The moderator can terminate a thread that he thinks is hurting the forum, but that is a blunt instrument. I wonder if it is technically feasible to "demote" a thread so that it no longer shows up in the "Recent Posts" sidebar. Interested members would still be able to find the thread, but it would be less prominent. The moderator can also warn people that a thread is becoming too acrimonious without terminating it. On some forums the moderator deletes an entire thread when he dislikes some messages. I oppose that approach. Even acrimonious threads have some information content, both about the subjects discussed and the personalities of the discussants
I'm not sure about the demoting the thread, but otherwise agree with you. My previous comments weren't intended to suggest that we do anything different, just acknowledging that while I feel like Sydness does (e.g. after what we've put up with IRL, poorly worded responses aren't going to scare me away), some might have a different reaction.
Do you all want to actively limit the second type of diversion or just the first or neither or both?
I may be a bit alone in this, but I lean away from actively limiting diversions. On the other hand, I am more global than linear in my approach to most things, so I tend to like when conversations go in new directions. I can see where it might occasionally cause a problem, especially if the meander happens too early in a thread. I think it is appropriate (and helpful) to suggest to someone who jumps in with their own scores to start their own thread so that no one gets confused about which comments go with which scores.
