So... yeah, if it's not bad enough that I frequently see people mistaking digression (a natural evolution) for derailment (which is most often a reply based on a logical fallacy, actually), it's even worse when this gets a value judgment attached.
That's where I'm coming from on this, too. Derailment sucks, and I don't think it's cool. But as someone who draws connections between things easily and naturally, I digress constantly, because I'm working from the sense that it's all part of a fascinating continuum. If it's someone else's space, I try to avoid digressing there, and some of the recent talks have made me more self-conscious about trying not to derail. That's a good thing to be aware of. But like you, I can't agree that every instance that's been labeled "derailment" actually is.
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Date: 10 Mar 2010 04:40 am (UTC)That's where I'm coming from on this, too. Derailment sucks, and I don't think it's cool. But as someone who draws connections between things easily and naturally, I digress constantly, because I'm working from the sense that it's all part of a fascinating continuum. If it's someone else's space, I try to avoid digressing there, and some of the recent talks have made me more self-conscious about trying not to derail. That's a good thing to be aware of. But like you, I can't agree that every instance that's been labeled "derailment" actually is.
Also, OMFG RAYMOND CHANDLER ICON *spazzes*