general discussion, to me, is anything that is relevant to technology or internet. off topic is where you post stuff like about sports, or screenshots, that don't really have much of a place on the main pages.

The reason off topic doesn't get posted on the front page is because CA3LE doesn't want it to show up on google when you search. He would rather have people come here for tech/broadband discussion or help rather than just to read a forum titled "funny stuff" that is in off topic...

I would say that i agree that the home page with replies does seem shorter now than it did earlier...it seems like sometimes it has more on it than other times...

and shoudlnt this be in the Ideas to make testmy.net better section because it is making a suggestion to "fix" the site somehow? 

thats my 2 cents....well im off to bed...

first thing i do is hit the new replies link to see what's going on in the threads i've been in. once i work through those i hit the unread since last visit to see if anything else interesting has been thrown up. i prefer this to starting from the homepage since new off topic topics also show up there.

if i create a new thread i always throw it into general discussion. that way it shows on the homepage when others come in. if it's off topic then the mods can move it there. but at least the crowd that might care for the topic will have usually seen it and had a chance to reply which puts it on their replies list.

on another note, as a news anchor, i try to keep the posts in the news section tech-related, but if anything sounds interesting to me it gets thrown in the news too. since there has been some complaints, i will put really obviously off topic and not big news item type stuff in GD more, the mods can then move it if they want. how about making the news section on the homepage larger, or adding an odd news section or off topic news or something...

as for keeping the site free of non tech stuff, i don't see why. there are always plenty off tech threads active and providing some off topic stuff not only broadens everyones horizon a bit it also gives more variety when browsing through the site. to me it's fun to look at tech stuff, throw in help where i can and not have to leave the site to catch some light banter or non tech related discussion.

 1st off, Good thread.

 When I first came here, the only page I ever looked at regular, is the main home page, I only looked at threads that showed up there. As has been stated , many members post in the general section, for whatever reason. So I had no issues, so I thought. So I believe, in reading some of Ca3les post for the past 5+ years, that he feels , or did in the past, that roughly 90+ % of the visitors to TMN, don't even know he has a forum. As they are on the main home page.Once you get to know your way around the site, and become more interested, you find the rest of the threads , and topics. Although the community page is accessable from the home page, if you watch the " who's online, most all guests are reading in the main forum, or on topic, or the techhie stuff.

Now either this is because the majority of them are more interested in the techhie stuff, or , they havent found the community page. My guess is, as new members,or visitors, they either have an issue, or see something that they find intriguing, and read on.

 After speaking w/ Aggr3, he suggested I use the  " community " home page to view . I have found my home there, I can see who posted , what topic , on , or off, and when and in what order. From there , you can access anything you like, so this is my home page as well as where I follow topics from day to day.

As far as the off topics not showing up on google , I don't see it, all of them do, as far as I can see,  just google your user name once , and read on w/ the rest of the world 

Great thread, I would have put it a bit different but momma nailed it pretty well. Wouldnt worry about it though... I dont think ANYONE has ever got into trouble for posting in the wrong section since I have been a member here. 

  good stuff

Hang in there Roco. only about 5000 to go. Should I go on vacation?? 

I like Reso's idea... 
  ....it has real merit.

,I must stop this speed reading thing, and go back to moving my lips as I read, not that post count bothers me ." just look at my face, do I look bothered "    (Sharon from little Britain  )

Btw I think I am one short , and while we are at it ,can I (pretty please) have another gold star ?
It makes me feel impotant ,  ,  .......... my speed typing aint much better either ?

score data base ??????? whats wrong with the old fashion notches on the bed post , .........................

on a serous note what happend to the car stickers and T 's, from a year back , I am tired of T's from the charity shop with gay pride on them