Off-topic posts have always been allowed on the Yahoo! group and have never proved to be a problem. However, members should keep the following guidelines in mind:
We are liberal with regard to OT posts on the Yahoo! group because they rarely happen and are not abused. It is our belief that a writers' group does not benefit from draconian attempts to keep people focused solely on writing; our stories are based on life and sometimes includes topics that one wouldn't expect on a Tolkien list. We'd like to continue taking advantage of this if at all possible.
However, we need members' cooperation to make this possible. Please use your best discretion when making OT posts. Ask yourself if there is a good chance that someone on SWG will be interested in what you're posting. Also consider how often you have veered off-topic in the past. Group members can quickly become frustrated with the one or two individuals who are always chiming in with something off-topic and of little interest to the majority of the group.
If we feel that OT privileges are being abused by a few, then we will address this issue privately. If it becomes a problem to the extent that members are complaining, quitting, or changing their settings to avoid the deluge of OT posts, then we will remove the "OT privilege" entirely. So please, again, use good discretion in this.
Last updated 29 May 2008.