The topic of pets seems to come up again and again as the main area the non-pet people don't want to read about. Should we have a separate pets thread?
I find this approach too compartmentalized. I can envision then having to have a separate kids thread, spouses thread, etc. etc. That starts to get a bit ridiculous, to me. I prefer a couple of threads where we discuss things generally, while still maintaining a bit of separation, like the weekly chat and the losing it by Labour Day. If we veer off ocassionally we still do mostly discuss the topic in the title.
What do all the rest of you think? Should we put everything in separate threads or mush it all together in a couple?
I have no issues with pets in the weekly chat - our pets are part of life, and the discussion seems to wax and wane like nearly every other topic. I can see that perhaps it might not be quite as relevant in the Losing It thread, though for someone like you - caring for animals IS your exercise program! And Megan with wogging Emma ... well, okay, I guess I see your point! I can understand why it might be better to keep the Losing It thread more focused on the pound-peeling issues ... but I've been in the Chat threads on the other support forums, and man, anything goes there! I agree that trying to compartmentalize beyond that will likely leave a lot of sparse threads - would I go to a whole separate thread to mention something cute about the bunnies? I doubt it. I vote to let Chat be Chat. My 2 cents.
I see no need for a separate thread for pet lovers. I can see it now, first we have a thread for dog lovers,, then comes a thread for cat lovers, that ticks off the horse lovers and they want there own thread, then come the hamster lovers followed by the fish lovers , etc.
I say if" if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I'm another no vote. I wouldn't want to take the time to switch forums if I want to discuss pet stuff. I love our forums the way they are but I love pets and like reading the animal chatter.
As to the question, "Should we put everything in separate threads or mush it all together in a couple?"
I would say neither. I would argue that what happens now, naturally (and by the guidance of the moderators) works very well.
As far as a pet thread goes, there already is an entire sub-forum (containing many threads) dedicated to pets, Pudgy Pets (in the General Chatter forum) despite the name, it's not just for talk about fat pets, but pets in general.
Posting there would make more sense than creating a pet-centric thread in the maintainers forum. If there are pet-centric issues unique to maintainers, it would still make sense (I would argue) to create the thread in the pet sub-forum of general chatter, as it makes more sense to use an existing fourm/sub-forum/thread than creating an entirely new one.
However, all threads tend to arise and die out naturallly (with some guidance and help from the moderators). Anyone can start a thread anywhere, and unless the moderators choose to move it, it will either continue or die on it's own naturally.
If a thread topic is interesting and resonates with folks, people keep posting to it. The thread continues. If the thread fits better into a forum other than the one in which it was created, the moderators may move it. If enough threads on the topic are being opened, the moderators may decide to create a new forum or subforum, and may delete others that aren't being used.
I believe there used to be a TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) forum. I could be wrong, as there is not one now. Some of us who are TOPS members have tried to keep dedicated threads alive, but they've dropped off for lack of participation. Likewise those of us who follow exchange plans have had the same experience.
I think one of the reasons that both the TOPS and the exchange plan threads have never taken off, is because those of us who follow them are comfortable enough posting in the other threads, even when talking about TOPS or exchange plans. Some of us in TOPS post and read in the Weight Watchers forums (because of the support and weekly accountability factors that we share with Weight Watchers members), and some of us exchange plan followers post and read in the calorie counting forums (because we are counting calories, just by an estimation method).
Separate pets thread?
And Megan with wogging Emma ... well, okay, I guess I see your point! 
I can understand why it might be better to keep the Losing It thread more focused on the pound-peeling issues ... but I've been in the Chat threads on the other support forums, and man, anything goes there! I agree that trying to compartmentalize beyond that will likely leave a lot of sparse threads - would I go to a whole separate thread to mention something cute about the bunnies? I doubt it. I vote to let Chat be Chat. My 2 cents.
