Re: I wish we could do away with the 5-star poll

Joetheone wrote:
> 
> I don't think that anybody that has done more than a casual scan of 
> this group would ever expect unanimity on any subject.

  And yet Anim8r berated Brad in paragraph after paragraph for being
"alone" in his dislike of the 5-star threads.  Tell that to him.


> But many of us find the poll and poll threads valuable, and there's 
> nothing to stop anybody from starting a thread on any particular 
> subject or aspect of a particular show, and geting people to respond 
> to them.

  There is in fact something to stop such.  Threads need a certain level
of participation to thrive.  Any topic that warrants attention tends to
get them in the 5-star thread (or other similar megathreads), which
leaves little interest in arguing them elsewhere as well by those
reading said thread (which by now amounts to most of us).

  I'm not complaining about this, mind, nor wi****ng to detract from the
laudable effort George contributes to ensure on-topic discussions in
these newsgroups.  People have every right to flock to the 5-star
threads and ignore the others.  It is not, however, as simple as saying
'go start another thread if you don't like the 5-star ones' as for the
most part the very success of the 5-star threads makes such an effort in
futility.  

 (Personally, I would be perfectly happy if only there was a better
mechanism in my newsreader to be able to focus on those sub-threads
within the 5-star ones that are actively discussing the topics I am
interested in, and ignore the dross of which Brad complained.)

  Biff
  

-- 
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  "All around me darkness gathers, fading is the sun that shone, 
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