I am delighted to find some common ground @Don.
You are of course free to agree or disagree with such an assertion as you wish 
One of the things I found slightly off putting about some previous versions of this site was the vague sense of cliques and unwritten rules. This site, for perhaps many reasons, seems to have loosened that slightly. Some people seem to struggle with that a little as the site has perhaps modernised in several senses.
As I see it it as OP it is up to you: you could request people to keep to the point, in which case I think it would be respectful for people to comply, or if you are happy to let it drift , let it do so. If you don’t seek to bring back to the original thrust that is up to you, and by implication people you are content to let it go wherever it does. That is fine if you are happy with it, but if you are not then to me it would seem quite reasonable to make a polite request to keep on topic, when I would expect people to respect your wishes as the OP. Yes it is the internet, and people can do as they like (within the forum rules), but I would hope people on this forum are more mature and respectful than that. Yes other forums are often far less refined - which is a pity, and indeed is one reason that I dislike many and limit my participation.
It might be nice to have @Richard.Dane’s views on this, as moderator and a Leader member.
We’ve now diverted into French service standards, so that may invoke some negative comments 
Do I restart my “end of my tether” thread so that only I contribute?
If you did that we would all never hear the end of your never ending tether.
I think the assumption of maturity and respect as things which operate in one direction and at one step down the line doesn’t make sense. If you want to invoke both then it starts with an OP being mature and respectful enough to accept that things drift and that unexpected directions are part of the joy of communication online.
I am active in two work forums; one football forum and here. The joy is that all are lightly moderated; generally only require light moderation but that topics meander.
It’s interesting to look back on previous years similar end of year threads. The ones which lived longest and triggered purchases were the ones with discussion. This years attempt is not actually what we’ve normally done. It is in fact an outlier.
Part of that is that it’s now much easier to post images and this tempting to see that as an end in itself.
Bah humbug. It would simply drift and meander as the first has. Long may it be thus.
For clarity, I see nothing wrong with drift and meander, except when the OP wants to keep focussed. Even then, after time when the thread has served an original purpose, if there was something specific, it would seem likely that in most if not all cases the OP would cease to have an interest in maintaining focus, or otherwise accept that it will dwindle and die.
I think it’s important that a forum has discussion. I want to hear from as many people as possible people who think and album/product/government is bad as those who thinks it’s good - and visa versa.
Goodness knows there’s enough group-think here as it is.
The idea that an OP has any (more) right in a thread is nonsensical, if I start a thread saying Linn make the best streamers I don’t think it would (or should) stay on topic for too long!
.sjb
I wholeheartedly agree that in most threads discussion at least within the scope of the topic is a good thing - but it much depends on the topic: A statement on a Naim forum that Linn make the best streamers indeed would seem to be made to invite comment and challenge, though much depends on how the OP is presented: a bald statement, a question, etc. Whether it stays anything to do with Linn in the discussion that follows depends on the people contributing, but it seems not unreasonable to me for the OP to want to keep it to a discussion of whether Linn streamers are best (which at face value seems to inevitable invite some degree of comparison), and to request it to stay on topic if it drifts to unrelated matters - and for others to respect that. The OP can of course request the thread to be closed, or even removed, and my understanding from past actions is that that is considered by the forum management to be the OP’s prerogative.
I wish I had the time and patience to write hundreds of words about the Same Old S*** 
Years ago I went to a friend’s coffee shop, and the art he’d hung on the walls was, imo, horrendous. I was about to say something snarky to him except he was in conversation with someone else. When he turned to me, he said, I’d like you to meet the artist, and introduced me to the person he was just conversing with. Sometimes it’s best for all to just keep the snark and negative comments to one’s self. Easier lesson to learn in person of course, than the faceless, cold internet.
So, did you say nothing about the painting, lie and say how nice it is, or in a friendly manner say nice to put the person to the picture, but that style is really not your cup of tea at all?
Correct, unless there’s a very good reason why it should not be so.
And can I please ask your view on the OP seeking to exercise some control over scope or direction if a thread?
Sure, why not. If the OP has a question or interest and then the thread deviates wildly from that, they have every right to take a view and to ask for members to get back on topic. Failing that, they can ask the moderator to step in, or the moderator may step in anyway if it’s appropriate.
The question then would be whether offering an opinion on others albums of the year would constitute such a wild diversion. It seems a stretch.
Opinion on other albums is fine. Opinion on other members, whether directly of by inference, may well be a breach of forum AUP.
If a thread is started asking for members to post opinion on albums of the year, then expressing an opinion on those albums seems fine to me, even if that opinion may not be shared by others.
I agree Mike, it’s really delightful to find common ground. Thank you for saying so.
We all have our differences, but it’s nice to experience agreement.
Even pleasant and respectful disagreement works in most situations. I doubt if we can all agree, all of the time ?
There was i thinking from the title that this was going to be a thread on Amplifier design. Off to the music room i go…
Ah, for fuzxs lads, it’s just a hifi forum, get some perspective.
.sjb