Planet Cool, don't worry. No thread stays on topic for long (except a couple of the game threads (No BK that is NOT a challenge)).

Think of your thread as a child that has achieved independence. Throw the bugger out and start making another one.

It was not? Drat.

So how long can we keep this on the topic of off topic threads do you think?

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Until the cows come home?

**************************************
Signature or shameless self-promotion?
You decide:

[www.myspace.com]

**************************************

I've always wondered about that one. Isn't that something like seven hours? Doesn't seem like much... Certainly not forever.

I realized recently that I've become spoiled with respect to going off-topic. I mean, here it's practically a tradition, so when I go on other forums, I have a natural tendency to drift, and I get yelled at.

Really? Fascinating. Anyone got a ruler? I'd like to measure how far we deviate from the original post topic.

Deviations (being off topic) could be measured by the time interval multiplied by the number of posts (inclusive both ends). The measurement would be in Ffowlongs (ie, For How Long?) or Ffs for short

Thus: the interval between Martin's question (Feb 11) and Bib's request above is 31.5hrs X 5 posts = a length of 157.5 Ffs.

The real question is what this is measuring:
(a) on "the topic of off topic threads" as Martin said, or
(b) off the topic of the thread title, ie, Fan Fiction Thursday

If (a) it might be a positive Ffowlong (positiFf) whereas (b) might be seen as a negatiFf.

That, dear Robert is enough to make me almost wish I taught maths, so that I could teach that to a class!
Well done!

robert: I think that that could work, but you need to be able to define when off-topicness occurs.

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

May I just say aargh?

Thank you.



Aaaargh!

It just appears to me that trying to measure the ffowlong of the topic of off-topicness is actually the game: everyone looses.

Edited to switch topic to "off".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2008 02:38PM by PrinzHilde.

Recognising that it was actually the game means that you lose Prinz.

I have just reread FAS and am less confused than before. Give me about five years for it all to settle in and I will be able to give some logically incoherent comments on it.

As for FFs: One of my inabilities is pure maths: I read the proposal, considered it with all my might, and decided that it was too esoteric for, me. It may give the right answers but I won't understand them.

Besides, consistency is what you get taught at school and religion. We want, nay, need, minds that range the entire universe of thought and ideas and bring the results of their travels back to be shared with other fforumites.

Down with consistency, I say, and don't veer from it.

PS: At the previous mention of potatoes I recalled the Science of Discworld 3 and Rincewind's attempts to prevent the Queen of the Elves from finding out what he was thinking.

This is either serendipity or the fact that it is lunchtime.

<Shakes entroposcope. Notes results>
<Looks upward nervously>
<Puts up small paper umbrella as defense against slapstick>

<Dumps a bucket of herring on Kitten, sparing the little paper umbrella.>

Does not follow them. I think they are red.

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

They are, Martin, and they shall not be followed, lest we lose...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2008 07:18AM by OC Not.

Ah, these herrings are but a horse of a different colour.......

But all horses are the same colour....

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Yes, but they all have infinitely many legs!