Pumicestone thread topics 'evolve'.

We do not have hard and fast rules about sticking to the topic here, we have tried it and people hate having their off topic posts removed.

If a thread starter objects to their thread being taken off topic we can split it and post a note that the thread starter requested the action.

If members want the kind of site where every topic is scrutinised and all off topic posts removed they can suggest it to Admin using Feedback.

It very well might be that most others feel that way too.
In which case, this thread will die a natural death and no harm will have been done.....

Just thought that occasionally it might prove helpful to have this option available..

I think it depends on the severity of the topic. If you've got someone ranting about something that hacks them off, then I see nothing wrong with the occasional lighthearted comment thrown in. But if it's a VERY serious topic, then yes, it can be quite irritating when others make light of it.

I can't recall the thread now (it was back when I first joined) but this poor soul was seriously upset and concerned about something they wanted to talk about and halfway through the thread was a bunch of posts from one or two people going off in their own world about something or another (fluffy stuff, as it's being called) and it was rather unsettling to see the fluff being thrown about in such a serious topic. A couple of others actually asked the two "fluffernutters" (LOL, just made that up) to please be respectful of the OP's concerns and take their goofy garbage somewhere else.

In those cases - in the cases of serious topics where the OP is genuinely sad/concerned/upset about whatever the topic is - then I think it's disrespectful to jump in and start with the fluff, when it's sometimes clear that's not what the OP wants.

In other words, there's a time and place for everything and the fluff does not belong everywhere.