Who Owns a Thread

I've been in the online community for almost 25 years. I started out with a Model 100 that had a 300 baud modem and BBS or Bulletin Board Systems. These Boards were set up in someone's home using a dedicated computer and phone line. Usually some spoiled kid, or some guy who was a computer hobbyist and had some extra money. So these Sysops were in control and sometimes would delegate a trusted member to become an ASysop or Assistant Sytem Operator. I remember how excited I was when someone made me one. Of course we were dealing with small numbers. No one wanted to spend phone bills on long distance calls, so the average BBS was confined to the local calling area. But the Sysop was somewhat of a god.

Fast forward to today. We are the global village. Thousands of people linked together on a forum with various cultures and personalities. LL is the Sysop. But of course things are way different now.

If I start a thread, while I have vested interest in it, obviously if I take the time to write, I'm impassioned. But once it's in the forums, do I still retain control? Or does it belong to the forum? Why would I want to retain control. Wouldn't I want everyone to discuss the subject, or would I only want to hear what I want to hear?

Sometimes I think of my threads as little children I release into the world. It would be nice if they flourish and were treated well, but sometimes that doesn't happen. I have to accept this.

No one owns a thread. It is polite forum etiquette to try to stay on topic as much as possible, though sometimes a thread will drift from the original post. Anyone who claims ownership of a thread just because they started the topic doesn't understand the concept of a public forum.

Meh. To me the only difference between any post and one that starts a thread is... one starts a thread the other doesn't.

I do not belive it is possible to exert any real control over where a thread goes. Primarily because the perception is subjective - one set of people may percieve that they are discussing a detail in depth related to the thread's seminal post, where another group will percive that as tangentical at best, and a derailment.

Then there are the personality conflicts, varying levels of communication skills, personal paradigms, ability to confront a diametrically opposed view, skill with argument, knowlege and education.

In the end you just have to accept the truth of topic drift, and gently attempt to nudge the conversation back to your subject.

I DO.

No, really, Cristiano hit it on the head. No one owns the thread. If you're that much of an insane control freak that you must own the discussion you start, you really need a blog.

I agree, no one owns or controls a thread.

Starting a thread is like having a little bird and setting it free. If it loves you it may return, or it may just poop on your head.

I agree that thread-starters do not "own" the thread, and should have no special privileges beyond the courtesy that thread-responders owe them.

On the other hand, as people here have pointed out over and over, these forums are not "public". They are LL territory. And - bringing drama into a thread, hijacking it, or posting silly pictures, for example, are great examples of "insane control freakiness" - as good as thread-creator-control. And - given the insanity of a great number of the responses, and the insanity of a great number of provocative threads started, it's no wonder that many people would like to have a little more security before they start a decent thread like April's.

Jeska does; more specifically, LL.

Threads grow organically which means that nobody owns them.

Or as I like to call them "blah blah blahgs"

Wow, yes, that's a good point. I wonder if there would be some way to set up a system of interlinking blogs to the forums. I know you can put a link, but if someone really wanted to state something and then have a discussion "adjacent" to their statement, in the forums, then there could be a special "Blog Forum". Just a thought.

I might not be making sense, I had two teeth pulled yesterday and am currently under medication.

I am now charging $.95 to post in any thread I create.

Can we stay on topic, please!

who owns a forum?

i own this forum.

You could put the link to your blog in your signature or forum profile, as an option.

Its not who owns a thread that matters.... what matters is who pwns it.

Good Idea, but maybe not enough for the people who need such total control.

/me hands Jellin the Wet Wipes

I love the "organic" reference. That's what it is. Trying to own the trains of thought of dozens of people is not a productive exercise.

We are the Hive Mind, but we're slightly demented.

And even the ones being silly or inappropriate are trying to contribute in their own way.

I demand more people post to this thread right now!

So let it be written, so let it be done!

Looks like you'll have to start a Tringo game.

You don't own this thread!

But.. But...