Here's what's annoying about copycat threads.

[Lex]

.
Just speaking for myself here.

They push 'real' threads off the front page faster.

They make you think (at least at first) you are reading a real thread, and you try to understand what the thread is about and respond, then you realize it's just a copycat thread. Arggh.

You get frustrated trying to distinguish the real threads from the copycat threads, that you just quit posting or interacting in the Lounge altogether.

I've done copycat threads myself, but I'm beginning to see the drawbacks of them as well.

Just sayin'.

[arcane1]

1. especially the Latest page

I don't mind them as much when I'm just cruising the lounge, since I expect silliness there... it's when the Latest page is filled up with it that I get frazzled :)

[skypilot]

2. I've caught myself on occasion...

...almost responding to a thread just to notice that it was a copycat of another thread. This seems to be a hot topic today. I didn't used to mind copycat threads but then two things happened: 1) The number of them just seemed to explode and 2) I noticed that DU is constantly at LEVEL 1 partly due to increased traffic. I know that copycat threads don't make up the bulk of the traffic but I thought that by now DUers would do whatever they could to decrease any excess traffic that might be putting us at LEVEL 1.

[jonnyblitz]

3. I've always hated them. n/t

[necso]

4. And to add my .02,

Copycats can come across as cruel mockery of people with serious issues. And the sort of thing that would never be permitted as a direct reply to a post, often escapes attention as a copycat -- and this encourages emulation. There also seems to be a great temptation to press the limits and extend the bounds of copycatting to the point where there are inevitable run-ins with the mods.

As for matters of "taste" (mine, specifically), I have only ever seen two copycats that were funny. -- And only one of these was really funny (and it was not an obvious copycat, but rather more of a "thread group").

"Wit" and "fun" are all very well and good, but how about a little subtlety and sophistication to add some savor to the play?

Moreover, does every copycat have to be so obvious (if one has followed the stream)? And does every copycat really require its own thread?

It seems to me that there are all sorts of games one might play here, and I think that copycats (at the current level) detract from rather than add to this play. And could it be that a number of regulars (seemingly) have stopped posting in the lounge because the quality of the play has suffered?