[Ammi]

..I've just read back through this thread...my thoughts are that if a topic is being discussed, especially a more serious topic that I may be involved in posting on or that I'm following..and someone posts a funny gif or makes a random comment...it doesn't really bother me too much as it doesn't stop the flow of the thread..and actually, some debates can get very intense, so if someone posts something which makes me smile..I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing..light on shade.....and also, if another poster criticises that person for posting it..that can cause a lot more disruption than the random post...because then a whole off topic 'discussion' can follow...

...what I do find irritating though..are irrelevant posts which do spoil the flow...sometimes there seems to be 'side conversations' which have very little or nothing to do with the topic being discussed..and it isn't just a 'one off' post..it runs into several posts....if I am involved in posting or following a thread..and maybe I've had to pop off for a few minutes...I can have to start scrolling back to pick the topic back up..and if I and another member(s) have been responding to each others views...I can find in that short time, that they may have lost the flow as well..and gone off to another thread...which is quite frustrating when you still have much to say on the subject...

....and also..when the thread has been 'killed'..I try to find another thread I might be interested in..and sometimes find the same thing is happening there as well....and, I have to say, frequently by the same posters....

..It's really no problem having a 'one off' random post, because it doesn't disrupt the thread...but we have some great chat threads here..(most of which, I have no idea what people are talking about)..so it would be good and more appropriate to have these chatty exchanges in them....