Why do so many threads go off topic?

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People do that on the model railway sites I am on when I go off on tangents. They are kind.

It is called getting to know people.
Especially new ones.
I do use spoilers a lot so people can simply skip past.

Also, aspies are known for going off on a tangent.

Perhaps people should PM me, or other's more if they have a problem?

We all benefit from kindness and tolerance. Some people have the urgent need for order in a thread, others like a more personal, intimate connection through humour or lightheartedness, There should be room for expression for all . I find it hard to stay on track with my ADD. We can include everyone and their needs. I love MG's posts and it doesn't bother me when he goes off track and I know that this is MG's way and I love him. Often we get to know each other better when someone shows a lighter side to their nature. Maybe it's good to get used to interacting with people who have different characters and preferences and we can develop a little tolerance, accommodate each other's different mind sets. I try and teach my autistic students to live with diverse thinking and loosen up a bit with their rigid adherence to rules for their own benefit. There is nothing wrong with rules but realizing others don't have to or don't want to do things the same way can ease the stress that is generated and accepting that others have a lighter approach to the order of things.
I agree with magz, it's probably best to say, "getting back to the OP," let it go,and make room for different personalities within reason. That is actually what "socialization" is all about. Isn't that the whole point of being here, to socialize? If I want information devoid of personality then I can use Google.

Guilty as charged

But, sometimes, even in the heavy political threads (or especially in the heavy political threads), a little levity and humor goes a long way. Some of this humor involves going slightly off topic.

I always seek to make my "contributions" related to the thread, somehow, albeit indirectly.

I wouldn't want to report people for going off-topic, as they aren't doing anything offensive.



That's what the random discussion is for.

But it's no point in having a thread asking ''should I get a test for COVID?'' and the thread derails on to a topic of historical kings and queens, is there? (Please don't try to connect the two topics to try to prove that every subject in the world is somehow interconnected, because....just don't).
I'm not so annoyed with people going off on tangents if they were intending to answer the thread but it kind of turned into another related topic. But it annoys me more when people deliberately change the subject.

I think it's because I use this place as a discussion forum, more than a chat room. Facebook is more where I do small talk and get to know people.

Cause it's the nature of online chat forum's and won't likely change anytime soon.Like the way trees grow in branches and city's have suburbs,conversations evolve.

It's an Aspergian characteristic to want to talk about your special interests.

Many of us happen to like history----and want to insert it into every thread.

I agree we should be diligent about relating what is said to the topic at hand, though.

As for getting a COVID test.....definitely get one! And an antibodies test, too!

If an "original poster" wants strict adherence to the topic at hand, the "original poster" should say so, and the "original poster's" wishes granted without a comment from "either side."

People seem to think I'm talking about small conversations, lightly off topic remarks, and tangents in an attempt to actually respond to the OP, but this is what I mean. I should have known better than to make a post about this though on here. lol

I would like to learn to stick to the topic more, I will pay more attention in the future Maybe I will tease just a little bit to keep you all alert

It's fine to have a joke here and there but it can be annoying for the OP of a thread if there's a separate conversation going on between a couple of members within the thread. There's plenty of time and space for that in random discussion.

Yes, it is actually quite rude now that I think about it. I don't see it happening a lot in the threads I participate in (or maybe I am the guilty party ?). I sometimes am guilty of chatting to someone I have really missed who suddenly appears on a thread. I should really PM them, I get excited and forget that it is someone elses thread. It is actually very impolite, I agree.

My theory as to why:

low working memory is a part of executive dysfunction common on the spectrum.

It's not rude exactly, just can be annoying, depending on the thread I suppose. It's not you who does it by the way. Well, we've all done it before on the occasion but I can't think of anyone's names who has a habit of doing it.
Sometimes conversations in threads steer on to another conversation without anyone, including the OP, noticing (or caring), but again that's not so annoying.

But sometimes a thread gets completely derailed so much by lots of irrelevant jokes and small talk, that the OP's question or discussion barely gets answered or discussed about, and then even if the OP does post about returning to the original topic, other posters just carry on the irrelevant conversation. That can be annoying. It's not bad or rude, just irritating sometimes. If I do accidentally go a little off-topic, I say "sorry, I went off-topic a bit there" and I don't intend to completely derail the whole thread.

That is why suggesting to "tell people to go back on topic" doesn't really work for what I'm talking about, and is why this caught my eye in the first place. I'd also argue skimming over the OPs and other users direction to stop blathering on their thread about other topics is rude, even if someone's autism somehow prevents them from realizing it is.

Encaptual the O/T conversation with "[spoil ]O/T comments[/spoil]"
Simples.
That's what Blooiejagwa did.

It's kind fo inevitable that after a few pages the topic starts to shift gradually but that's not really what you are talking about. I'm sure autism has also a factor as autistic peope in eneral tend to go on side tangents and not be off-topic.