Why use TT to describe Touchy Topics?

[KevinSig]

I hate to say it, but the shorthand of Touchy Topics to TT, kinda defeats the purpose.  It took me nearly a year to figure out what TT means, it isn't well defined in the rules (IE TT = Touchy Topic, not what the words mean) & I've seen Mods use TT to warn people off a subject.

To me, it seems like a shorthand that defeats the point.  TT is used to dissaude a person from a topic, but it isn't immediately clear that TT = Touchy Topic.  At least, I think the forum policy page should include a line that states TT = Touchy Topic.  Also the Mods might want to reconsider the habit of using TT.  When the board had a TT forum, the shorthand might have been more apparent to everyone, but right now I think using TT only confuse some & gets readily ignored by others.

Its akin to me saying TSNK & expecting you to think Thou Shall Not Kill.  Like I said, it muddles an issue that's already problematic.

[Shecky]

Since most of the folks around here have been around since the era of Touchy Topics, it's not really akin to a created-out-of-the-blue acronym. Still, your point is at least somewhat on-target, as that was "most" and not "all", so it would certainly be a good idea to include something along the lines of your suggested "TT = Touchy Topic" + explanation in the forum rules. Will start the ball rolling; thanks for the heads-up.

[Blaze]

This is an acronym rich environment, as is most of the internet.  Heaven knows it can all get confusing for the new user. 

Our forum tries to be a friendly place, so please, if you or anyone sees something that you do not understand, ask!  And if you do not wish to ask in public, a PM (Personal Message - for which you use the icon to the right of the envelope icon) to any of the Moderators or Bartenders should be sufficient to get any answer to clarify for you.

Remember, many of us have been here for years, and sometimes it is easy to forget how confusing the forum can be to new eyes!  Sometimes, new eyes seeing something for the first time can help us out.

Anyone out there have time and energy to do a frequently used acronyms for the whole board?  Peregrine was nice enough to do one for the Book discussion...

[KevinSig]

This is an acronym rich environment, as is most of the internet.  Heaven knows it can all get confusing for the new user.

Myself, I'm not confused.  But I could see where a new user might be.  Point of me raising this thread.

TT isn't the same thing as LOL, in that it's actually is part of the rules.  However, at the time I posted this, TT isn't actually mentioned in the rules (at least when I started this thread it wasn't).  Yes, its called Touchy Topics, but that isn't going to make a leap to TT in most minds.

It might help to see what prompted this.  In this thread things derailed so much that Shecky warned about TT twice.  However, given the low post counts of some of the users, it wouldn't should me to learn that a few didn't know what was being talked about.

(Heck, some were surprised to learn that Shecky was a Moderator, so that didn't help.  While Bartender & Warden are nifty titles, I don't suppose you could bold italic them, or something.  Otherwise, they look like a regular user description.)

Kevin
Fixed link

[Dina]

I can't see the thread you linked (it says something about not showing my IP or other's IP), but I want to say that people who doesn't know what TT means, should ask. That is what I did. But anyway, I think a line in the rules with a brief description should be pretty easy to add, and if it could help at least a member, it should be done.

[Shecky]

The link seems to point to something different. KS, want to go back and copy the URL of the thread again?

[KevinSig]

Don't know what I did wrong, but I fixed the link.  It's for the Dresden's Duster thread, starting on page 4, when the talk switches to tattooing pigs.  In my read, the user is not being realistic, and potentially fishing for a reaction like that of Amy, but I could be wrong.

At any rate, two newish users get fixated with the subject, AcornAmy is bothered by it & everyone gets warned by shecky.  It starts again a few posts later, I make a post that indicates this was a touchy topic & relate where I think the 'humor' comes from.  shecky makes a 2nd warning & people seem surprised by his Mod status.

Hence why I wrote this post.  The users might have not understood what TT was, not to totally excuse their divergent chatter, but a warning that is not understood might be the reason the discussion continued.

http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,28748.msg1240413.html#msg1240413

[Shecky]

Yeah, we understood what you meant after the first time. We're currently discussing how best to incorporate this kind of thing into the forum rules thread (because we're making sure we have as many related issues covered as possible, instead of just slapping a one-shot thing in there).

For what it's worth, the source of the "humor" was understandable... and also irrelevant. We don't have a whole passel of rules around here, but the ones we do have aren't subject to rationalization - for example, while it's perfectly understandable how Person X can be royally angry at Religion Y for their treatment of Issue Z, that comprehensibility is irrelevant because it's still a religious issue and therefore completely within the definition of "Touchy Topic".

[sjsharks]

The link seems to point to something different. KS, want to go back and copy the URL of the thread again?

Lol at the vague abbreviation of someones name in a topic about vague abbreviations

[Shecky]

Lol at the vague abbreviation of someones name in a topic about vague abbreviations

Kind of hard to be vague when the apparent subject is the only person in the thread whose name can possibly be abbreviated that way.

[DoTArchon]

Anyone out there have time and energy to do a frequently used acronyms for the whole board?  Peregrine was nice enough to do one for the Book discussion...

Link in my signature, covers more than just book acronyms.

[Blaze]

Youse guys are so accommodating!  *hugs*