mastacox

Hey Corey,

I thought about doing this as a PM, but I decided I wanted to hear other people's inputs too, so here I go:

So, poking around lately, I have felt like things are getting a little slack in the off-topic section of YT (and indeed for most of YT). Obviously, I'm fine with a little banter here and there, but I have to say we've gone from harmless talk, to threads about "your best revenge" where people talk about the vandalism they did in high school, and how you wipe your ass in the bathroom.

It's time for a crack down! We need some new mods, ready to forcefully enforce a "family friendly" attitude around here. I remember not too long ago when people would say things like "Bob's gonna nuke this thread for sure..." It would seem we've been missing that in the past few weeks (maybe even months)... I like a good laugh now and then, but things are definitely in a downward spiral.

On another note, although I was around after it happened, the "politics" section of YT was purposely closed to avoid heated political debates which can tend to turn people on each other, leading to an uncomfortable atmosphere. Yet, I have been seeing more and more politically charged topics popping up in YT's off-topic section (now we're talking about Iran, evolution, and global warming again). People have been talking a lot about how they do or don't believe in global warming, or gun control, or evolution, and really YOTATECH is not the place these discussions should be heard. There are MANY politically-charged forums with this kind of discussion on them, so thake them there (I could even suggest some for you politcal guys). This forum is about off-roading Toyotas- case closed.

This forum has a great central vision- enjoying the off-road capability of Toyotas. Let's try to stick to that Off-topic, while somewhat entertaining, is a secondary limited privelage and should be more strongly regulated.

MudHippy

I just participate in the tech part of YT, for the most part. I do believe I can see what you may be sayin' here. I have witnessed a great deal of what I, an open-minded Hippy type none the less, consider way inappropriate behavior. Not being entirely blameless myself, for a slip or 2 o' the tongue. Anyway, left me thinkin' "where's the mod?, sleeping?". It's good to be free, though.

Marc P

I just stay away from the "Off-Topic" section. The only stuff I really look at is tech section, trip section, and classifieds.

PirateFins

While your at it get rid of the computer section, it has nothing to do with Off-Roading Toyotas.
The Vehicle and Home Entertainment forum has nothing to do with off-road capability. Outta here!
The Alarm Systems should go, why do you need an alarm when going off road?
Performance Enhancements-Who needs to go fast off-road, see ya!
Apperance- just because it looks good doesn't mean it off-roads good! Buh-bye.
Oh and get rid of the truck guys, since they don't have a history/FAQ page devoted to them like the Runner.

Case Open- This forum is not just about off-roading, it is about everything that has to do with Toy Trucks and SUV's and the people that drive them. Think about this, if you take away the off-topic section where are all of those post that people want to talk about going to end up? Do you want to be the mod that has to edit/delete/move all of those post and then have to answer why when people start screaming for it. I belong to a forum like that where any and all post go into 1 section, and it is hell to read. Look at the big picture. Just like they say with the TV/Radio if you don't like it change the channel, If you don't like the title or forum section don't click on it.

Oh and sticking to "your" central vision guess I should turn in my membership to Yotatech since I don't off-road my Toy.

hosh

Off-topic is just that a place where we can come together as a yota community to share thoughts, jokes, and other non off-roading or yota stuff. If you don't like a topic, stay off. If you think a topic has gone to far, let a moderator know. I believe their is a report thread option on here somewhere. I don't know for sure because i just don't read it if i don't like it or am not interested. The only outright objectionable thread i know of (yes i realize there are more) was very quickly deleated upon notification.

Fred Anarat

AGREED!!

Elton

great now the off topic section is going to be boring again awesome

gilby4runner

I know that i am still fairly new to YT. Granted, some of the topics are on the edge of being stupid but that is part of what makes the place great. I started a thread about building a house and i have gotten some great info on things that i never really even thought of. Sure there can be some crap in the off topic thread but its good for a laugh. You never really know what will come out of some of the people on here and that is what makes it different from the other forums. Stupid at times but never near the testosterone fueled or greater than thou ego trips that you find on other forums. Just my 2 cents

da_bigg_wigg

The Off Topic is one of the reasons I'm on yotatech. I find there is usually at least one or two interesting threads floating around, and they are usually good for a laugh. Are they excessive, or beyond the confines of "family friendly?" For the most part, I believe not.
Sure, there have been a few threads that, for lack of better wording, are dumb. Whatever. Don't view them. Now, I know that may sound hypocritical due to my recent comments on the "no more relationship type stuff... (lets not go there again...) but I've given it some though, and decided that if you got a problem post away. I don't have to view them.
Bottom line, there's only so many times I can read threads on "getting more power out of the 3vze", "cheap way to lift a 2nd gen 4runner", or any other topic that has been covered umpteen times. Although not a threat at all, if off topic gets stale, I'm afraid I'll stop lurking on this site as much as I used it. I'll just lose interest... Flame on...

