Ignore this topic button? (never mind)

[1clue]

Hi,

I'd like to know if there's a way to stop seeing a topic altogether in the "my posts" section. In all the cases I can recall, I said something in the topic which has been responded to, so removing the post isn't really appropriate, and I don't know if that would work anyway.

I've learned my lesson about posting to an existing flame war, and now I just don't post to something that has that sort of thing going on. The problem is that all these "gentoo sucks I'm leaving" topics will not die and so they keep floating to the top of my post list. Likewise with topics where two opposing sides hijack the thread or devolve into mindless repetition of the same points. Also, I've posted to a topic before it became a battleground and had to sit and watch the whole time.

I hope I'm not the only one who thinks there should be an "enough" button that says this topic no longer has useful discourse in it. I think if that button exists, then these immortal bickering threads will die much sooner. I think a lot of the posters (myself included) reply just because they keep seeing it. There's a very definite time when on each of these threads I've stopped posting for a long time and have decided that this topic is going nowhere useful.

Thanks.

[moocha]

Your situation certainly sounds familiar. But. Uh. How do I say this... Exactly why would there an "ignore this topic" button be necessary?
Say there were such a facility. Its sole purpose would be to protect you from the temptation of replying to such a thread - and if you can't do that on your own, no technical solution will help since the problem isn't a technical one.
As far as the forum's wellbeing is concerned - that's why moderators exist, to moderate and, if necessary, lock down a thread that's gotten out of hand.
So, to sum this up, such a facility would solve nothing and would require hassle, so I think it's a clear decision...
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[truc]

I think he just doesn't want this #!$?ing thread to pop up when he clic on "View your posts"

and Actually, this is also why I no longer participate to such a thread (I did it once, and that's enough for me )
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[1clue]

Truc has it right.

In some cases, the thread lies dormant for a couple weeks, and then rears its ugly head again. As soon as I see it at the top of the list, it can totally trash my day and get me back into the same mindset that caused me to not want to see it again.

As well, if a thread starts out to be constructive and you participate, and then it turns into something less constructive later, you're stuck dealing with it.

This has caused me to not post to a thread even when I had something important to say about the topic, just because I thought it might turn into a flame war at some later time. Anything that says, "poll" or similar fits under this category. That automatically makes polls be skewed away from a certain sort of user.

I had the misfortune of responding to a "Gentoo sucks" topic a long, long time ago. That $@% thread is still alive, and the posts are mind numbingly repetitive and add absolutely zero value to anybody.

[moocha]

Running the risk of going against my own advice:
I understood the problem. But why not simply ignore that thread? If it annoys you, why not just exercise self-restraint and not click on it?
_________________
Military Commissions Act of 2006: http://tinyurl.com/jrcto

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- attributed to Benjamin Franklin

[1clue]

That in and of itself is a simple solution to not see individual posts, but the mere sight of the title can bring back all the angst you experienced when you decided to stop posting.

That same advice carried one step further is, why ever post? Why ever look into the Gentoo forum site at all, if there are posts you don't agree with?

A flame war is, by definition, a topic about which some people have strong feelings which do not coincide. Same for any of these polls and similar topics, like Gentoo Women, where there are several different sides to an issue and even if it's handled sanely everyone has to get in their two cents worth. At one point, I had a strong opinion about these topics and made posts. Those posts were responded to by others, in some cases intelligently and with a lot of consideration and in other cases by the seat of the pants, even with intent to be inflammatory.

If I were to put in some politically/ethically charged words into my post, I could cause strong emotions in a whole lot of viewers, and many of them would not post just because they don't want to make a spectacle. Does that mean they don't care? No. If they posted to the topic before I stick in my inflammatory words, will the thread title distract them every time they see it? Probably.

My point is that some things can't be ignored, and they can affect you for a long time after you decided to avoid the situation just by having a reminder.

[kallamej]

Well, the egosearch returns threads in which you have posted in the last eight weeks, so they will disappear eventually.
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[1clue]

Oh.

So I just have to avoid posting to anything truly annoying for two months?

I guess I'll have to live with that, although I think most of the angst is gone by then anyway.

Thanks.

[masseya]

Having just seen this thread for the first time, I can't help but say it now has a rather ironic title.
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