Forum Needs OT or Chat Area

[Charles Davis]

I recommend the Forum open a new area, O/T so we can all b.s. about non-Mastercam related stuff.

 

This would help keep the main forum area focused on Mastercam issues, but still give us an area to socialize.

 

Another idea would be to open a chat area. One advantage of this would be that messages would not be stored permanently, which means we could always deny that stupid thing we said from time to time!

[kccadcam]

+1

New area for O/T

[chris m]

+2

 

But I'd like to see the "main" forum focused on CAD/CAM/Machining, not just Mastercam. As far as I am concerned questions about setups, posts, cutting tools, machine tools, file converters, speeds and feeds, etc are not really "off topic"; just the ones about politics and the other 'outside' issues of the day.

 

C

 

[ 08-25-2003, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: chris m ]

[Jayson Kramer]

I have to agree, I like the thought.

[Jammer™]

quote:

---

But I'd like to see the "main" forum focused on CAD/CAM/Machining, not just Mastercam.

---

An o/t forum section for all the cad/cam machining questions, a chat room for all the socializing, then this original forum for only mastercam posts.

[Mark Lovelace]

I agree. However, this won't solve the problem of hijacked threads.

 

On a related subject, perhaps the instructor forum could be folded into the regular forum, since it gets relatively so little traffic.

[Scott Bond]

I would like to avoid a lame name for the chat area,,I want the name of the catagory to sound profesional. I need this so that the time spent on the forum is still in some way related to the the Mastercam programming work,,at least by title.

Example::

""Programmers""

Please do not call it "Chat dash anything"

 

that's my .02

[Rekd™]

An O/T aread would be nice, but this forum is for MC, not CNC. There's other places out there for that. Keep this focused on MC, as that's where the roots are, that's where the success is for this forum.

 

A way of subscribing to individual threads would be nice too.

 

'Rekd

[Toolfab]

I have no complaints the way it is set up now. We can be productive and counter-productive all in the same area. It seems to be working just fine the way it is.

 

Thats my $0.02

[Jammer™]

Keep the forum the way it is now, only o/t subjects (anything other than MC or trade related stuff) can be flagged, and each user would have the option in their profile settings to either be able to view or not to view o/t subjects.

[Scott Bond]

Anyone interested in posting O/T stuff here?

on the IRL

I was not able to post the link correctly.

Jamman can you help?

It's from his profile.

 

[ 08-25-2003, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: Scott Bond ]

[Müřlıń®]

They could use the tech tip area.....no one uses it.

 

All the Tech Tips are in here

 

 

Murlin

[kathy]

I'm all for an O/T area - as long at was still in a forum format and not chat. 'Chat' is of limits here at work.

 

Kathy

[M. Anderson]

As you can tell by the number of posts I have – I am relatively new, but I have been and continue to lurk around here quite a bit and have for quite sometime!

 

So you can take this for what it is worth. (Not much!)

 

For - ME - the “O/T Threads” and the “High Jacking”, is all part of what really makes this place - WORK!

 

Someone asks a question – a reply is made – someone else may have a better idea – then someone tells why neither answer is worth a hoot, so forth and so on!! But no one takes offense to anyone else’s ideas. (Usually)

 

This seems more of a “Community” of MC users than a question and answer board – for me anyway.

 

James, Rekd, Jay (CadCam), Jack M., Murlin, G-code, Charles, Scott…, the list is endless – all of them seem to be some of the most knowledgeable people who are dealing with MC on a daily basis. As such they come here to help the ones of us with less knowledge – (For Free!), and sure some of the things that get posted here are not directly dealing with MC or its uses. But these people’s experience in machining is usually not just limited to MC either, that’s the reason for some of the O/T things.

 

Just read some of the threads here and you can see every question is usually answered – and fairly quickly. If a thread does get highjacked it is mostly after the person’s question is answered, and then it is usually by someone asking something of someone who has answered the original question. Now what is asked secondarily or commented on, may be way off in left field – but that is where they ran across this person.

 

Take Jack M’s thread on the California Election – (not picking on Jack in any way, shape or form), nothing dealing with MC in any way – but one of the absolute best - entertainment value - threads I have read on here in quite a while! While the value for some may not have been very high – it was marked as “O/T”, so most knew it would have nothing to do with MC. Plus it kind of gave a person some insight into another persons life, you kind of learn what is important too some and what NOT to talk to others about.

 

While I look at this board as more of a “Community” than a Q&A section, some may not, or some may not like that aspect of it? Like I said – I really think this is what makes everything work so well here.

 

Plus – one of the last things I do before I go to bed every night is look to see if some first time poster has posted asking for a post processor for his broke copy of MC! Now that is really fun to watch sometimes!

 

OK – I’m OVER - the touchy - feely stuff. Back to work.

 

My .002

 

Mark Anderson

[cadcam]

M. Anderson ,I wish I had some animated clapping hands to put here after that great speach.

 

So this all I can give you at this time

[Bullines]

Vote on this very topic here.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

My vote is for "Keep it the way it is". Yeah, I know we should keep it seperated but as is shown on the Educational/Instructor's forum it's not quite successful. Usually the instructors tend to come in here.

 

JM2C

 

Oh, and Mark, Thank you for the kind words. They are very much appreciated.

 

[ 08-25-2003, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: James Meyette ]

[Hardmill]

Here you go Jay

[Jayson Kramer]

Thanks Hardmill.

[Rekd™]

Why you using that crusty old account, Jay?

 

'Rekd

[Scott Bond]

Nice post M. Anderson

+1 James

quote:

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My vote is for "Keep it the way it is".

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+1 Kathy

quote:

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'Chat' is of limits here at work.

---

I will go with what ever way the fellow forum members choose, or vote.

[Brendan P]

I just voted.

And yes,I like it just the way it is.

Thanks Bullines for at least an honest way to solve this.

 

Bucket playing media to sway the votes:

"Well guys,soo far 95% are leaning towards keeping it the way it is"!

 

Bucket teh did some tallying over in Florida at one time.

[Gary]

I agree to just keep it the way it is. Alot of boards that go with the seperate chat and q&a system never seem to stay active long. Pretty soon they turn into ghost boards. And I need this board. You guys make me look good at work all the time.Keep up the good work.

[Charles Davis]

Hey, it was just an idea. They're not ALL good.

[Thad]

I like it the way it is. Sometimes finding enough time to keep up with this board is tough enough. But if there was an OT area, I'd have to go there and post an OT subject about milling a surface rough pocket with MC.

 

Thad