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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 7:20pm
Post #26 of 202
(1072 views)
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Seriously, though, as I understand it, there's nothing in the Rules to prevent someone from starting a pants thread, or any other sort of appropriate thread, any time they want, as long as there's not another similar one on the page.
And as long as I'm on the subject, I guess I'll put my tuppence in here on the weekly threads. My feeling has always been that if there's something I'm not interested in (like the Lost thread), I just skip over it. That's very easy to do if I view the board in collapsed mode to get an overview of topics being discussed. Then I go to threaded mode to look in more detail at the ones I'm interested in (I can collapse the others if they're in the way), and maybe go to flat mode if I feel like I want a quick look at what everyone in the thread has said. Using that method, I hardly ever notice the stickies, which may or may not be a good thing. At any rate, they don't get in my way.
As a relative oldbie, I may not be qualified to judge, but it seems to me that the regular weekly threads aren't cliquish in any way that I can see. Except maybe if someone starts a thread that would compete with an upcoming regular thread. (For example, someone on Tuesday might say "What books are you reading?" and us oldbies might think, why don't they wait until tomorrow?) In that case, I think it might be good to have a tradition of letting that thread stand and not worrying about it. So what if we discuss our books a day early? If it's still on the board the next day, we can use that thread instead of the "regular" one. If it's dropped off by then, the regular one could be posted.
I do like having regular weekly threads I can expect, because then I can easily find the ones I'm interested in.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Mar 11 2009, 7:21pm)
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Alassëa Eruvande
Valinor
Mar 11 2009, 7:21pm
Post #27 of 202
(1114 views)
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I find the RR very intimidating.
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My impression is that the RR regulars have had ample time and resources to thoroughly dissect, deconstruct and reconstruct all of Tolkien's major writings, and his minor ones too. I realize I'm over generalizing and over simplifying, but I feel like I need to treat a RR discussion as a college course that I'm auditing. If I dont' have time to read and do my homework, the teacher is going to flunk me. In front of all the other students, who are much better prepared than I. I do lurk a bit, but become so overwhelmed by the references and citations of Tolkien scholars, some of whom I've never even heard of, that I slink off to post a Scenes From The Hat. 
And suddenly the Ainur saw afar off a light, as it were a cloud with a living heart of flame.
SFTH Archive
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a.s.
Valinor
Mar 11 2009, 7:35pm
Post #28 of 202
(1097 views)
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if you can't even name any of the threads, then why
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did you state that the weekly threads are:
repetitive, robotic and discourages more creatitive approaches. Its also generally cliquish.
Couldn't you at least have been polite enough to actually visit one of the weekly threads, before you condemned with such a free hand? My God, that's infuriating. You insultingly ask for change and then calmly reveal that you didn't even really examine the thing you are insulting to begin with--nor offer any apology when offense is taken.
You may think the Torn boards have never changed, but we have. For instance, we used to have an "ignore" function allowing us to place a specific member on "ignore" status and not have to rely on our own self-control to avoid reading certain posts. Especially useful for repeat trolls stirring up trouble.
I greatly regret that change at this moment. Not all change is for the better.
a.s.
"an seileachan"
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana
Call Her Emily
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 7:40pm
Post #29 of 202
(1062 views)
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I love the way your mind works, NEB :-D
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Interesting statistics.
I don't post much in the Reading Room, but I do lurk there a lot, and find it very interesting reading. I suppose the main reason I don't post much is that I've been through two previous chapter-by-chapter discussions of LotR there and I don't have much more to say, though I do love seeing what other people come up with.
I don't feel at all intimidated about asking a book-related question there if one occurs to me, even if it's not part of the regular chapter discussion. I just haven't done it for a long time because I've kind of exhausted my pool of that sort of question. I've never felt that more erudite members have jumped on me at all. On the contrary, I love learning from people who have all kinds of knowledge I don't have (speaking of which, where is NZStrider these days?)
Something that just occurred to me that might encourage more participation in the RR is maybe starting a tradition of some sort of (dare I say weekly? but not necessarily )topic that would be random as far as not being part of a chapter discussion, but with some kind of theme. It's still pretty nebulous in my mind, but maybe it could include topics like archetypical characters, or characters we identify with most, or favorite landscapes, or parallels between Tolkien's works and other works (I posted a thread many years ago about similarities with Oz, for example), etc. I know this has been done before, but I'm trying to figure out a structure. Maybe an "enquiring minds want to know" thread where people are encouraged to post off-the-wall questions about book topics, and others could reply to them, and if it gets too unwieldy, continue the subthread discussion in a separate thread. I'm not at all clear, just trying to think of a way to jazz up the Reading Room. Not that I'm not enjoying the chapter discussions, which I am very much.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 7:41pm
Post #30 of 202
(1056 views)
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This time I'll remember to bring my
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WASTEBASKET! What an awsome weapon that could turn out to be!
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Alassëa Eruvande
Valinor
Mar 11 2009, 7:46pm
Post #31 of 202
(1072 views)
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Especially when paired up with
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a SHRUBBERY!!
