1SRC Forums now All-Tech

[Reggie]

The 1SRC Off-Topic forums has been revamped to focus only on tech discussions.
[details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=766)]

[strider_mt2k]

Great move!
Let that stuff go where it belongs. -elsewhere

Do you think people go on general blah-blah sites and have off topic areas that features technical discussions?

The thought of that is just plain silly, but folks still insist on having OT areas on topic-specific sites to promote the "community" aspects.

Hey, we're a community of gadget carrying techno-geekoids!
Let's keep talking about what brought us here in the first place! -duh?

[RD100]

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There are two new websites for 1src members to continue Off Topic discussions:


Starbuckk.NET (http://www.starbuckk.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=3) for General Off-Topic and Politics & Religion


UDT (http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=631181&NoCaches=Yes) for Undead Threads


Please join us at these new websites.

Many 1src members already have already joined up !!! :)
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[Flash-57]

Do you think people go on general blah-blah sites and have off topic areas that features technical discussions?

Actually, they do. It is very common for like-minded people to gather together and talk about the other things they have in common, instead of just talking about the one intial thing that brought them together.

When you go to a party, you don't just talk about parties, do you? What would you think of a party where the host demanded that you only talk about partying and beer and then threw you out if you talked about cars, TV, or hot women?

That is what this site is now.

[winexprt]

Actually, they do. It is very common for like-minded people to gather together and talk about the other things they have in common, instead of just talking about the one intial thing that brought them together.

When you go to a party, you don't just talk about parties, do you? What would you think of a party where the host demanded that you only talk about partying and beer and then threw you out if you talked about cars, TV, or hot women?

That is what this site is now.

Dead-on Flash!

:D

[Reggie]

It seems like a lot of members have started posting non-Palm OS tech questions already. I hope the 1SRC community would continue to be as helpful on the new forums.

1SRC - Not a party. ;)

[winexprt]

It seems like a lot of members have started posting non-Palm OS tech questions already. I hope the 1SRC community would continue to be as helpful on the new forums.

Yes. From some of the very members that were the most helpful on this site.



1SRC - Not a party. ;)

Yep. And nowhere near as fun.

So lemmie get this straight...NOTHING in any post from now on can contain ANY non-tech or PDA language or comment?

[strider_mt2k]

Actually, they do. It is very common for like-minded people to gather together and talk about the other things they have in common, instead of just talking about the one intial thing that brought them together.

When you go to a party, you don't just talk about parties, do you? What would you think of a party where the host demanded that you only talk about partying and beer and then threw you out if you talked about cars, TV, or hot women?

That is what this site is now.

However if it's a tech party that's being thrown, and it's understood in advance that that's what's happening there, one can choose to attend or not based on the level of one's topical input.

You really do make an excellent point though.
Hopefully 1SRC and it's members will be more willing to accept small asides within conversations then to account for what I agree is a human need for social interaction, even within the framework of technically-based topics.

I'm of the opinion that there are sites for just about everything under the sun available on the internet. I go to the sites that address what I want to discuss to do just that, discuss those topics.
That doesn't mean other people shouldn't, it just means that from my personal perspecive this seems perfectly logical.

I dealt with this by only hitting the OT section occasionally, and taking a bag of salt with me (for the many grains required to take the topics and comments with. ;) )
That being said, I was pushed over the edge to try FireFox web browser and Thunderbird EMail based on an OT thread I read here, so I'm glad that the OT topics are still of a technical nature, and not just banned outright.


The thought of "One Stop Shopping" for tech discussions is fantastic. Many times I've wanted to float a windows question here because I know there are some smarties who hang out, but wasn't sure the question would get a wide enough audience.

[Reggie]

Yes. From some of the very members that were the most helpful on this site.
Exactly.


Yep. And nowhere near as fun.
Actually, now it is.

[SamuraiCatJB]

The thought of "One Stop Shopping" for tech discussions is fantastic. Many times I've wanted to float a windows question here because I know there are some smarties who hang out, but wasn't sure the question would get a wide enough audience.

I am not a smarty.... but I do buy the brand of jeans. ;)

ask away, a few of us will either stutter or answer. :)

[RD100]

Great move!
Let that stuff go where it belongs. -elsewhere

Do you think people go on general blah-blah sites and have off topic areas that features technical discussions?

