sjordan2 Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 Just a note that I think many of you will understand and appreciate. Like other forums, we get a lot of new threads with titles that are really blind and you can't tell what they're about until you open them. I say this in particular based on a recent thread where I could help, called only "Instructions question." That's just a matter of short-term inexperience, no harm done, but it doesn't help the OP very much. In this case, he wanted to know about air cleaners on a Revell 1950 pickup. It would be much better, resulting in more qualified help, if the title had been "50 Ford pickup air cleaner help" or something specific like that where people who knew the kit could respond and perhaps offer advice. Just trying to encourage members, especially the newer ones, to make their topics as clear as possible.
sjordan2 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Posted January 14, 2012 I'm waiting for one how How to insert A piece of Bread in a Four Slot Electric Toaster, using only you teeth on a weekend week day when the sun is shining JUST RIGHT and only able to do so while your yeses are Completely closed,.. here my self,...lol....lol....Some how I feel you pain there Skip....lol....lol.. Ian Too complicated, Ian. And I say that because I have tried your process the morning after a very rough night.
Rob McKee Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 Too complicated, Ian. And I say that because I have tried your process the morning after a very rough night. Is that wrong? Good to know, I was just getting the frozen bread out. I agree with you Skip. There are a few on here that leave me guessing. I hope mine isn't one of them. Rob
sjordan2 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Posted January 14, 2012 Is that wrong? Good to know, I was just getting the frozen bread out. I agree with you Skip. There are a few on here that leave me guessing. I hope mine isn't one of them. Rob I can't tell what you're talking about
Tony T Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 Can't judge a book by it's cover comes to mind.
Evil Appetite Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 I agree...I've been browsing the General and How Do I sections from beginning to end over the last few days. I noticed quite a few topics named Need Help..How Do I... and others alonng those lines. 1 or 2 were even unanswered which didnt suprise me. There was even one asking for help..cant remember for what..but they referenced a pic of the kit they were working on that they hadnt even taken and posted yet!
Rob McKee Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 I can't tell what you're talking about Oh, I was just having fun with your respnse to Ian's post.
Junkman Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Like other forums, we get a lot of new threads with titles that are really blind and you can't tell what they're about until you open them. I say this in particular based on a recent thread where I could help, called only "Instructions question." That's just a matter of short-term inexperience, no harm done, but it doesn't help the OP very much. In this case, he wanted to know about air cleaners on a Revell 1950 pickup. It would be much better, resulting in more qualified help, if the title had been "50 Ford pickup air cleaner help" or something specific like that where people who knew the kit could respond and perhaps offer advice. X10
Harry P. Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Skip, trying to inject logic and common sense here is a lonely task...
Qwit Pushin Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 I don't have a problem with the topic titles as long as the 'tags' associated with it include some reference to what the topic's about. DON'T FORGET TO ADD KEY WORDS IN THE TAG AREA BEFORE POSTING A NEW TOPIC.
LDO Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Skip- If you were in the same town, I'd buy you a beer for that OP.
martinfan5 Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 I agree that thread titiles need to be a little more clear as to what the thread is about, and I know I am guilty from time to time of not being 100% clear.
scalenut Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) I agree x20 !, especially when doing a search . If you do a simple search for bare metal foil , there is so much to sift thru, way too many threads contain those words. if you do a topic search on bare metal foil ... much better ! if the title is cryptic , many good posts get left behind. so creating cryptic titles really hurts those who like to use the search feature a lot...like me I don't think it's a big deal in the general rambling category but when asking about tips, techniques, that can help others It's really helpful, to have a descriptive title. it makes this goldmine of archived information here more accessible Edited January 15, 2012 by scalenut
Agent G Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 I agree that thread titiles need to be a little more clear as to what the thread is about, and I know I am guilty from time to time of not being 100% clear. Time to time? Jonathan you are worse than me. There are many reasons topics receive ambiguous titles. I believe most fall into the "inexperienced poster" category. That and a definate lack of written communication skills. I will keep Skip's suggestions in mind, and hope everyone else will. G
sjordan2 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Posted January 15, 2012 What does "OP" refer to ? Original Poster (sorry if I was obscure)
LDO Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Original Poster (sorry if I was obscure) Or Original Post.
Greg Myers Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 What does "OP" refer to ? Not confusing at all.
Boreham Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 The thead title clarity is 1 issue. . . Usually followed by a vague inital post. . . Which results in 2 or 3 defining topic posts. All further compouded by "off topic" excrement.. Review this thread for reference to the latter.
bbowser Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 I don't have a problem with the topic titles as long as the 'tags' associated with it include some reference to what the topic's about. DON'T FORGET TO ADD KEY WORDS IN THE TAG AREA BEFORE POSTING A NEW TOPIC. OK, I'll reveal my computer illiteracy. How do 'tags' and 'keywords' work exactly? I've seen them but don't know what to do with them (if anything).
Keef Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Skip, trying to inject logic and common sense here is a wasted effort... fixed it for ya Harry
Gluhead Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Agreed. A thread title should be specific and concise. That's just standard netiquette, but it's amazing how frequently this is disregarded. "OH BOY!" or "some stuff" as a thread title is for little girlie men who want to show off their new dirtstache or their pokemon collection. It does help when people are in the habit of using the tag function, but even then half the tags I see are just as ambiguous. lol. Many of the forums I've frequented in the last few years utilize a preview of the first couple/few lines of the first post when you hover over the thread title. Not sure how long it will take me to break the habit of hover previewing here. Maybe Gregg knows if it's an option or not? If it's a feature that requires additional payment, it's not that important, but if it's just a matter of ticking a box it'd be great.
Jordan White Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) I think on this forum you have to click a little arrow to the right of the thread title (that appears when you hover the pointer over the thread title) which brings up a box with the first post in it. Not as easy as the hover preview of some other forums (which I think is more to do with the forum service used), but still saves you from opening a thread you may not be interested in. Edited January 16, 2012 by Jordan White
wgflatliner Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Sometimes posting concise topic titles and tags get no results. Sometimes being vague invokes curiosity and people will actually open the thread and read it, therefore having a much better chance of getting a response vs the concise attempts. Of course I speak from the other side of the fence. The dark side of sorts. Most of the time it is the person who starts the thread that gets responses. If a member is popular, they can be super vague and still get the masses to follow suit, simply because of who they are. The mentality of "oh well it's ______ so he must have a good post.." plays true.
sjordan2 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) Sometimes posting concise topic titles and tags get no results. Sometimes being vague invokes curiosity and people will actually open the thread and read it, therefore having a much better chance of getting a response vs the concise attempts. Of course I speak from the other side of the fence. The dark side of sorts. Most of the time it is the person who starts the thread that gets responses. If a member is popular, they can be super vague and still get the masses to follow suit, simply because of who they are. The mentality of "oh well it's ______ so he must have a good post.." plays true. Sure, there's a curiosity factor, which in general is a waste of time for many of those who check it out. A clear thread title will invite knowledgeable responses from people with experience in the subject, who can offer pertinent comments. The point is, it's always in the best interest of the person who starts the thread to name it so they get the kind of responses that are rewarding or helpful. Don't forget that there are two title opportunities for these threads: the main title, and a subtitle that can add clarity. Edited January 16, 2012 by sjordan2
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