Just to add my two pence worth, since I was the originator of this post with a question. In my mind, I am all for freedom of discussion and flexibility in the use of the board, but in my heart, I am afraid I have to agree with those who protest the "hijacking" of the word topic by a l-e-n-g-t-h-y discussion of an entirely different topic that doesn't show signs of abating at all. Yes, I realise that I am moving the goalposts here, but let me explain. Given that I asked the original question, I keep coming back to this thread when there are new posts to see what else you knowledgeable lot have to say about "calling the shots". And yes, then I find after three or four clicks, and a couple of minutes total loading time, that the five or six new posts are all about baseball. You may say, this is not much time, or "mouse clicking energy" spent on checking the thread and seeing that it's got nothing to do with my query, but believe me, time and clicks do add up, as do the pennies in my ISP's charitable collection-box. My personal interest or disinterest in baseball is not *really relevant, though as it is, I am completely uninterested. The point is, I come here expecting one type of discussion (unrealistically, some would say ), and find that it is all about something else, a topic so interesting to others (I *can understand that) that it looks like it could go on and on, so entailing a repeat of the above experience for me. I am not saying anything new here; we have all seen how sports threads tend to do exactly that. I will frankly admit that I may become a wee bit irritated, but my feeling, at that point, is that the sports discussion could move to a new thread, or revive an old one, something that has also been done on this board before without any problem.

So far so good, at least subjectively speaking. But then, what is the difference between a word thread that has become a sports thread, and a "mechanical word" thread that has become a discussion of bicycle spokes and the different cycling holidays that different AWADers have enjoyed (or not enjoyed at all, as the case may be )? I would say it's the nature of the topic. Yes, we DO talk about pretty much everything here, but, as in real life, there are topics which are more prone to circular arguments, controversy, endless disagreement, heated discussion and conflict. I would say they are first and foremost religion and politics and perhaps ethical issues, and on a somewhat lower scale, sports. Many people have strong feelings about these, and it is (I think) a matter of consensus that these topics are often avoided in social settings just so as not to originate arguments (let it be said, just how mere sports talk could originate arguments is beyond me, but hey...)

Obviously on this board there is no question of curtailing members' freedom to talk about whatever they wish, and there are takers for almost any topic, which is great. But I still think (some of you will undoubtedly disagree with me) that religion, politics, ethics and sports are tricky enough to deserve a bit of special treatment. I would say that generally speaking any thread that morphs into a politics, religion or sports thread deserves to set up a separate thread where there is space for it to go on, with a clear topic heading that explains what it is, where there are no remnants of the original topic sticking out all over (especially for flatmoders), where all interested parties can post and discuss, and where there are no whingeing grouches like myself making posts that are far too long to be reader-friendly.

I LIKE this place!