The thought of that is just plain silly, but folks still insist on having OT areas on topic-specific sites to promote the "community" aspects.

Hey, we're a community of gadget carrying techno-geekoids!
Let's keep talking about what brought us here in the first place! -duh?
If you actually participated in these Off Topic conversations, you would realize how much fun they were. They brought many of us closer together as a group. Even though our love of gadgets is what initially brought us to this website, we were able to become friends and talk about any and all topics that interested us. It also let us learn more about each other as people, as opposed to only knowing what gadgets we each liked. That is what truly made 1src special. Its unfortunate that this part of 1src is now gone. :(

[Reggie]

If you actually participated in these Off Topic conversations, you would realize how much fun they were. They brought many of us closer together as a group. Even though our love of gadgets is what initially brought us to this website, we were able to become friends and talk about any and all topics that interested us. It also let us learn more about each other as people, as opposed to only knowing what gadgets we each liked. That is what truly made 1src special. Its unfortunate that this part of 1src is now gone. :(

RD100, while I agree that a lot have enjoyed the any-topic OT forums before, a lot have stayed out of of OT mainly because of the very same reason. The OT forums have become sort of a -- "either you are in or out", "either you can take it or not" place. Basically, we never intended any part of 1SRC to become like that, thus the change.

Btw, thanks for providing the links to UDT and Starbukk.

[Srcguy]

As someone who comes to this site to try and get the most out of my '55 (rather than a techy who just loves to show how much they know) I have spotted something already which might become annoying to me...

Already the "Active Forum" part of the homepage is becomming filled with off topic posts about earphones and laptops.... Its the active forum part of the site which I log on very regularly to scan and see if there is anything new I would like to know about the '55 the OS or new applications.... if it just gets covered with techs talking about things im not interested in, I might lose interest in the site (which would be a shame... its useful)

The only use I had for the OT part before was that it was quite funny to see how vitriolic people could become from time to time, but those posts never appeared on the active forum list.... If they are off-topic, why should they now?

[Flash-57]

However if it's a tech party that's being thrown, and it's understood in advance that that's what's happening there, one can choose to attend or not based on the level of one's topical input.

True. But, I don't anyone is suggesting that Politics and Religion be the sole topic for discussion at 1src. Obviously, technology should be the main focus for most discussions. Heck, there were about 40 forums here, before the change, and 38 of them were wholly devoted to technology.

Two of them were designated "Off-Topic" and each thread may or may not have involved technology. And, to use your own point against you, people could choose to participate or not in the Off-Topic discussions.

It seems like way too much of an overreaction to remove those two forums just because a couple of people, who probably weren't going to join the discussion anyway, complained.

Hopefully 1SRC and it's members will be more willing to accept small asides within conversations then to account for what I agree is a human need for social interaction, even within the framework of technically-based topics.

We haven't yet been told the degree of tolerance that will be allowed. I imagine that the powers that be are hovering over this thread even as we speak, waiting to delete it if people say the wrong things.

Now, the statement, at the start of this thread, that this site will "focus only on tech discussions," seems to indicate a zero tolerance for non-technological meanderings. The word, "only," is defined quite clearly in the dictionary.

I'm of the opinion that there are sites for just about everything under the sun available on the internet. I go to the sites that address what I want to discuss to do just that, discuss those topics.

Again, that's true ... to a degree. Sure, if I wanted to endlessly discuss Golf, I'd go to a golf site and sign up for an account. But, if I wanted to quickly ask a simple Golf question, I might do it on a non-golf site where I already knew and respected the other posters.

The thought of "One Stop Shopping" for tech discussions is fantastic. Many times I've wanted to float a windows question here because I know there are some smarties who hang out, but wasn't sure the question would get a wide enough audience.

But, you are now asking PDA owners and fans about Windows or cell phones. That's like asking your Veterenarian about that mole on your back. Or asking your mechanic about washing-machine repair. You might get some useful advice, or you might get advice that screws you over.

Why not go to a Windows site if you have a Windows question?

[bryus]

I don't know if NO off topic is good, however it is better than the predominant OT we had before.

