Posted By:
JoannThere are really only three possible ways to govern this kind of forum. Any and all OT allowed, no OT allowed at all, and some kind of compromise.
I don't think anyone here has ever seriously advocated for any and all OT allowed, even if it stayed within the generic "Old Baseball" or "Baseball Cards" area.
What if there were no OT allowed? First of all, the definition of OT would immediately become a huge issue. Is it the cards or the hobby? Where would the line be drawn? And, most likely and problematic, is that if there were absolutely NO OT allowed it would only be a matter of time before people complained, particularly the regular participants. "I am on that board all the time and answer questions and help people and post scans and use the BST and (etc etc) - I post one thread on a 1948 issue or the NCAA brackets, and it gets deleted. That's BS!!" Undoubtedly there would be exactly this kind of complaint, and rightfully so.
So unlimited OT is out, as is no OT at all. That leaves compromise. So which compromise? X number per day, first come first serve? Well that wouldn't work at all. OT only within certain allowable topics? Also unworkable and unsatisfying. Who gets to post OT's, how many, and on what topics?
I guess as compromises go, I can't think of much that is more fair, more in keeping with the spirit of the board, more workable, and more elegant than a policy of leeway to regulars. Maybe I'm missing something, but to me this accomplishes all goals - keeps board generally focused, avoids aribitrary restrictions, promotes particpation, and makes room for the occasional goof threads that allow people to be people, and not just card collectors.
So Leon - I think you are hitting on all cylinders here, from picking the right approach to executing it very well.
After all that, though, I will say this. The leeway-to-regulars is a great idea, but only works to the extent that it is understood and respected. I guess I think and hope that those regulars that can occasionally go OT do so wisely and think it through before starting an OT, and that everyone collectively allow OT threads to die out after a reasonable time.
Joann