Sorry, my mind wandered for a bit. It's back now.
And suddenly the Ainur saw afar off a light, as it were a cloud with a living heart of flame.
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a.s.
Valinor
Mar 11 2009, 7:50pm
Post #32 of 202
(1091 views)
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just a note for upcoming RR discussions
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I'd like to see more general discussions in the RR, too. I think the RR is just slow as all the boards are slower right now, but having more general discussions--spontaneous ones--would probably encourage more posting.
That said, of course, there's nothing to stop anyone from posting except the perception that the RR is intimidating.
We are having a secondary discussion series where a leader can sign up for one or two week "chunks" to post on a topic of their choice. Some are signing up for specific themes, but I am just signing up for a two week chunk to post "Leader's Choice" and my goal is to post "something interesting" and see what people can discuss about it.
Maybe one or two others want to try this? I'd like to hope that volunteering to be a "leader" for two weeks means I keep the RR alive, as I really love it and hate to see it dwindle, but would like to spark some more general "isn't this neat" type of conversation of the books and stories, and less full length dissertations with footnotes.
Hey, RR: I love you guys! {{{hugs}}} the RR.
Lots of regulars like really intense dissection, but lots of us don't. Lots of us (well, I haven't been a "regular" in the last several months, but before that) post a lot, but if you notice we don't respond to some of the more "indepth" dissections. We just post our part and move on.
a.s.
"an seileachan"
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana
Call Her Emily
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Elberbeth
Tol Eressea
Mar 11 2009, 7:54pm
Post #33 of 202
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I lurk occasionally, and have learned quite a bit, but have rarely offered a "public" comment.
"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
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weaver
Half-elven
Mar 11 2009, 7:55pm
Post #34 of 202
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I love the heady involved discussions in the RR...
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I think those who have reached a certain level of expertise, knowledge comraderie, whatever can and should have a forum where they can talk at an advanced level. I'd hate to lose that for them or us.
There are times, though, that I wish there was a "RR-lite-style" post or two -- something more along the lines of gramma's B.S. posts, where a random bit of Tolkien's stuff was posted for people to react to, rather than dissect in depth.
In the sort of "between' level, I'm an occasional leader over there, and I find that pretty enjoyable -- again, I learn a lot by having to pay very close attention to the chapter/topic and figuring out how to present it. Questions are easier than answers for me!
Some fun discussions also happen over there when someone just posts a random comment or question, also. It just doesn't happen as often, even though I know you've encouraged that NEB.
My thoughts, anyway!
Weaver
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 7:57pm
Post #35 of 202
(1093 views)
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I don't, I just blabber whatever comes to mind.
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I don't have any scholarly background, beyond having read LotR n times, where n is large (as my son would say). So if I see a question that interests me, I shoot from the hip and from the heart. Here's an example of one of my not-very-deep recent posts: link. I wasn't thinking of anything scholarly, just imagining the character and what he could possibly have been thinking.
Usually what happens is no one responds, which is fine, or responds kindly, which is more than fine. I can't remember anyone ever jumping on me for one of my lightweight posts. And I'm certainly not afraid of flunking, because I know darn good and well I'm not going to get a report card :-D
I always find your posts very interesting, AE, and I find them as meretorious as anyone else's.
Maybe we need a touch of the Wizard of Oz here: "Back where I come from, we have places called universities, and when people come out they think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have. But--they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma." So by the authority granted to me by nobody but myself, I hereby award you the degree of ThD (doctor of thinkology).
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Mar 11 2009, 7:58pm)
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weaver
Half-elven
Mar 11 2009, 8:06pm
Post #36 of 202
(1059 views)
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Well, I can comment on the LOTR Movie Board...
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Our discussions are fairly structured, thanks to some excellent leaders who have taken up the banner for things they feel passionate about.
Wasn't that way in the beginning, of course, but now that the films are 5-8 years old, there's not a lot of new questions being asked about them! So having one regular series, like SCOD, which is the backbone of the place really helps. Everything else is intermittent, or a limited run series, and that keeps things pretty varied even if the features are "regulars".
We had a hard time of it for awhile, after the EE's were all discussed scene by scene, as discussion had sort of dried up. When we got the new boards, a bunch of folks rallied and came up with a lot of angles for discussion, which put some energy back in the place. I think it's working at a comfortable pace right now. We're also benefiting from the lack of Hobbit news, so newbies are hanging out with us for awhile, which is just fine!
Not sure what will happen when the Hobbit happens, but for now people seem to be having fun and participating...
My take on it, anyway!
Weaver
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:06pm
Post #37 of 202
(1077 views)
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D'oh! (or d'eaux!) I missed that thread!
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That pretty much covers the suggestion I made in my reply to NEB above. I'm glad to know my meanderings are in line with what other people are already thinking :-D One-or-two-week chunks are a bit much for me to want to lead, but I'll certainly jump in if I find something interesting, and maybe think about starting a random thread on my own, if anything comes to mind. I'm thinking that secondary discussion series might spur some more sponteneity.
