestly. 
Having said all that, again I understand the necessity of reducing
the volume (I'd like the number to be more than three, especially if 
someone has not posted for a few days, but I will of course abide by 
Elfs' decision)
 
Dan:
This is where some of the difficulty comes in, when one skips to 
posters that interest them without looking too clearly at the 
content. I mean, defend new members all you want, but what is your 
actual criteria for reading their posts? This is kind of a 
theoretical support for new members. Familiarity, I mean to say, 
can lead to tennis. The other thing is, topics overlap so much that 
it is perplexing to think a really cool insight on Lupin's 
motivation could be ignored, when it might apply to Snape's pensive 
scene, or Ron's Erised just as much. You know what I mean?


Alla: I am afraid I don't understand your point or maybe you 
misunderstood me. When I am involved in the particular topic, I read 
all the posts in it. You know, not skipping anyone's posts and 
definitely looking into the context.


But there are some posters whose posts I never skip, I mean NEVER 
and there are few whose posts I always skip. :o)

So, if I read such post in the topic I was not interested before, I 
will not post in it, till I familiarised myself with the topic, IF 
the topic is sufficiently interests me.


Sure, topics overlap, but are you saying that it is impossible to 
post in one, unless you read all of them? Then I disagree.


Dan: 
Any number of posts as a limit, on the other point, is going to be 
susceptible to the same criticism. Is one enough? Is two? Is five? 
Three seems to be a fairly usable number of posts - especially if 
the threads being posted to are in fact different branches of the 
same topic, which of course happens daily. Join the arguements up - 
I personally don't see, for example, the five Snape threads of the 
last week (the eighteen thousand of the last 4 years) as any 
different at all.

Alla:

Sure, Snape threads could be very similar, but threads could be very 
very different .

For example, now on main list we have "Dumbledore as general", which 
tranforms into subtopics indeed, but then there is "weasley's 
clock", "cover artwork", "Snape lack of remorse". I don't find them 
to be very overlaping.

I agree with Steve and Valky that topics of high interest generate 
the most discussion.

JMO,

Alla