<DrumBeat: July 28, 2007 The Oil Drum DrumBeat: July 29, 2007>

21 comments on Charlie Hall's New Book, Udall and Bartlett on the NPC Report, and a New FAQ

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Jaymax on July 28, 2007 - 5:40pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Keep all comments on non-Drumbeat stories on-topic. If you have comment that is not related to a particular story, please post it the current Drumbeat story.

I think it'd be really good if this went on to say something about not wandering too far off oil/energy topics in Drumbeat.
--
Jaymax

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GreyZone on July 28, 2007 - 6:30pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Who decides besides the staff? I'd say it is not your place (or mine) to make that call. Let me give you some examples. Let's say the Drumbeat carries an article about increasing costs of plastics and someone with a medical manufacturing background makes comments that lead to a thread that is discussing medical supplies, their creation, distribution, and usage. Is that off topic? I don't think so because it was clearly related to oil. Or let's say that some politician in some nation (doesn't matter where) makes some proclamation based on religious faith about crude oil. Should we not discuss that (including the impact of religion on that very topic)?

In other words, I think it really needs to be the staff of TOD who determines what they want to have on their blog and what they do not. The rest of us can try to be reasonable but clearly, in the past, many of us have disagreed about what is reasonable and what is not. In those situations, the TOD staff became the ultimate authority and likewise, I would have to say that they would be the ones to tell us not to discuss a topic.

So, while I might not start a topic about what chances the Texans have in the upcoming NFL season (none, I think!! :) ), I might very well raise the issue of the costs of sporting events in terms of energy usage. Is that "on topic" or not? I think that question would have to be answered by TOD staff, not you or me.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Dr. Albert Bartlett
Into the Grey Zone

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RBM on July 29, 2007 - 10:04am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

comment deleted by author

Where IS that 'Theory of Everything' ?
Here
it is !

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Jaymax on July 28, 2007 - 9:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I found myself replying in a thread that had disolved into religion based bickering with absolutly nothing to do with energy in any regard at all the other day.

And then I was miffed at myself for contributing to dilution of theoildrum - which is the only non-general-news site I look at every single day - with huge appreciation for those who run the show.

but it was just a suggestion that a pointer to keep things within the (very broad) bounds of purpose might not be a bad idea.

I really like and value the drumbeat content, but of late, replies-to-replies-of-replies have more frequently (but still rarely) moved right off energy related issues. I hope that doesn't get even more prevalent.

And I'm slightly peeved that somehow my suggestion that a tepid comment -- about staying focussed on energy -- might be appropriate for the FAQ, somehow gets interpreted as me sugggesting that I've or we've got some right to determine what is/isn't on-topic on a case-by-case basis.

I utterly agree that it's an issue purely for the staff, but I stand by my suggestion.
--
Jaymax

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GreyZone on July 28, 2007 - 10:57pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

A response in a thread is as much to the rest of the reading community as it is to the person to whom you respond. My point was simply that it is inappropriate for anyone who is not TOD staff to pretend to be a moderator. There's been plenty of that lately with people trying to tell others to shut up or go away. That's not our decision to make and my comment was a reminder to us all that it is not our decision to make. If you find a post or poster disruptive, it's far better to email Professor Goose than to try to play policeman yourself.

In fact, it's even amusing that you took personal offense at my statement, which in itself is a perfect demonstration of the problems of communicating in this medium.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Dr. Albert Bartlett
Into the Grey Zone

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step back on July 29, 2007 - 5:29am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I like what Fallout said in the comments at your Greyzone post.

But then again, wasn't it the goal of The Oil Drum to make more people (be they psycho's or otherwise) aware of Peak Oil?

(With great success, comes great powerlessness --Spiderman)

((No, he didn't say that. It's a play on "with great power comes great responsibility", to which of course GWB agrees --but now we're really off topic. Just shows you how word association takes the human mind down into the gutter. Speaking of which .... nah.))

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andyh on July 28, 2007 - 11:44pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments Jaymax. The past week I have struggled to find even 10% of Drumbeat material of relevance. I was delighted to find that the day before yesterday's Drumbeat actually started with some decent comment pertinent to PO (by Darwinian I think) but that was rapidly followed by the usual white noise. I am reduced to 'speed scanning' the comments section, stopping only when I see contributions by a rather select group of posters who actually a)stay on topic, and b) bring some worthwhile research to the party.

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Sally on July 29, 2007 - 3:29am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I don't usually read comments below Drumbeat at all, but I do sometimes read the comments on the main articles.

And although I don't post often, I have been reading TOD with much appreciation for some time now. Thank-you to all concerned.

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hummingbird on July 29, 2007 - 7:02am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I agree with Jaymax. The low point for me this week was a lengthy thread of religious argument that, by definition goes nowhere. IMO discussions of religion and the politics of personalities are time wasters and don't belong on this site. Thank you for the guidelines.

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step back on July 29, 2007 - 5:13am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

some proclamation based on religious faith about crude oil

Like junk and treasure, one man's off-topic is another's deeper insight into a topic.

("I'm coming Elizabeth.")

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21 comments on Charlie Hall's New Book, Udall and Bartlett on the NPC Report, and a New FAQ

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