I do think the intense scheduling of the discussions in the RR may be one reason some of that sponteneity gets lost: people may not be really aware that they can also just start threads on their own. Maybe a random reminder now and then would be good.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Darkstone
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:08pm
Post #38 of 202
(1064 views)
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Most the times I have no idea what they're talking about.
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But that doesn't stop me from posting anyway.
******************************************
The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:09pm
Post #39 of 202
(1027 views)
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of moving the BS posts to the RR? Would that lure some of us lightweights there more often? Or would it just mean they didn't get seen as often? Maybe they could be posted there with a link to them in Main. Any thoughts?
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:13pm
Post #40 of 202
(1066 views)
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If I'm lurking and don't have time to read everything,
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I begin by looking at your posts, Darkstone. They're always entertaining and frequently enlightening as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:15pm
Post #41 of 202
(1006 views)
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I just saw a.s.' link to the "secondary discussion", which sounds pretty much like what I was grasping for. Babbling about things when I have no idea what I'm talking about is how I got to Valinor.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Mar 11 2009, 8:16pm
Post #42 of 202
(1035 views)
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Is it helpful to know that at least two of the LOTR discussion leaders are teenagers? //
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<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We're discussing The Lord of the Rings in the Reading Room, Oct. 15, 2007 - Mar. 22, 2009!
Join us Mar. 9-15 for Languages, Peoples, and Translation.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
How to find old Reading Room discussions.
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Alassëa Eruvande
Valinor
Mar 11 2009, 8:19pm
Post #43 of 202
(1049 views)
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Or lack thereof. I barely have enough time to do my usual silliness on the rest of TORn, and feel that to post well in the RR requires a lot more time than I'm willing or able to give.
And really, those teenagers are a cut above, don't you think? 
And suddenly the Ainur saw afar off a light, as it were a cloud with a living heart of flame.
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Darkstone
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:20pm
Post #44 of 202
(1064 views)
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if you can't even name any of the threads, then why did you state that the weekly threads are: repetitive, robotic and discourages more creatitive approaches. Its also generally cliquish.
Couldn't you at least have been polite enough to actually visit one of the weekly threads, before you condemned with such a free hand? My God, that's infuriating. You insultingly ask for change and then calmly reveal that you didn't even really examine the thing you are insulting to begin with--nor offer any apology when offense is taken. You may think the Torn boards have never changed, but we have. For instance, we used to have an "ignore" function allowing us to place a specific member on "ignore" status and not have to rely on our own self-control to avoid reading certain posts. Especially useful for repeat trolls stirring up trouble. I greatly regret that change at this moment. Not all change is for the better. a.s.
My name is Darkstone and I approve of this message.
******************************************
The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
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Darkstone
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:23pm
Post #46 of 202
(1072 views)
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"The Reading Room: Are You Smarter Than An Eighth Grader?"
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The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
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sador
Half-elven
Mar 11 2009, 8:26pm
Post #47 of 202
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I for one wouldn't mind it at all. But it's her threads.
Anyway, I'm not sure it's really the level of scholarship which frightens people off the RR - as I can say, as one who was recently called a HoME expert (when, regretably, I've never read any of HoME at all); and some other of the regulars seem to have hardly more knowledge then myself.
I think it's more probably the intensity - having too many questions thrown at you at once, when some are new. Personally I enjoy it a lot, as it keeps my ageing cells working - but perhaps that's not to everyone's taste? Should the leaders keep the treads shorter?
Just my thoughts.
"They always wished to talk to everything, the old Elves did" - Treebeard
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Farawyn
Rohan
Mar 11 2009, 8:27pm
Post #48 of 202
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The scary thing about the RR regs?
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They don't research anything at all ever. They are simply brilliant.
Or are they?
In fact, I don't know if they have actually read Tolkien.
My theory is they are born with a "Tolkien Understanding and Discussion Gene -Oratory and Writing Type" (TUD-OWT) and they are in their natural state here in the Reading Room.
But that's okay. I was born with the "roll your tongue" gene.
(So many posts here in Feedback I thought Puke or nefisa had come back. *sigh*)
*************
Disclaimer: The author of this message does not guarantee correct grammar, spelling or English usage. No responsibility can be accepted for the use of this message as a guide to written English.
**************
Discuss:
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Darkstone
Immortal
Mar 11 2009, 8:29pm
Post #49 of 202
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Our moderators are the best on the net!
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Which is why TORn is the best forum on the net!
And no cutting of any moderators!!
Nimrodel Forever!!!
******************************************
The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
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Luthien Rising
Lorien
Mar 11 2009, 8:30pm
Post #50 of 202
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- that none of the RR regulars would have minded some lighter threads in the mix. There are lots of ways of talking about books out there, not only academic literary criticism. Favourite quotes, bits of a book that influenced you or that you think of when spring arrives, confessions of what you never read or always skimmed, even what you just happened to read last night -- it's all reading, isn't it?
Lúthien Rising
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. / We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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