In many respects I agree with Chris here. And I agree with you too! Hmmmm.

I understand what you want for this forum, and why. And getting the right balance is no easy task, and I appreciate the work done here by the mods.

I do think it’s a shame, and very unfortunate, when the flow of communication is stopped by the mods. To be told to stop talking because it's OT can be insulting! It’s natural for a thread, or discussion, to sometimes evolve into a different topic than it began with. And doesn’t it usually happen in a thread that has begun ON topic in the first place? (As it did in this one.)

Recently, on Sacred Cows to Amused, you likened posting on forums, with chatting and discussing with your mates/people/friends. And when a discussion about anything happens between people in real life, it often flows into another direction. This new direction has absolute value too, and just because it's not related to the original topic, IMO is not a reason to reject it. Often these discussions can go full circle, and even more can be learned and understood.

Also, I don’t think it’s realistic to suggest posting on Sacred Cows, or other ‘myriad forums on the internet for discussing anything we want’, when a flow of communication in a thread is happening right here on F8. You can’t just switch over a discussion from here to a different forum. It stops the flow and it just wouldn’t be right, or it wouldn’t continue in the same way. It’s just not natural! Starting a new thread on a different forum, yes. But not right in the middle of a thread.

That just reminds of me the number times I've been in the middle of a discussion about something, when a child comes along needing attention, which is then given. The intervening minutes kill off the conversation and it's often difficult to get back into it.

Also, I don’t know the posters on those other internet forums either. I only read here and SC and Sir Daves (when it’s working!) And we are all familiar with each other, or we try to work out who the aliases are!

I know it’s not an easy thing moderating a forum, and there is a balance to be struck. I think a natural flow in a thread, even if it goes off topic, really should be allowed to stand and continue, or it can get just a bit too stifling and dictatorial here. And it also helps us to get to know eachother better. It's not all just about Rawat is it? Surely it's about us exes too!