Message Board

[naomi24]

Now it's against the rules to post stuff unrelated to the topic heading, how do I get a message to someone to tell them to look at something I've written elsewhere? Chatterbank won't do because the person I want to alert rarely goes there - and the posts move so quickly anyway, he's highly unlikely to spot me amongst it all. A dilemma!! In the absence of PMs, I'm wondering if a separate message board for short personal messages would be helpful?

[Barmaid]

No sheep to play with Nazzy?!!!!!

[boxtops]

I may have missed it but I've never seen a post pulled for someone posting an "aside" to another ABer - I've done it myself, with a quick apology to the OP. What riled the Ed (he said) was people posting way off topic and diverting the thread to something else altogether. Like sandyroe, I rarely go to the Topics - I stick in Latest Posts. I wanted to comment recently to another ABer so I waited until I saw them posting then just posted an "Ahem.." answer to them.

[naomi24]

Boxtops, someone definitely had a post removed simply for saying 'hello', so hoping that an 'aside' will escape the invisible, and clearly inconsisent, eraser in the sky just isn't good enough. Why should people have to duck and dive in the hope that their message will escape? If the Ed has decreed that posts be confined to the subject in hand, fair enough - I, for very good reasons, understand that completely - but if that's the case, then there is a need for an area to be provided for people to post short messages without fear of retribution.

[boxtops]

Fair enough naomi, I didn't see that being pulled. It is nice though to be able to make an occasional comment to someone else, I agree, without fear of charge of digression.

[ChuckFickens]

Thing is there is an area for posting FAO threads, chatterbank.

The fact the user who's attention you want to get doesn't look in chatterbank isn't really a problem with the site and if there was a separate message area who's to say they would look in there.

[naomi24]

Exactly, A little conviviality, friendship, and humour never goes amiss. :o)

[ummmm]

I think the trick is...answer the question you've seen them post in and ad a little ps at the bottom. You must know the answer though :-)

[naomi24]

Chuck, if people knew there was a separate area they would be more likely to look in there. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, AB does not consist solely of Chatterbank, and very many of the contributors, particularly those who frequent the more serious categories, never visit Chatterbank at all.

[naomi24]

ummmm - the only answer I can come up with is the one I'm suggesting. What do you have in mind?

[jno]

ummmm, the answer doesn't have to be correct (so few are...)

In theory you could just say "Ummmm, the answer is 42. Naomi, can you check your emails please".

[NazNomad]

Why would they be more inclined to look in a section they don't frequent just in case someone MIGHT have left them a f.a.o?

[ummmm]

jno...that's the idea :-)

[naomi24]

Naz, exactly. Why would they look in Chatterbank? However, they may well look in a section specifically designed for people to leave messages.

jno, that's precisely what I have in mind. No more than two lines - so no chatting. Just a short message - et voila!

[boxtops]

I wouldn't naomi, I never assume that anyone else has left me an fao (but when they have, the other person has usually spotted me posting and said "PS, have a look in Pets" or added the link to their post.

[naomi24]

Well, that would be you choice, Boxtops, but I think if we became accustomed to such a facility for some of us, on logging in, it would become a habit - just as checking our PMs became a habit.

[hc4361]

This is a question and answer site, not a chat site.
If you have a question, post it in the relevant topic.
I don't want the site cluttered up with private messages, nor do I want other users to be able to contact me privately.

[NazNomad]

Naomi, do you keep walking to your front door in case somebody may have put a note through it?

[jno]

go ahead and try it anyway, naomi - I know you said you'd seen such a post deleted, but that might not have been until after the recipient had seen the message (and may even have been done at the request of the person who left the message)

[naomi24]

With that attitude, hc4361, I think you can rest assured you're fairly safe.

jno, No, it definitely wasn't done at the request of the person who said 'hello'. Apart from that, it's not the point. If someone says 'hello', and that post is deleted because it is irrelevant to the subject matter - which was the reason given - there's a fair chance that anything else the powers that be deem irrelevant will also be deleted - and actually, I think that's a great pity. If conversation is to flow readily, then spontaneity and humour are imperative.

Bedtime. Night all. Sweet dreams. x

[society]

"Naomi, do you keep walking to your front door in case somebody may have put a note through it? "

Naz you could be so funny sometimes. This ^^^ did make me smile. :-)

Naomi, no disrespect meant to you from me, you know I'm one of your flocks. :-)