So who does chatty areas in forums?

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I find in most forums, I just avoid the random discussion areas, or I participate minimally. I do try to participate but it always falls off without kind of effort to participate. I just don't find much of the discussion interesting or engaging to me.

The exception is if the random discussion includes things I am specifically interested in. If the random discussion forum here, for example, included video games I would more than likely participate (well, participate as much as I do on the video game forum here, which is not very often).

So does anyone participate in these kinds of subforums? And what do you get out of it?

Just to be clear, I am not trying to imply anything about how autistic anyone is or is not based on their participation. I just don't "get" subforums like this and would like to know what the point is, that's all. I posted it here because I think that this does have to do with my autism and approaches to socializing and reciprocity.

I deliberately mangled the plural of "forum" from "fora."

Almost never, on one forum for leftists I did because all the jokes were injokes that no one else would understand.

like;

5 people, a marxist, a leninist, a trotskyist, an anarchist, and a syndicalist, getting along just fine for once.
a splitter comes in and yells "KRONSTADT"

geddit? no?

Fora reminds me of flowers for some reason...

I enjoy the off the wall games section. I find it is a structured way to socialize. I don't know if this is what you're referring to by random discussion.

I literally mean the subforum here called "Random Discussion." Other forums have different names, such as "Chit-Chat" or "General Discussion" or whatever, but the basic idea is to have random discussion and social conversation that doesn't fit into other subforums.

I also don't enjoy forum games much, although I've tried to participate in a few over the years.



I think I get it. Although I seem to recall pretty much everyone was down with putting down the Kronstadt Uprising at the time?

I'll post in the Random Discussion sub-forum if I feel like I need to say or discuss things that are completely random.

I'm a bit fussy about it.

I do take part to a limited extent.

That is a sensible criterion!

Same.
I do find it difficult to participate in threads which are just chit-chat though, and I find myself feeling like an outsider. (Also no criticism of the people who can and do participate.) I'm okay with posting non sequiturs though. And I sometimes make attempts to participate.

What do you mean fussy about it?

I did notice you do take part! I was hoping you'd have more to say.

I often find it difficult to participate, although I have tried. I got into one of the "Who really stands out to you" threads, although I didn't keep up with it because it became fairly repetitive and further participation was pointless to me.

On the other hand, I do banter with people a bit in threads that have a purpose.

Really? I dunno what to say.

I don't consciously know why I participate in some conversations, and completely overlook others. I should investigate. Recently, I haven't felt inspired to post much at all.

I think on some level it's about interest, but then why do I find chit chat sometimes interesting and you don't? That's the question.

I hate those kinds of threads.

You both stand out to me

Yeah, interest probably has a lot to do with it. I feel like, and may be misunderstanding, a lot of the random discussion tends to be for the sake of discussion (at least on other forums), and that's not very interesting to me.

Thanks for the somewhat expanded answer.



I'm not sure I properly understood the point given how the discussion evolved. Whatever came of it, I moved on.

I'm not fond either, I really don't see the point. I don't care that they happen because I don't look at them anymore.

I cant read through the random posts without loosing my concentration. I dont feel that I have anything to do with it; like it is how "other people" communicate together. Hard to explain.

I go into the Random Discussion forum a lot because there are lots of threads that give me the opportunity to say what's on my mind. Kind of like Facebook, except I'm able to be more open here since the people of WP aren't connected to my family members. I always have to be careful of what I say around family members, because the content of my thoughts would be offensive or even outright insulting to them and would subsequently cause embarrassment to my parents.