Every thread I make gets derailed within a few posts

Myrmidon · 2011-12-29 15:29:52

It's really annoying.

Them · 2011-12-29 15:38:50

I can imagine.

So I'm not going to make the obvious joke.

Firebert · 2011-12-29 15:41:29

That does get annoying, though it's tough when you're replying to a thread. What do you reply to? The ongoing conversation or the OP?

All Nines · 2011-12-29 16:30:42

^ When I'm confronted with that situation, usually I respond to the current topic in the first half of my post, and the OP in the second.

Firebert · 2011-12-29 16:42:37

Good suggestion, I'll try that.

Hatter · 2011-12-29 17:31:26

Have you ever tried to make homemade pizza? I could manage in Switzerland, and I made some pretty god-tier 'za, but every time I've tried in the States it's sucked. Am I getting the dough wrong or something?

Them · 2011-12-29 17:55:03

...and that's the obvious joke I wasn't going to make. Congratulations. Was it worth it?

Firebert · 2011-12-29 18:23:29

You were going to bring up pizza?

LouieW · 2011-12-29 23:13:13

Everest's suggestion seems like a good one to me too. As for the topic at hand, I guess one possible solution to this problem is to try to specifically ask questions in the first post. Another may be to avoid controversial stuff. At least, from what I have seen, those kinds of threads tend to get derailed more quickly than other ones do. I think having really clear OPs also can help people to understand the topic of the thread enough to feel like it is worth commenting on it.

Still, there are probably some trade-offs of following through with any of those suggestions, especially the skipping controversial topics one. Also, sometimes it seems like derails can be very difficult to predict so there might not be much one can do to avoid them short of going to OTC and I doubt most people here would opt for that.