24-Mar-2012, 8:14 PM
I'd say my caveat is that a thread should have some sort of topic in which a large portion of the forum can participate. Starting a thread about a topic that's not exactly thread-worthy (such as the "kidding" thread) only serves to limit the discussion and inevitably send it off on a rabbit trail.
(And yes, I know I'm pretty guilty of going off on rabbit trails myself...but I'm working on it. I actually don't mind rabbit trails in a certain context, but I feel like "The Longest Thread" is the place for them, and if one should ever occur on a "hot" topic, at least the topic can be anchored in something to which the discussion can easily be brought back via a new participant or a facet of an inherently multifaceted topic.)
(And yes, I know I'm pretty guilty of going off on rabbit trails myself...but I'm working on it. I actually don't mind rabbit trails in a certain context, but I feel like "The Longest Thread" is the place for them, and if one should ever occur on a "hot" topic, at least the topic can be anchored in something to which the discussion can easily be brought back via a new participant or a facet of an inherently multifaceted topic.)