I found some UDT members who posted 99.99% of their 1,000s of posts in UDT/OT. Sure that's a community, but not the 1Src community. To use the part analogy, it would be like a group of four or five people having a political rally in the corner of the room at a birthday party. I have never been a fan of UDT, I find them pointless and a waste of bandwidth. They are taking advantage of the generosity of the admin to propegate meaningless chatter.

As for the political/religious discussions, they could get rather bitter and mean spirited. Something not conducive to a healthy PDA community site either.

While I am sure that there may be some drop in member activity due to the change I question how much of a contribution some of those members made in the first place.

[FormerlyKnownAs]

Have to agree with Bryus for the most part. The owners may have tired of paying for the bandwidth for the irrelevant OT chat. And they may have felt that the vitriolic nature of the P&R "discussions" were not the atmosphere they wanted to encourage.

OR

It may be that a few of these brave souls were getting WAY too close to THE TRUTH! (It is out there, you know...)

As R&J started noticing nondescript men in black suits and sunglasses at every corner, inexplicable technological events, terror in the eyes of their loved ones, and that unrelenting feeling that SOMEONE is watching, they reacted from pure terror.

Quick close down the forum while you still can! Before Reggie (who?) and Joel (huh?) become non-entities! Thank god (a figure of speech, this is NOT a religious post!) they closed it in time! Or did they? Only their continued presence will tell in the end.

(But then, how CAN we really know that Reggie and Joel really are still running the site, and not pods that have assumed their online identities?)

;)
(The smiley means I'm JUST KIDDING! Really! No need to track me down! I LOVE the current administration, whoever they are... or whoever they aren't!)

[Flash-57]

To use the party analogy, it would be like a group of four or five people having a political rally in the corner of the room at a birthday party.

Actually, if you want to use a more accurate analogy, it would be like a group of four or five people having a political rally in the next room, behind a closed door, during a birthday party. Only people who opened the door and walked into the next room, would even know that there was a rally going on in the other room.

While I am sure that there may be some drop in member activity due to the change I question how much of a contribution some of those members made in the first place.

Question away. The fact is that many of the posters to P/R provided very informed answers and comments in the On-Topic forums. Some didn't, of course, but most did.

Strong opinions go along with intelligence. You kick out one, you lose the other.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Some of us have even been known to donate to 1src to keep costs down. :)

[winexprt]

Some of us have even been known to donate to 1src to keep costs down. :)

And some of us have tried...to no avail. I still haven't recieved the courtesy of a response to a PM I sent Reggie regarding giving money to 1SRC. That was weeks ago. I guess only SOME members' money is welcome/wanted. Too bad. I was prepared to give hansomely.

[jhintonh]

Good Evening-

Good riddance. And I posted on Off-Topic and enjoyed posting on Off-topic and would still post on Off-Topic if it were still here. Although I wonder if a website name as generic as "one-source" is appropriate any longer. ;) Maybe "TechSrc" would be more germane. :)

At any rate, I will continue to peruse, post and pay for this site. I like it, I like the e-folks here (most of them) and I like the owners (no kissing up, just the truth). Most of all, I like the advice on my CLIE that I have gotten over the years and perhaps I will appreciate the tech advice from other areas in the future.

Viva la TechSrc...errrr...1Src!

-Jhintonh

[jhintonh]

Good Evening-

And my friend, Winexpert, do I sense a bit of edge to your tone? Are you sore? Or are you just a drunk Mick like me looking for a good scrap? ;)

Tip a Guinness for me too, mate!

-Jhintonh

[winexprt]

Good Evening-

And my friend, Winexpert, do I sense a bit of edge to your tone? Are you sore? Or are you just a drunk Mick like me looking for a good scrap? ;)

Tip a Guinness for me too, mate!

-Jhintonh

Haa! You know me all too well buddy! ;) :p Me & the GF are crackin' open the Hoegaarden tonight. Such a lovely brew. ;)

There might be a slight edge detectable...sure. But the courtesy of a response, especially when I was more than ready & willing to pony up money to back up my activites on this site, would have been nice. Disappointing.

Kind of two faced to complain about the bandwith et al, that the Off-Topic ate up, then ignore my request to contribute. No?

Kinda like "Damned if you do and damned if you don't."

