Why Are MyLot Posts Called **Discussions**? A Misnomer!
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69409)
Germany
February 20, 2018 2:44pm CST
I've been active on online writing sites since the year 2000. I've encountered different terms for the 'contributions' of the members to use a neutral term. I remember 'opinion', 'review', 'article'. There may have been more, but I have forgotten them.
And now 'discussion'. This term has puzzled me from Day One. I've checked several dictionaries and always found that the term can only be used if (at least) two parties are involved.
Here are some quotes:
- If you have a discussion *with someone*, you have a serious conversation with them.
- Consideration of a subject *by a group*; an earnest conversation.
- The action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or *to exchange* ideas.
Can anyone explain to me in what way these definitions can be applied if someone tells me what they had for breakfast or that they went to the gym or that the temperature has dropped or or or . . . You get the drift.
What people post on myLot are potential discussion **starters**, not discussions. If the writer is lucky, a discussion ensues. More often than not, nothing ensues. Many comments just take up an idea from the post (I like this term best. The only problem is that the verb is the same as the noun. "To post a post" does sound silly, doesn't it?) and write something like, "Good for you that your husband's sister in-law's nephew could help you". "Next time be more careful!" "Poor you, better luck next time", etc., etc., p.p.
Nobody in their right mind can call such an exchange of nullities a discussion.
Does anyone of the oldies know why this term was chosen?
Btw, my search in the dictionaries brought up the term 'argument', too. I learnt to my great amusement that the British colloquial term for this is 'argy-bargy'. Brill, isn't it?
Now make me happy and let a lively argy-bargy begin!
31 people like this
27 responses
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
20 Feb 18
When I first joined I saw the description of this place as having "discussions" and thought it would be so interesting to go back and forth with people. I soon learned that it's very hard to have a real discussion here because of the format. There were also so many participants that it was hard to get to really know someone enough to know if they were being sarcastic, teasing, using humor, or just being a jerk. Of course, the emojis helped but in such a well populated place the participants change often.
I do like that term argy-bargy! That brought a smile to my face.
5 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
20 Feb 18
There is another problem. Sometimes a real discussion does develop. But if several members participate, the comment thread becomes so muddled that after a while you don't understand anymore who has answered who.
Sarcasm should not be used on a site where many members have a poor understanding of English. I've tried to explain this to members who wallow in sarcasm and wordplays but to no avail.
8 people like this
@1creekgirl (40622)
• United States
20 Feb 18
@MALUSE I agree it can get confusing as to which comment the next comment refers to.
4 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
20 Feb 18
@1creekgirl I've left interesting comment threads because I couldn't follow the discussion anymore!
3 people like this
@NJChicaa (116131)
• United States
20 Feb 18
Occasionally there are "discussions". . . usually when someone posts something about politics, a current world event, or sometimes even religion. Otherwise, you are correct. They are just posts about people's thoughts or what they are doing and sometimes other members will comment on them.
And, yes, I did just post that I was headed off to the gym. 
5 people like this
@GardenGerty (157674)
• United States
21 Feb 18
I understand they are mostly posts, but I can discuss what I had for breakfast if I say something and someone comes back and scolds me for being unhealthy, then I tell them I will eat how I choose and mind your own business. 
I do agree it is not a serious conversation. Conversation might be more fitting than discussion. Or I could say I just had a nice visit with someone. If I open a post I most always have a comment, and that means something more than "Have a nice day".
I do agree it is not a serious conversation. Conversation might be more fitting than discussion. Or I could say I just had a nice visit with someone. If I open a post I most always have a comment, and that means something more than "Have a nice day".2 people like this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Feb 18
I guess since they say "interaction" is the key to this site, perhaps the word "discussion" implies that we are to at least have back and forth communication with each other. What makes a "true" discussion could be debatable though, but here it seems "anything goes" . . . I don't mind it as long as the post (oops, I mean discussion) isn't completely mindless or thoughtless.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
21 Feb 18
I remember back in the old mylot, when one starts a discussion and someone responds, we have to read that response and interact in a discussion. We cannot start our own response without having to read the first repose and the discussion starts from there.
