OT posts should be for asking advice or presently advice on a non machining related subject, but, ideally, of a technical nature.

Non technically related questions, such as health related are ok if you're desperate or have valuable insights on same to offer.

But it should be "questions" and *real* questions..not just "made to seem" like a question just to "get past the censors" so to speak.

Jokes (non machinist related ones anyway), general reminiscenses of the past, links to eBay sales not machine tool related, are discouraged and will probably be deleted.

Political and religious related posts will be deleted.

And please always put "OT" at the begining of OT posts and give some good indication of your subject matter. In other words, don't put "OT- You won't believe this !" but put "OT- How to repair the dooflotchy on my fuzzywidget ?"



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Below is my response to someone's complaint about their thread being locked, that might give further insight into OT guidelines

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Whether the posts are machining related or not has nothing to do with it. It's all about solving problems.

To summarize for those similarily mystified, your post seemed to be neither asking for, nor giving advice on anything but just a general rant about how screwed up the legal system is with regards to trespassing. In your final sentence you said it was hopeless....so what was the point really ? OT posts are for solutions, not rants.

RR's post fell into the general 'chit chat/joke' category...here again, not asking for, nor giving advice on anything.

Notice that every one of the thread examples you site, with possible exception of "waiting in lines" are asking questions, seeking solutions to a problem

The usual response to this is someone pointing out the long dowsing rod thread, and things of that nature. But the point many fail to comprehend is that threads like that started out with legimate questions. Once a legimate thread starts, pretty much anything goes....but the point is don't start at new thread with the sole purpose of just ranting, joking, non machining related stories, etc.

As to where to post rants, jokes and such...no where here unless it's part of an already established thread.