From what I've gathered it's considered bad behavior to not stick to forum topics, along with other behaviors such as hijacking a thread, listed as "trolling". I've been guilty of all of them and then realized I shouldn't have. Not everyone has the same interests and/or sense of humor as I do and they get irritated with it. I think also that the prevalent use of FB, Twitter, etc. has put a damper on posts here, too.

re OT posts: Because ONE CRANKY PERSON COMPLAINED. A search can probably find the thread. Or I can say who, if you'd like. lol!

All forums are pretty much dead, so I miss forum activity in general!!!! But re 'cooking' activity, I try to post along here.... then occasionally there will be a post from someone long ago who was loved and part of the old clique -- then the old friends chime in and discuss personal information that I clearly know nothing about, and it suddenly makes me feel very unwelcome.

We used to have a "Conversations" section, and that is no longer here. The Home Decorating forum still has a "Conversations" section.

I don't think it's apologizing so much as being polite. Like giving a heads up.

Home Decorating is much more active; I think that's why they were given a Conversations forum.

Partymusic, many people have visited this forum through the years. A handful of those "old-timers" still remain. It's unfortunate you hold that against them.

Home Decorating is much more active; I think that's why they were given a Conversations forum.

They asked for it to be restored, that's why. But I don't see enough action here to merit two forums, for sure.

Yes, they requested it and because it's an active forum the request was granted.

I don't know that there have been requests from any other forums. Are you aware of any forum asking and being turned down, CindyMac? Just curious.

Hot Topics, but request was turned down.

The Houzz Team (Houzz)

Feb 7, 07:58 PST Hi Shax,

At this time, we will not be establishing any new GardenWeb forums. We thank you for your suggestion and will save it for future consideration.

Let us know if you need anything else!
Best,
The Houzz Team

Houzz | The New Way to Design Your Home

Link to thread: is-anyone-interested

Thanks! That's very interesting.

Well, we have a lot of moribund forums. If we wanted to, if someone were having a particular OT long discussion, for instance, rather than a single thread, they could just go to one of those.

That "off topic" thing is probably my fault, I post so many family things on here.

I use it as a "heads up" rather than an apology, as it was mentioned at one point that I should start a blog if I want to share family pictures and experiences. During that discussion it was stated that it should at least be noted in the title that it was OT, so people who were not interested in personal lives or families would know to bypass it.

PM, I'm truly sorry if I ever make you feel unwelcome, I certainly don't want anyone to feel that way, but I feel nostalgic about the old group and our get togethers and visits.

I do miss the old forum and the friends and camaraderie there. At one point I thought that if I took a cross country trip I probably knew enough people that I could sleep on a couch in each state, all the way across the United States!

Annie

Annie, I love seeing your pics and your family. I agree that OT in the title makes people aware so they can avoid if they wish. It's enough IMHO. Many of us have been around for many years. It's sad when people feel they have to go... miss Grainlady.

Yes, I miss grainlady too. Her knowledge was so enormous and she was so generous with it.

When this was GardenWeb there were several forums where lively discussions took place on a regular basis. As an active participant in one of those - Florida Gardening - I can vouch for the daily back and forth that kept many of us coming back for more. With the switch to Houzz, many folks left for the more active social media platforms like Facebook.

But to get back to the original poster's question, I think the main reason folks offer apologies for posting off-topic is that they feel all the Houzz forums are so specialized now that they will be ostracized if they DON'T post something that directly relates to the main topic of the forum.

Florida Gardening - I can vouch for the daily back and forth

Yeah, but in fairness that forum shriveled before Houzz, back during the time when the GW archives were disappearing along with the recent posts and a big bunch of people left to start a FL G facebook page. I never went there (don't do facebook), but Silvia has said that also pretty much fizzled.

Not FLG particularly, but definitely Kitchens has sure never recovered from all the active posters who left rather than agree to the Houzz TOU.

I agree with Annie that it's more of a "heads up" than an apology. And I really like it when people do give the heads up. I have a hectic job, and during the week go on Houzz mostly during my lunch break as a stress reliever. Given the brief amount of time I have to look at threads, I am grateful that people are considerate and let me know that their topic is OT. I skip those posts for later when I might have more time. I concentrate on the posts that are of specific interest to me. I don't agree with the OP's objections.

Whether a thread is on topic or not, I like it better when it is more personal, as I think cooking is something very personal. Food preferences and styles can be very individualized, and to take the individual out of that diminishes the relevance of a lot of information. This is less the case when it comes to gardening and someone just wants to know how to get something to grow. Home decorating is probably more personal than gardening, but most of the people on that forum do not share much personal information, and when they do not, I find it more difficult to give advice or comments. It's not one of my favorite forums (because of it being impersonal), but I am drawn to it because I am a design professional, and I am able to get a few bits of information there about what people like or do not like, although that group is very different from what I have had as clients or potential clients.

BTW, I feel less welcome when people do not share personal information, and so it is difficult for me to understand why sharing personal information would make someone else feel less welcome.

If you see this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Annie!

". At one point I thought that if I took a cross country trip I probably knew enough people that I could sleep on a couch in each state, all the way across the United States!"

..... and a few beds in Canada too !

I'm sorry that connections between old friends makes anyone feel unwelcome......not my intent.

I think this forum should be so that if people need help, people will reply. If we don't post at least a few times about off topic posts this forum would not be very friendly. At least that's what I think! If people have some exciting news to share, I think they should share it!