UKMyers

I have been frequenting Pirate and TTORA a lot more lately since I started my SAS on my Runner and I have to say that compared to them YT is VERY VERY VERY mild. I'm young along with alot of people on this board and I have to say that YT is actually pretty boring. Yes it has tons of good tech info but somedays it's the heated discussions or interesting offtopic threads that keep me coming back. I think the Mods do an awesome job of keeping this a family friendly forum or whatever you guys call it. I was one of the first members to sign up on YT back when Corey and the early group came over from 4X4 wire and I dont' see it "on a downward spiral" at all.

mastacox

I'm not saying get rid of any sections, I'm saying off-topic has definitely been under-moderated lately is all. In the end, your slippery slope argument is invalid, because we can easily go in either direction. Why not have a section for everything from toasters to hondas? It's true that having many different sections helps keep all of the posts organized, which is very good thing, and I'm not saying get rid of anything. I'm just trying to point out some observed deficiencies. It's called constructive criticism.

I'm just trying to go off the top banner- Yotatech The Off-Road Adventure Begins Here.

Scottiac

First thought...

I think there is a valid point that O/T is getting a little sloppy. I'm not in any way advocating shutting it down, nor any other forum within the YT world.

However, YT does have a very significant investment in keeping it's PG rating (or PG-13, as some say.) There has been a fair amount of "gray-area" posting lately. It doesn't offend me, but I'm 41, so what do you expect? Threads about bodily functions and the maintenance thereof are... gray areas. So I do believe there is room for discussion as to appropriateness here and there.

And the other one...

On the religion/politics/global warming/etc topic area, it would be awesome if that was all allowed, civilized, and polite. Unfortunately, many topics in those arenas cease to be civilized and polite in a short hurry. The reason that religion and politics was bumped off YT a while ago is that people were getting hurt / insulted / defensive, and this is intended to be a friendly place.

I'm as guilty as the next, since I have opinions too, I suppose. I like to think I am (generally) pretty polite and thoughtful about the things I post, but I still have had people say that they would never want to meet me, or wheel with me, or whatever, because of my positions on things. That indicates peoples feelings *do* get hurt by what goes on in some of those threads.

I have no official standing here, of course, but in my opinion, if we want to continue to have the opportunity to discuss any of the "charged" topics, we simply need to make every effort ourselves to self-regulate ourselves so that "Official YT" doesn't need to take notice and intercede.

I think there are two summing facets that are relevant: Yotatech is intended to be a friendly place, and a family-friendly place. When either of those tenants are being threatened, it is appropriate to question whether things are getting out of hand, which I believe to be the real meat of Mastacox's original post.

I believe there is a world of difference between "boring" and "appropriate". Much of O/T is, as others have indicated, absurd, but not inappropriate. If you believe the only alternative to "boring" is "inappropriate", then well... um...

runnerfreak88

don't get rid of performance i love to go fast off road i live in a dang desert

surf4runner

and during the adventure, when everyone is sitting around the campfire, its gives everyone something to about. (where'd the simileys go???)


im guilty of participating in the (useless)non-sense but i have to agree that its parts of what makes this place

Intrepid

Come on, you have got to be kidding me...are you really crying because people are talking about poop and their backside in OT? While YT wants to remain family friendly, some of it is your responsibility too, if you don't want your kids/friends/parents, to see you reading about standing vs sitting on the toilet, then don't click the thread. We don't need to get retardedly over-moderated and not allow anything. I mean, there was some innuendo in fuster's corn threads, should we not allow jokes like that either? There is a post where people put pics of themselves/their wives, should we not allow that either? Give me a break. YT has already gotten boring, don't bore it down even more. If you don't want to read a thread, then don't click on it. Not every post has to be something you specifically like or want to read.

For reasons I still don't know all the game threads were canned a while back, for what reason? Probably because some people cried about them, they were harmless and fun. There are many different people with many different views and many different personalities on here, you can't cater to one specific person. Everyone's definition of "gray area" is different. On the forum I moderate "gray area" is somewhere between making sexually explicit jokes about someone's mother and describing x rated acts. We are all different, don't kill the fun/funny on YT.

bob200587

I've about had it with the Off topic section. I wish there was a way to make it invisible if you don't want to see it.

UKMyers

There is don't click on things in there...

bob200587

thanks......you know what I meant.

mastacox

All I'm really trying to do is get some conversation in to see if this is a problem. Hey if the consensus is "no," I'm ok with that.

mastacox

And Scottiac- couldn't have said it better myself.