[Tixx]

And some of us have tried...to no avail. I still haven't recieved the courtesy of a response to a PM I sent Reggie regarding giving money to 1SRC. That was weeks ago. I guess only SOME members' money is welcome/wanted. Too bad. I was prepared to give hansomely.

I remember asking about the cut ClieSource got from linking sales through PalmGear. I never got an answer either.:( How did/does that work?

[strider_mt2k]

But, you are now asking PDA owners and fans about Windows or cell phones. That's like asking your Veterenarian about that mole on your back. Or asking your mechanic about washing-machine repair. You might get some useful advice, or you might get advice that screws you over.

Why not go to a Windows site if you have a Windows question?

Touche' (SP?)

I wrote that based on the years that I've been hanging out on here, noticing that a few people knew what they were talking about and/or worked as professionals in the industry based on reading their posts.

I had no idea there was this much of a strong feeling about this.
I honestly didn't hang in the OT area much at all to know there was so much happening there, good or bad.

I'm really sorry you guys lost something you were into. I wasn't aware.
:o

[Reggie]

winexprt, we actually sent a reply to you when you asked. Just FYI of everyone, donations are still accepted via paypal to donate(at)1src.com.

Tixx, 1SRC used to have a commission for every sale made from the 1SRC-Palmgear page. When the ESD union news came about, we decided to stop linking to the 1SRC-Palmgear page and instead link directly to the developeres' websites.

[LanMan]

This is neat! I never really posted in OT before, because it was mostly, well, OT. However, now I am comfortable and have already posted several non-Palm questions/problems that have been nagging me. Thanks, Reggie!

[LanMan]

Touche' (SP?)

I wrote that based on the years that I've been hanging out on here, noticing that a few people knew what they were talking about and/or worked as professionals in the industry based on reading their posts.

I had no idea there was this much of a strong feeling about this.
I honestly didn't hang in the OT area much at all to know there was so much happening there, good or bad.

I'm really sorry you guys lost something you were into. I wasn't aware.
:o

Strider, you are correct. I believe that there are many industry pro's that hang out here. I have worked and taught in the computer industry for over 20 years and will try to help someone when I can. I like the new OT format and will now check back often. I never even looked in OT before because it was so convoluted.

[LanMan]

As someone who comes to this site to try and get the most out of my '55 (rather than a techy who just loves to show how much they know) I have spotted something already which might become annoying to me...

Already the "Active Forum" part of the homepage is becomming filled with off topic posts about earphones and laptops.... Its the active forum part of the site which I log on very regularly to scan and see if there is anything new I would like to know about the '55 the OS or new applications.... if it just gets covered with techs talking about things im not interested in, I might lose interest in the site (which would be a shame... its useful)

The only use I had for the OT part before was that it was quite funny to see how vitriolic people could become from time to time, but those posts never appeared on the active forum list.... If they are off-topic, why should they now?

I just click on the TH-Series link on the side to get my TH55 discussion fix. I have found the front page to be a little too...hmmm..."mixed" for my tastes.

[Tixx]

winexprt, we actually sent a reply to you when you asked. Just FYI of everyone, donations are still accepted via paypal to donate(at)1src.com.

Tixx, 1SRC used to have a commission for every sale made from the 1SRC-Palmgear page. When the ESD union news came about, we decided to stop linking to the 1SRC-Palmgear page and instead link directly to the developeres' websites.

Thanks for the answer, too bad I never bought even one application during that time through 1src because I had no answer to that question previously.:(

[Reggie]

Thanks for the answer, too bad I never bought even one application during that time through 1src because I had no answer to that question previously.:(

That's ok. If you are planning to buy apps in the future, go directly to the developer's website or through an ESD that charges the developers the least. We just thought that it was not proper getting commissions that are supposed to be for the developers.

[Flash-57]

I had no idea there was this much of a strong feeling about this. I honestly didn't hang in the OT area much at all to know there was so much happening there, good or bad.

And that's kind of our point. It's not the participants in the discussions who were complaining, apparently, it was the people that weren't even involved in the discussions that kicked up such a fuss and got the place shut down.

It's kind of like Mrs. Cravitz, from the Betwitched show, peeking out her window, "Abner! Look at what they're doing now! Someone's gotta do something."

