Off-Topic vs. *Off-Topic*
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:49 am
Hey, everyone:
Recently I've seen several threads in Off-Topic that have made me do a double-take. We try to give you a considerable amount of latitude in the Off-Topic section and we try to keep our rules as simple as possible. Our community is filled with people from all around the world. We have people from many different cultures and generations. We have men, boys, women, and girls. Not surprisingly, we all have many different beliefs, priorities, interests, and levels of knowledge about various topics. We often don't know the particulars of a member when we start a discussion or jump into one. Are they 19 or 42? Are they in the U.S. or somewhere across the pond? We don't know what we don't know.
The two things that we all have in common is a passion for knives and interest in (or passion for) Spyderco. I believe the Off-Topic area is one that actually plays a large part in strengthing our community. It's a place where topics are explored (hopefully) without judgment, with an open mind, and often with a healthy sense of humor. Some topics are more serious and it's the strength of our community that keeps those discussions on-point, respectful and allows members to share and gain knowledge. Off-Topic often allows members to share a little more of their personality.
I see great value in the discussions that take place in the Off-Topic section. Not because of the specific topics discussed but rather because of the comradery between members. Sure, we support each other in our quest for the elusive grail or our passion for a new model in General Discussion but Off-Topic... that's where we celebrate birthdays, share the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, frustration from work, or even just seek out trusted opinions over products that aren't related to Spyderco. It's also where we dream; it's the "What if..." that fascinates so many of us (What if cars could fly? Superman vs. Batman? Transparent aluminum and other sci-fi realities.)
What are two things that we do not discuss in Off-Topic (or elsewhere on this forum)? Politics and religion. We purposefully didn't get granular in our description of these two topics. They're kind of umbrellas of sorts.
If you are about to post something that must be prefaced with something along the lines of "let's steer clear of"... you are probably about to post something that could spiral under one of the aforementioned umbrella topics. Maybe, don't post it.
If you are about to post something that "paints" an entire or large group of people with a "broad brush"... maybe, don't post it. Odds are there is someone from that group of people on our forum who probably doesn't fit the generalization.
If you are about to post something that is typically considered polarizing elsewhere but it isn't specifically against our simple rules here... maybe, don't post it. If it's polarizing outside of this space, I can guarantee it will be polarizing here too. I can add more rules but I'd really rather not.
I would like to ask that we all remember what brings us here and what keeps us coming back. I would ask that we bear in mind the breadth and depth of our community and that we make respect for others a priority. The thoughtfulness of our community is one of the (best) things that sets our forum apart from so many others. I'm not saying that we won't disagree with each other. It's our ability to be thoughtful in disagreements that help make this place special. The world is full of divisive thoughts and words and there are plenty of places on the internet to share them. Let's not add our space here to that all-too-long list of ordinary and average.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for contributing. Most of all, thanks for being you. Each of you, differences and all, are valued here.
Kristi
Recently I've seen several threads in Off-Topic that have made me do a double-take. We try to give you a considerable amount of latitude in the Off-Topic section and we try to keep our rules as simple as possible. Our community is filled with people from all around the world. We have people from many different cultures and generations. We have men, boys, women, and girls. Not surprisingly, we all have many different beliefs, priorities, interests, and levels of knowledge about various topics. We often don't know the particulars of a member when we start a discussion or jump into one. Are they 19 or 42? Are they in the U.S. or somewhere across the pond? We don't know what we don't know.
The two things that we all have in common is a passion for knives and interest in (or passion for) Spyderco. I believe the Off-Topic area is one that actually plays a large part in strengthing our community. It's a place where topics are explored (hopefully) without judgment, with an open mind, and often with a healthy sense of humor. Some topics are more serious and it's the strength of our community that keeps those discussions on-point, respectful and allows members to share and gain knowledge. Off-Topic often allows members to share a little more of their personality.
I see great value in the discussions that take place in the Off-Topic section. Not because of the specific topics discussed but rather because of the comradery between members. Sure, we support each other in our quest for the elusive grail or our passion for a new model in General Discussion but Off-Topic... that's where we celebrate birthdays, share the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, frustration from work, or even just seek out trusted opinions over products that aren't related to Spyderco. It's also where we dream; it's the "What if..." that fascinates so many of us (What if cars could fly? Superman vs. Batman? Transparent aluminum and other sci-fi realities.)
What are two things that we do not discuss in Off-Topic (or elsewhere on this forum)? Politics and religion. We purposefully didn't get granular in our description of these two topics. They're kind of umbrellas of sorts.
If you are about to post something that must be prefaced with something along the lines of "let's steer clear of"... you are probably about to post something that could spiral under one of the aforementioned umbrella topics. Maybe, don't post it.
If you are about to post something that "paints" an entire or large group of people with a "broad brush"... maybe, don't post it. Odds are there is someone from that group of people on our forum who probably doesn't fit the generalization.
If you are about to post something that is typically considered polarizing elsewhere but it isn't specifically against our simple rules here... maybe, don't post it. If it's polarizing outside of this space, I can guarantee it will be polarizing here too. I can add more rules but I'd really rather not.
I would like to ask that we all remember what brings us here and what keeps us coming back. I would ask that we bear in mind the breadth and depth of our community and that we make respect for others a priority. The thoughtfulness of our community is one of the (best) things that sets our forum apart from so many others. I'm not saying that we won't disagree with each other. It's our ability to be thoughtful in disagreements that help make this place special. The world is full of divisive thoughts and words and there are plenty of places on the internet to share them. Let's not add our space here to that all-too-long list of ordinary and average.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for contributing. Most of all, thanks for being you. Each of you, differences and all, are valued here.
Kristi
I plan on leaving it up top for a bit. 