Colonel, I call them as I see them.

If a post is both thought provoking and off topic, I am in a quandary.

I found this thread interesting enough to want to see it exist, if only long enough so I can read it. So I rated it honestly. Had I been able to rate the posts off topic, yet thought provoking, I would have.

Were it merely off topic, I would rate it accordingly. In the context of the existing/ongoing thread, the posts were on topic.

I found the thread by way of the recent comments link on the front page. I had not read Mikey's ratings rules at the top of the article as a result.

Speaking of which, I have as much respect for the guidelines here as anyone else.

With all due respect, I will not be told by you or any other single person here where/how to respond to/post/rate comments here.

You have a mechanism here to ostensibly let my comments and ratings sink or swim by democratic consensus.

Use that.

The proper way to continue an off topic thread is to move it.

No one, least of all me, is trying to tell you what to do.  But I felt some explanation is called for.

Our PR friend has polluted a lot of discussion and it frankly pisses me off.  I have created a site discussion article where anything is on topic, and encourage continuation of that practice.  But specific topical articles for should be reserved for discussion on topic and ESPECIALLY when the author calls for sanction to keep discussion on topic that should be respected.