But now mylot is different. Only the old members seem to be reading other's responses before making their own. And sometimes we just respond immediately with the same exact response as others did. We cannot do that before which made mylot more interactive and livelier.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Feb 18
and that's why some mylotters remember things about other mylotters because we followed that old "rule" and has become a habit
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
21 Feb 18
@hereandthere True. And I wish that we bring back that old rule so the new members can really grasp what mylot is all about. With this new system, many think it's just like bubblews.
2 people like this
@akalinus (40635)
• United States
21 Feb 18
I think ChatAbout had a rule that you can't repeat what others said. That curtails the discussion sharply. You have to read and interpret all the other posts which sometimes run into the hundreds and try to remember what everyone said, and then come up with something different. This is working for pennies.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
21 Feb 18
I'll remember to use 'argy-bargy' the next chance I get.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459353)
• Switzerland
21 Feb 18
According to the old users on this site, in the beginning it was different, people really discussed on interesting matters. As you say, it is impossible to discuss about breakfast (every day of the week!) or to find a way to discuss when someone write "bye, I am going to sleep now"... Let's call this site "myDiary", right now it seems more appropriate.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459353)
• Switzerland
22 Feb 18
@akalinus I like to read what happens in a neighborhood, it's not the same every day, it is interesting and it gives the opportunity to discuss. Where I find nothing to say is when people just write they are going to sleep and say see you tomorrow. Is this discussing?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29283)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Feb 18
Seems to me that with a reply or series of replies, it becomes a discussion.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29283)
• Eugene, Oregon
22 Feb 18
@MALUSE Strange, perhaps but very temporary, pending a response.
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Feb 18
Having been active on blogging sites since 2002/03, I draw my parallels from that, and this is just a blogging site, albeit one which masquerades as something more and pays us money for the privilege of writing here.
1 person likes this
@zomblien89 (16)
• Orlando, Florida
20 Feb 18
hmm-i wondered the same thing! now also i want to look up more British terms!
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
21 Feb 18
I completely agree with you on the erroneous terminology of the word 'discussion' as used here. It has, however, a long history (more than 11 years) of use in this way and it is probably used because the owners hoped that the use of the word would actually encourage discussion!
The word 'post' is already used to describe any post made - a discussion [topic], a response [to a discussion] or a comment [on a response]. In the dim and distant past, a few of us (@JolietJake, @MysDianaIT and I included) were wont to try to educate people that a 'discussion' wasn't really fit to be called one until at least one person had responded to it and the OP ['Original Poster'] had commented back at least once in a relevant and meaningful fashion. Very few people, I believe, took any notice at all!
Today's Guidelines are somewhat less stringent (and easier to read) than the ones which were in force before 2013. I once calculated that around 10% of all 'discussions' posted were removed by Admin, for one reason or another, and I believe that this is still roughly true (it was also approximately the same for Bubblews: I remember running the same kind of check on that site, too, once).
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
21 Feb 18
@JolietJake That's very true, of course (though it may be because the word 'post' is shorter than 'discussion'). Your comment above is formatted, I notice, as ".../comment/[post#]/[response#]/[comment#]"
@Tampa_girl7 (49132)
• United States
25 Feb 18
I always think of them as a post. Something like I would have put in a journal or diary.
@lovebuglena (43086)
• Staten Island, New York
21 Feb 18
I think "posts" or "thoughts" would be a better term. And you can say "I published a post" so it doesn't sound weird. Puzzled as to why "discussions" is the term used here. What we write starts a discussion, but sometimes it's just banter or silliness and not a real deep discussion on a topic at hand.
A discussion is sort of like a chat though, isn't it? And if it is, then we are chatting here.
1 person likes this
@WriterAI (5373)
• Bulgaria
21 Feb 18
Probably it is a statement that should be discussed with myLot admin. He should know it better. According to me he should be asked about it.
