Goodbye/ Back Threads

Okay, I'm not gonna get serious about this just yet. But I've noticed that nearly every member who has left/come back within the last month or so has made his/her own special thread about it in General Chit-Chat. Now, read this excert from the forums rules-

Posts such as "I am leaving" or "I am back again!" are not allowed outside of the Community Thread, a special thread dedicated for unrelated talk such as that, which really does not need an entire thread of its own.

According to that, is it saying that goodbyes/I'm back are not allowed outside the community thread? Because if so many people have broken that rulse- including a good deal of high-posters/mods...

But remember, I'm not accusing anything just yet, once I found out the elaboration of that excert...

The rules are most likely referring to temporary things, not new things. Plus, the rule is generally flexible when it comes to permenant leaving threads. I personally think that it's fine, especially because there are some people that don't read the Community Thread, and thus would miss out on these things.

Yet another issue to be resolved in the upcoming Forum Rules revision.

I know... I find good bye topics quite,. uh, spammy If they are leaving then what is the point of the topic? they won't be around to see what everyone says, and if they aren't around then they just won't post, If someone expects them to do something then they can PM them. most of the time they are inactive for weeks or months before they post a good bye topic, by then it's pointless... *stops rambling* I agree they should be locked or something but also well respected members who just decided to leave a few hours/days ago should be allowed ot create good bye topics, but aside from that they should be locked.

Leaving/Back in its origin is construed to mean vacation, hiatus (by hiatus I mean a self-imposed restriction of activites, not hiatus as in how Merc used it in his post), etc...

Leaving/Back in the case of long-lost veterans, or in the case of vets leaving us is different. It has a finality to it that the aforementioned do not.

I'm going on vacation! Threads should be put in Community. I just got back from vacation everyone! Should be put in community. That is an announcement. Everyone, I am leaving... etc.. a post detailing and thanking members is not a straight announcement.

Allowing, for instance, Mercutio to depart without the community knowing would be a great disservice to the community he contributed so much to.

Though I find them annoying, yet there would be no other way for me to find out who left or came back.

In the case of Mercutio and King KrazyLink I can understand, but with these newer people leaving and then coming back a day later, or a few weeks, it gets on my nerves. For leaving for such a short time(unless it is not certain if you can come back due to someone else or problems in your life) and getting two topics dedicated to them it is a waste.

Exceptions to this rule can, will, and should be made when it involves a long-time member.

If it starts to get to bad, we'll get a bit mroe strict.

Like everyone has been saying, it all depends on the content and the purpose.

For some, they have very little to say at their leaving and they simply want to leave a trail for others to be directed to or search out (last-posts are a great way to see what happened to a person), and so they can very easily fit into the Community Thread.

On the other hand, if a widely-known member DOES post his or her leaving in the Community Thread without having a larger post in the Community Forum, then they have basically signed the death-warrant for the Comm. Thread. (it's up to 4.0, now).

Besides, such leavings (not so much returnings) tend to disrupt the normal flow of information for which the Comm. Thread was created. Why? Mostly, I think it is because the posters are afraid that their "trivial" posts will seem like disrespect to the leaving member--as if they are defiling a grave or interrupting a funeral service where everyone is in denial or facing up to the death of a friend.