Tolkien Forums

It looks like there is certain lack of consensus concerning the rules imposed on the Book Discussion thread. It is not even exactly clear who is to make those rules. When I agreed to take part, I thought that no formal rules would be needed, and unspoken rules would be based on common sense. Apparently, however, everyone's idea of the common sense is different here. To me, for example, going beyond LOTR in search for answers to questions arising from LOTR is fully legitimate (I don't think I am the only one like this) but not everybody agree. I definitely consider it a lost opportunity if we don't delve deeper into many interesting issues and therefore forgo sources other than LOTR itself. Others prefer to keep the discussion focused solely on LOTR, allowing exceptions which are, however, not well defined. Honestly it is less than thrilling to be repeatedly told not to go into Letters, or HoMe, or other illuminating but extraneous material.

It seems, nevertheless, that there is a way to satisfy most discussion participants. I think we will open a sister thread, which will contain all the discussion that overflows from the main thread, where all sources and lengthy conversations, even sliding off the immediate topic, will be allowed. The two threads can be interlinked, so it would be easy to go there and back, and the supplemental thread can also be annotated for convenience. I am suggesting it no way as competing but rather as complementing the main thread, so the latter can stay clean and focused on LOTR. What do other discussion members think?