[exiii]

And that's kind of our point. It's not the participants in the discussions who were complaining, apparently, it was the people that weren't even involved in the discussions that kicked up such a fuss and got the place shut down.

It's kind of like Mrs. Cravitz, from the Betwitched show, peeking out her window, "Abner! Look at what they're doing now! Someone's gotta do something.""Apparently" - I'll take that to mean that you (& others) really have no idea who [if anyone] complained, and if complaints were taken into consideration.

Reggie said something to the effect that the discussion in OT was not in line with the intent of this site - I'll take his word for it. It's essentially his site & his vision after all.

[Tixx]

And that's kind of our point. It's not the participants in the discussions who were complaining, apparently, it was the people that weren't even involved in the discussions that kicked up such a fuss and got the place shut down.

It's kind of like Mrs. Cravitz, from the Betwitched show, peeking out her window, "Abner! Look at what they're doing now! Someone's gotta do something."

*LOL*:D Sounds to me like one of the complainers is becoming defensive because of your statement here Flash-57.;) Too Funny!:D

[exiii]

*LOL*:D Sounds to me like one of the complainers is becoming defensive because of your statement here Flash-57.;) Too Funny!:DWhy would I complain? I was a participant. :rolleyes:
It's a shame that I'm not astounded by your faulty logic though. :p

[markgm]

Sigh...Now I'll have no reason to visit 1src. I miss the old cliesource, almost as much as I miss not being able to have a new clie. Being a die hard palm fan (and a huge fan of this site, I was one of the first members and was so exicited when the board was launched), it's kinda sad to see the whole palm universe going away. It's not just here, PIC seems to have lost its fun too. Maybe that's just my perception of it, but with nothing really new being released, it's just not as exiciting as it used to be. The Palm's being released/announced recently have no innovation. I used to think of my Palm/Handspring/Clie as the Macs in a world of PPCs, but now it seems like PPCs are where the innovation are (or at least better hardware.) While the PPCs might not be as functional, at least some companies are taking a chance trying new ideas. Maybe I should be happy, it saves me a ton of money! Okay, rant over, flame away. I guess I should have posted this in 'off topic'...oh...nevermind. :)

[SamuraiCatJB]

folks, arguing about it is pointless, and bringing the name calling and blame here only guarentees another thread locked.

Reggie and Joel had a vision. They decided this is more in line with that vision. We deal. :)

[Flash-57]

folks, arguing about it is pointless, and bringing the name calling and blame here only guarentees another thread locked.

Well, we all kind of know that it will be locked anyway. I'm sort of surprised that it hasn't been deleted yet.

Reggie and Joel had a vision. They decided this is more in line with that vision. We deal. :)

True. But I am still at a loss to understand how an optional area, clearly marked "Off-Topic," took anything away from the overall vision they had for the site.

That's like saying that the employees' break room takes away from the overall vision of a Fortune 500 company.

But then, there are a lot of things that other people do that I just don't understand.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Well, we all kind of know that it will be locked anyway. I'm sort of surprised that it hasn't been deleted yet.



True. But I am still at a loss to understand how an optional area, clearly marked "Off-Topic," took anything away from the overall vision they had for the site.

That's like saying that the employees' break room takes away from the overall vision of a Fortune 500 company.

But then, there are a lot of things that other people do that I just don't understand.

My opinion, and that is all it is.... Complaints on the area, regardless of the reasons is a timeconsuming and draining on human resources. OT has always consumed hardware resources, even if you pay the bandwidth issues (which there were offers, though there is the long-term concerns with bandwidth donations too -- do you only get donation offers when you threaten to cut off the location?), it still consumes computer resources which have a feedback effect on the rest of the performance of the site. One waxes the other wanes, because they exist on the same computer. I don't think you can isolate it to one and only one concern to be addressed. If bandwidth "costs" were the only concern and the costs were in my budget, I would have probably funded the OT. However, again, Reggie and Joel would have to deal with issues with that. What if it eventually exceeded my budget? what if I decided in paying that kind of money that I wanted a say in site design, etc. Even if that wasn't a problem, you still have the affect on physical equipment resources, human resources. If you are going all that way to accomidate a portion of the system that was never in your intent to provide and it is beginning to affect the portions you did intend, this is a big problem.

