POLL: Members are complaining about the off-topics, how should it be changed?

[Southpole]

Wahhhh... off topics is great!! If you can't control yourself and what you read then you'll never be happy anyways! People who are interested in off topic subjects but love hunting get to share their point of views with like minded people. Or people who love hunting and think differently... what's not to love?

      I love the off topics. Pathetically, that's where I get half my daily news  . I voted to leave as is. I don't know what is so hard about opting out if a member doesn't like it. I hunt and fish, but I also like the non outdoors topics as well. I like to read other people's opinions on many subjects, like minded or otherwise. It's pretty simple to me, if you don't like it don't go there.

[Skillet]

question for those opted out....does it show up on the right in recent topics

It does not.

[Alchase]

I liked the Off Topics area a lot more when it was moderated.
There were actual discussions and different opinions, now not so much.
It has degenerated to who can post the most links and blast the others out of the conversation insults, and at times down right childish behavior.
I still go in there, but some threads I will avoid like the plague, because it might be catchy like a communicable disease.
Either way "ignore" is a wonderful feature!

LOL

[jackelope]

Keep off-topics the way it is, members can freely opt in and opt out

Leave it alone. If you don't like it, put it on ignore. If you can't figure out how, ask me.

[Pacific]

 
I am a member of off topics. I post very little there (or anywhere else as you can see by my post count). There are whole sections I never go to...take the hound hunting section...I don't hound hunt and am not really interested...SOOO, I just don't go to that section.

Likewise, there are certain shows on tv that I watch and some that I don't....no need to take the ones I don't watch off the air just because I don't like them (no matter how much I wish they would  )

[Zardoz]

Keep it the way it is!  We all get heated over certain things, that just means we are hunan. 

Pretty simple if you don't like it, don't go in there.

   Like this poll............

[WAcoyotehunter]

I will vote but from my observations, some people only use HW for the Off Topics option. Not really the spirit of the site.  If over 50% of your posts are in Off Topics your here for all the wrong reasons.

I agree.  It would not hurt my feelings to see it tossed. 

OT is a disaster. There are lots of political forums and places for people to talk about subjects that are "off topic"; HuntWa should not be their outlet.

[Twispriver]

Off topics is entertainment for me and I visit it often  but I think the forum would be better without it. I always wondered whether having a place where our members could feel free to rabble rouse like sailors on shore leave was in conflict with the "family oriented" mission of the hunting community. Why have a board that you have to hide under the mattress because you don't want your mom to see it? I also feel that if it is continued it could be improved by limiting or prohibiting the posting of links - When people are required to post their own opinion in their own words the trolls tend to find another place to hang out. Just my opinion and I'll continue to enjoy the forum whatever the outcome of off topics.

[Knocker of rocks]

Off topics is entertainment for me and I visit it often  but I think the forum would be better without it. I always wondered whether having a place where our members could feel free to rabble rouse like sailors on shore leave was in conflict with the "family oriented" mission of the hunting community. Why have a board that you have to hide under the mattress because you don't want your mom to see it? I also feel that if it is continued it could be improved by limiting or prohibiting the posting of links - When people are required to post their own opinion in their own words the trolls tend to find another place to hang out. Just my opinion and I'll continue to enjoy the forum whatever the outcome of off topics.

Links are necessary in order to act as a reference

[Fl0und3rz]

Keep off-topics the way it is, members can freely opt in and opt out

Leave it alone. If you don't like it, put it on ignore. If you can't figure out how, ask me.

Off-topics came to be as a result of people wanting to discuss "Off Topics" with their fellow sportsmen and sportswomen.  That said, and if it is to continue, it can be improved by members who do use or want to use it. 


As an aside, people suggesting that hunt-wa is not a place for people that, paraphrasing/interpreting, don't have success pics to share every year or are demonstrated experts on hunting, fishing, or whatever is important to YOU, are making a mistake. 

I (yes, I can recognize the ire) like many other people who have joined hunt-wa, lurked here for several years to gain tips, insights, and knowledge before joining hunt-wa.  I will continue to be a member of hunt-wa so long as hunting and fishing remains an interest, regardless of how my skills improve or how successful I am at either, and whether off-topics continues or can be improved.

It is a mistake, because bemoaning people who do not share success pics or provide tips on areas and/or tactics comes across as elitist, it is repulsive to me as a novice hunter and a relative noob to WA hunting and fishing and to the notion of hunting and fishing as an everyman's sport, and it is counter to hunter and fisherman recruitment, generally, and to hunt-wa member recruitment in particular. 


However, cleaning up off-topics is in no way counter to these ideals/objectives and it could and should be done, for the good of hunt-wa members.

[jackelope]

I will vote but from my observations, some people only use HW for the Off Topics option. Not really the spirit of the site.  If over 50% of your posts are in Off Topics your here for all the wrong reasons.

I agree.  It would not hurt my feelings to see it tossed. 

OT is a disaster. There are lots of political forums and places for people to talk about subjects that are "off topic"; HuntWa should not be their outlet.

I agree, and I generally dislike the OT, but if you don't opt into it, you don't see it. If you do opt in and don't like it, opt out or go to the "ignore boards" option and click to ignore it. Again, you literally won't even know it's there.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I will vote but from my observations, some people only use HW for the Off Topics option. Not really the spirit of the site.  If over 50% of your posts are in Off Topics your here for all the wrong reasons.

I agree.  It would not hurt my feelings to see it tossed. 

OT is a disaster. There are lots of political forums and places for people to talk about subjects that are "off topic"; HuntWa should not be their outlet.

I agree, and I generally dislike the OT, but if you don't opt into it, you don't see it. If you do opt in and don't like it, opt out or go to the "ignore boards" option and click to ignore it. Again, you literally won't even know it's there.

I ignored it a while back, which has been nice.  I just hate to see that HuntWa has became a propaganda machine, after a quick look at OT this morning (as a result of this thread) it strengthened that opinion.  There are folks that post almost exclusively there; IMO the hunting forum is not the right one to inundate with their garbage.

[bearpaw]

Keep off-topics the way it is, members can freely opt in and opt out

Leave it alone. If you don't like it, put it on ignore. If you can't figure out how, ask me.

Off-topics came to be as a result of people wanting to discuss "Off Topics" with their fellow sportsmen and sportswomen.  That said, and if it is to continue, it can be improved by members who do use or want to use it. 


As an aside, people suggesting that hunt-wa is not a place for people that, paraphrasing/interpreting, don't have success pics to share every year or are demonstrated experts on hunting, fishing, or whatever is important to YOU, are making a mistake. 

I (yes, I can recognize the ire) like many other people who have joined hunt-wa, lurked here for several years to gain tips, insights, and knowledge before joining hunt-wa.  I will continue to be a member of hunt-wa so long as hunting and fishing remains an interest, regardless of how my skills improve or how successful I am at either, and whether off-topics continues or can be improved.

It is a mistake, because bemoaning people who do not share success pics or provide tips on areas and/or tactics comes across as elitist, it is repulsive to me as a novice hunter and a relative noob to WA hunting and fishing and to the notion of hunting and fishing as an everyman's sport, and it is counter to hunter and fisherman recruitment, generally, and to hunt-wa member recruitment in particular. 


However, cleaning up off-topics is in no way counter to these ideals/objectives and it could and should be done, for the good of hunt-wa members.

How would you suggest is a good way to clean it up?

[Fl0und3rz]

I sent you a PM.

[npaull]

Could we change the default settings to "opt-in" instead of "opt-out" for the off topics board? That one small change can go a long way towards decreasing traffic unless people really want in...

I know I've been much happier on the site since opting out of the "off topics" section!