That's a subforum not a premade thread. Which is precisely the opposite of what I'm talking about. What's the point in cluttering up a subforum with threads that only get 3 replies? That's basically what PM's are for.
What I'm talking about is... basically an endless thread. Where you can go to do off-topic short little bursts of conversation that you want to be public. Basically what REDThread and Idiotic Things do from time to time, except sanctioned and even encouraged (as long as it doesn't break the rules or get heated). Somewhere to take all this off-topic-ness to let it live its natural conversational course instead of being killed off abruptly; while simultaneously allowing people that really like commenting on a zillion disparate topics the kind of thread they like. Forums are uniquely suited to holding multiple conversational threads going at once, and the forums (in the "place of discourse" definition) that I have seen implement a system like this always seem to work out better. Something like the warframe discussion that was recently cleaned up in Really Idiotic Things. It's not likely to need its own thread, but if interest looks like it's picking up it could be moved to one just as easily (much like the Project E and Reikas Mods thread did).
I personally NEVER create a thread if it's intentionally going to only last a page or two unless it's to ask a specific question. Something like "take this off topic stuff to X" is not the realm of "start a new thread" in my opinion, it's "take it to the specially sanctioned thread we created an maintain for this reason". Threads are for conversational topics that are supposed to stand on their own, not asides that have grown out of hand.
The point is it HAS to be sanctioned by the moderators, AND used by the community. For the thread to do its job, it has to be used.
Taking this to private is not something I'm willing to do, this is a conversation that should not be handled in private, because it is a conversation that has educational impact. Sorry that's not what Conversations are for. The point of a public forum thread is public discourse. The point of a group PM is to have a private discourse. This topic needs the former not the latter.