Again this is just my opinion, mostly because I am dealing with this exact same problem at work right now. Other peoples design/operational considerations are impacting performance concerns on my operational systems. So we are getting it under control at work.

If you try to break it down to your analogy of a break room, since computers are not finely bound, it would be if the walls were moveable. More people and more activities went on in the break room, so the employees in the break room kept pushing the walls outward to expand the breakroom crowding out the ones who were doing work until half the office floor was break room and half the office floor was work areas, desks were back to back and all operations took twice as long due to the overcrowding in the work areas. Yes, I expect the fortune 500 company would do away with the break room mighty fast.

[FormerlyKnownAs]

I like this Break Room analogy, I think it fits perfectly.

A company provides a break room to allow the employees a place to get away from the job (or PDA discussions) and have random, personal discussions. However, not just anything and everything is allowed in the break room. Company policies still must be adhered to, and obviously unacceptable behavior is not allowed in the break room. In fact, take things too far in the break room and I'll guarantee you'll loose your job.

And if the condition of the break room, or the behavior that takes place there, casts an image other than that which the company wants to project, it will be cleaned up in no time flat and heads will roll.

The company might even try splitting the break room to make one area even farther off the beaten path and therefore less noticeable. The company might issue warnings that if people cannot control themselves in the break room, and project the image the company desires to project, it will be closed. If the cost of maintaining the abused break room gets excessive, or if company resources are drawn away from the business at hand to police the break room, the company must cut its loses. The privilege, if abused, will be revoked and the company will no longer provide this perk.

And that's pretty much what happened here. Yeah, I like the analogy! Although I do miss the break room...

[Tixx]

A day late and a dollar short for this debate, no?;)

[SamuraiCatJB]

A day late and a dollar short for this debate, no?;)
I am only 98 cents short. ;)

[Tixx]

I am only 98 cents short. ;)

Stole Flash-57's 2 cents I see.:D Sounds like an illegal pyramid scheme you got going here.:p

[SamuraiCatJB]

Stole Flash-57's 2 cents I see.:D Sounds like an illegal pyramid scheme you got going here.:p

naw, stole yours.... And Flash and I are trading your 2 cents back and forth. ;)

[Lupin Addams]

Interestingly, I came to the site this evening specifically to look at the "Religion and Politics" Offtopic section... and I agree it's a shame things have changed in one way - but on the other hand, there is a nice shiny new forum for us to go play in, which was a thoughtful thing to do.
Look! A new break room! Let's go play!!

[gothicaleigh]

The company might even try splitting the break room to make one area even farther off the beaten path and therefore less noticeable. The company might issue warnings that if people cannot control themselves in the break room, and project the image the company desires to project, it will be closed. If the cost of maintaining the abused break room gets excessive, or if company resources are drawn away from the business at hand to police the break room, the company must cut its loses. The privilege, if abused, will be revoked and the company will no longer provide this perk.

And that's pretty much what happened here. Yeah, I like the analogy! Although I do miss the break room...

I say we unionize. :p



Honestly, this was a very long time in coming. The OT was a completely different forum from the rest of ClieSource (i'm sorry... 1SRC). Sure, some used it as a 'break room', but most saw it as a separate entity from work.

I have been frequenting both much less as of late, but now that the OT is no more, I honestly don't see any reason to check in at all.

Fare thee well and best of luck everyone.

[winexprt]

We'll miss ya Gothi! You were one of the good ones! :D ;)

[Tixx]

I say we unionize. :p



Honestly, this was a very long time in coming. The OT was a completely different forum from the rest of ClieSource (i'm sorry... 1SRC). Sure, some used it as a 'break room', but most saw it as a separate entity from work.

I have been frequenting both much less as of late, but now that the OT is no more, I honestly don't see any reason to check in at all.

Fare thee well and best of luck everyone.

Bye Gothi.:(

[Tixx]

naw, stole yours.... And Flash and I are trading your 2 cents back and forth. ;)

Hmmm...a secondary market for "2 cent" comments. Can I buy options contracts on these? I'd like a straddle.:D

[RD100]

Goth ... please join us over at Starbuckk.NET. We have a new home for off-topic. :)