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Admonishing members for poor thread titles.

flopticalcube

flopticalcube

macrumors G4
Original poster
Sep 7, 2006
10,481
234
In the velcro closure of America's Hat
What is the current thinking on admonshing members for posting poor thread titles? I never feel good about it but at the same time you see titles like:

So....

or

HELP!

or

Problem...


I think a little polite prodding is on order at that point, even if I could not contribute to the question asked in the thread.
 
I just post the following, even if I can't answer the question ( I have stored it in my "standard answers for posts that have been asked before" text file):


A more descriptive and precise thread title will help cater to the right audience and get you more responses.
To edit your thread title, just click on the
edit.gif
button on the bottom right of your original post.


Sometimes it even works, sometimes it doesn't.
What more can you do?

It's the poster's fault, if s/he is not able to properly communicate a problem and can't attract posters by an appropriate thread title.
 
spinnerlys said:
What more can you do?
Click to expand...
Report the first post of the thread and suggest that the moderators change the thread title.

We think it helps the thread-starter if the thread's purpose is made clear, so the moderators will be glad to change an uninformative title to a more specific one, if the thread-started doesn't do it himself/herself.
 
GGJstudios said:
The Edit button allows you to edit your post, but not the title. To edit your thread title, you must go to the listing of all threads started by you, located in your profile, and double-click the area to the right of a thread title, such as here:
Click to expand...

Thanks, nifty little feature. Even works with that old thread.

But I remember being able to change my thread titles with the edit function within a set amount of time since the creation of the thread.
Is that true?

If not, than many newbies I advised to edit their thread title seem to have found that hidden feature faster than I have, which is not even obvious (the feature, not them being faster, because that is rather and so on....).
 
spinnerlys said:
Thanks, nifty little feature. Even works with that old thread.

But I remember being able to change my thread titles with the edit function within a set amount of time since the creation of the thread.
Is that true?

If not, than many newbies I advised to edit their thread title seem to have found that hidden feature faster than I have, which is not even obvious (the feature, not them being faster, because that is rather and so on....).
Click to expand...
I think you have to use the "Go Advanced" button in the editor.
 
I completely feel your pain.

Although mine happens with users at work. I get work orders like:

Computer not working properly...
Printer issue...
Challenge scanning....(<- WTF?)
Email issues....

Makes me want to strangle people.
 
yellow said:
It does, you just typically have to go Back (as it opens the thread), but then it's an editable field.
Click to expand...

You're right. Just double-clicking does open the thread, so you can't edit the title. Adding the step of going Back makes all the difference. Thanks!
 
Here's what I'm posting when someone posts "Help!" :)

HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY
HELP! NOT JUST ANYBODY
HELP! YOU KNOW I NEED SOMEONE
HELP!

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY
I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY´S HELP IN ANY WAY
AND NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE
I´M NOT SO SELF ASSURED
NOW I FIND I´VE CHANGED MY MIND
I´VE OPENED UP THE DOORS

HELP ME IF YOU CAN I´M FEELING DOWN
AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING ´ROUND
HELP ME GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND
WON´T YOU PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME?

AND NOW MY LIFE HAS CHANGED IN OH SO MANY WAYS
MY INDEPENDENCE SEEMS TO VANISH IN THE HAZE
BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN I FEEL SO INSECURE
I KNOW THAT I JUST NEED YOU
LIKE I´VE NEVER DONE BEFORE

HELP ME IF YOU CAN I´M FEELING DOWN...

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY...

HELP ME IF YOU CAN I´M FEELING DOWN...

However, I'll also help them anyway. I'm good like that.

BTW, is it possible to chage the font and bold the message about what kind of titles not to post when making a new thread? That might help. If we could make it flashing text would even be better or at least yellow highlighted.
 
Doctor Q said:
Report the first post of the thread and suggest that the moderators change the thread title.

We think it helps the thread-starter if the thread's purpose is made clear, so the moderators will be glad to change an uninformative title to a more specific one, if the thread-started doesn't do it himself/herself.
Click to expand...
That's good to know. Thanks. :)

-aggie- said:
If we could make it flashing text would even be better or at least yellow highlighted.
Click to expand...
That sounds cool...

yellow said:
I'd thank you to keep your "highlights" away from me. ;)
Click to expand...
Well maybe not. :eek: :D
 
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