I have a number of CLOSE friends on the CF, some have slept
in my guest room and I have slept in theirs.
So when I post an off topic, it allows me to reach out to them and share
something and vise-versa. In the case of
sharing the loss of my beloved husband, it was important to share my loss with CF
friends some who met him.

When Sheshebop lost her beloved Roger, it was the CF OT that
allowed us to coordinate a cross country get-together to help her pack in order
to downsize.

So official or not OT on the CF is something that I
appreciated. My guest-room is always
open to CF friends…just OT me!

Thank you, Lars! In another 59 minutes I will officially be 62 years old. Time flies, and not just here on the forum.

Sharon, Elery and I may make it back to Toronto yet, you never know, so you better watch out about volunteering that couch. Since Copenhagen died I've agreed to "downsize" my cattle so that Elery can take his much missed winter vacations, you never know where I might pop up!

Cathy, I miss the conversations section, where you could find everything from birthdays to first dates to pets to photo tips, pictures of landscaping, flowers, knives in trees. Since I don't "do" Facebook, I miss a lot of that.

Annie

Happy Birthday Annie it’s still the 29th here on
the west coast so Happy early Birthday. I miss the conversation side too.

Claudia

Happy birthday Annie! Hope Elery is spoiling you :-)

Happy Birthday, Annie!

Happy Birthday, Annie!

Happpppppy birthday Annie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Happy BIRTHDAY to WONDER WOMAN! Wishing you many more happy birthdays! I'm so glad that I popped into read this thread! Honestly, I come here for some information, but also to visit with old and some newer friends. I do keep up with some old friends on Facebook, however like Annie, some aren't on it. How else would I follow the adventures of the Monkey Princess and her tribe? My crew include Cathy/Mustangs, Sherry/Sheshebop, Karen/Riverrat, Lars, Eileen/Barnmom, Annie, Sharon/Chase, Pam/Dedtired, LindaC, , Sol, Katie C, Nancy/Wizardnm, and so many, many more! We span the globe, but the friendships began on the CF.

I don't cook like I used to a decade ago. My food allergies and restricted diet keep me from so many of the tasty treats I once made. I have Facebook groups dedicated to my lifestyle and all around cooking. For me, the CF is an old comfy home, a place to visit with friends and learn a few new things. Keep the OT on here. Those who don't like it can migrate elsewhere, right?

Happy birthday, Annie. I almost missed this!!

Happy birthday, Annie!

Love the OT b-day report. See...we wouldn't have know anything about Elery if it hadn't been for OT way back when.

I'm with you Compumom and glad to be included in your crew.

I hope you enjoy your molcajete, Annie! I had one in Venice, but I seem to have misplaced it in the move, but I keep looking for it. I always kept out outdoors. I liked it for serving guacamole.

Love the photo of the eagle - I've never gotten quite that close to one, and the closest I got was on Catalina.

Lars, a pair of eagles nest just across the road, and we often see the adults "teaching" the young eagles to fish. The most we've seen at one time is five, two adults and three young eagles. No matter how many times I see them, though, I'm still amazed. They're HUGE birds!

I haven't quite figured out what to do with the molcajete, other than use it as a serving piece. Elery has talked about buying one for several years, though, because when avocados are in season I make guacamole regularly. Did you use yours for anything else?

See, Cathy, you never know what might happen around here, birthday or not!

Annie

Yeah Annie, just proves our point...we need the OT option. Hugs to all my CF friends.

OT, OT, I call OT!

Copenhagen died??? How sad! When! was that any part of his foundering?

Yes, my sweet Copenhagen died just before Christmas. I think the foundering was all intertwined with his other issues. He got shaggy curly hair he didn't lose in the spring, then started losing weight. The vet was certain he had Cushing's disease, but when tested he was negative. The vet then thought perhaps a thyroid issue or other metabolic problem. He got thinner. Then I found him lying in the barnyard and he couldn't get up. I called the vet and for some dumb reason I went to the house and got a quilt to put over him so he wouldn't be cold lying in the snow. So I sat in the snow with his head on my lap and waited for the doc, kissed him and told him that it was all green pastures for him from now on. And then, with the help of Doc Gilbert, he was gone. It still seems empty without him, but when I rescued him I told him he'd be here with me until I died or he did, and so I kept that promise. Cope was 23, and I still have his big dumb friend, King, who was Dad's old buggy horse. He's 26. Sadie is 14, old for a St. Bernard and even Red Cow is 17. Ashley says I run an assisted living facility for old animals!

Annie

I have several animals I sorely miss and would give anything to live with them again.

Oh, Seagrass, me too. So I love them every minute I have them, and the last years of their lives are as soft and comfortable and spoiled as I can make them! My big Sadie friend is snoring right behind my chair right now....

Annie

I love your story of being with Copenhagen when he died. My husband has good friends in Traverse City and I've told him about you and would love to meet up in real time if we ever get out that way.

Seagrass, that would be WONDERFUL! I'd love to meet you, anytime you come! I can give you a bedroom and a meal or two besides, although if you have good friends in Traverse City that is one gorgeous place to stay. And named one of the "12 Most Underrated Food Cities in the US". And only about 90 miles away from me! Mario Batali says that the Grand Traverse Pie Company makes a cherry crunch pie that is a "religious experience", LOL.

Annie