How About Enforcing the Descriptive Title Rule?

Hi,

Some, if not all Afterdawn forums, typically include a Sticky thread entitled "READ THIS: Forum rules!" or something similar. For example, here is one on the "DVD Ripping" forum: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487

These rules typically state to use the Search Function before starting a new thread. This rule is considered so important, it is often listed first.

Another common rule found on most forums is "to use descriptive thread titles." It might go on to note that descriptive thread titles help others who are searching for the same information find it. Sometimes even more detail will be given advising people to avoid the useless words "Question" or "Help."

But, after all that, people routinely post threads with the word "question" or "help" in the title. Some post completely useless titles but disguise them.

For instance, a thread currently on the front page of the DVD Ripping forum is:

"Ripping DVDs: Am I Missing Something"

This is a useless subject in disguise. "Am I Missing Something" is a long form of the word "Question." The poster has replaced one useless word with four useless words, but at first glance it makes the title appear more comprehensive. Then he uses two descriptive words..."Ripping" and "DVD." However, the name of the forum is "DVD Ripping." EVERY thread in the forum is about ripping DVDs, so these two words are useless also. This poster has actually use six words to disguise his completely useless title.

The One Descriptive Word Thread
One step up from the completely useless title is the title with one descriptive word. An example is also currently on the front page of the "DVD Ripping" forum:

"Does a ripper like this exist?"

Ironically, this thread originator starts out by complaining how his "eyes hurt" from his extensive but unsuccessful search of the forum for the information he seeks.

At least we know this poster is interested in hardware, not software. This is the equivilent of someone looking for directions to an house in an American city and asking if it's east or west of the Mississippi River.

These kinds of non-descriptive titles are rampant on these forums.
The administrators and moderators of the forums on this site have provided a valuable guideline in the forum rules, but if they don't enforce them, the rule become useless and the problem the rule was designed to avoid does not go away.

Thank you.

 

I will add that when a person starts a new thread on the "DVD Ripping" forum, a large box in orange outline with a huge bold exclamation point in it pops up that reads:

Please choose your title carefully!
- Try to be specific and explain the core of your problem in your title. Many users make the decision on whether to read your message or not based on the title your thread has.

[Exclam and bold are original]

The next line is:

· Don't use exclamation marks (!) in your title

The title of this advisement is considered so important that it breaks it's own rule about exclam!

I agree it is important. Please enforce it.

 

I used to routinely report naff titles until some jumped up self important idiot attacked me for it.. since then anything goes.

Honestly tho.. anybody so retarded to think that "help me" is a good title is beyond help. I wonder seriously how 99% of these people manage to even get a post made with the obvious lack of intelligence and skills The M$ legacy.. a bunch of computer illiterate jerks running wild all over our internet.

 

I also make it a habit to report any thread title that's less than descriptive. I also have been jumped on a time or two by the people that post with those titles. I'm still reporting them though.

Like LOCO said, they can't be everywhere at once, so i report the ones i see.

 

Hey Tom, where's the Y in your nick?

 

Yea, another failed attempt at some lame humor by me I suppose. I forget that he also had an N in his name as well. :/

 

Why is that thread closed, anyway?

 

Hi, that's a start, but it doesn't go nearly far enough. Titles should be sufficiently specific and comprehensive that there is no question exactly what the content is about. Failure to do this demostrates either ignorance or lack of respect for the language and the other participants in the forum.

One and two word descriptive titles can rarely be sufficiently specific.

An examples of an unacceptable titles and some acceptable ones:

Wrong
DVD Burner
DVD Burner Problem (almost as bad)

Right:
DVD Burner Making Too Much Noise
DVD Burner Working Intermittently
DVD Burner Drawer Won't Open
2 DVD Burners Broke in 2 Days. Coincidence?

See the difference? If someone is searching for help with their DVD Burner drawer, why should they have to comb through every thread that has the words "DVD Burner" in it.

Apparently, the school system many people have gone through has not taught many how to title a technical composition. I would think this skill should have been instilled by say the 10th or 11 grade. Imaging going to school for 10 or more years and not knowing how to write clearly and specifically on a technical topic?

Well if these people somehow managed to get through school without learning some basics, perhaps it's time they got spanked in the real world. This is a technical forum. I suggest it raise it's standards to a level of proficiency commensurate with at least a 10th grade standard.

You'd be doing yourself and all the members of these forums a favor. And you'd actually be doing the poster and society at large a favor. These posters might be forced to learn a basic skill that will increase their value in the workplace by a measureable amount, enabling them to be more productive and earn more promotions and money.

 

I just realized you have this awesome handy tool to edit titles that appears to the OP of any post. Very nice. I suggest you make nondescript title offenders use it relentlessly until they get sick of you telling them to redo their title or they learn how to properly title a post. Like I said above, you'd actually be doing these people a favor, although they might not realize it right away.

 

Maybe I'll do that sometime. I could have a field day reporting threads.

 

from my point of view(which don't mean much) all the so called invalid thread names are mostly made by newbies or people just starting out in open forums like this... i myself look at what category the post is made in and then decide if i will click on it to see if i can offer any advise... if its in a category i know nothing about i wont click it,as i wont be of any help anyway even if it had a descriptive title. now if someone like myself started a thread like that with just help me or something, then yea id report them not the thread... its all about experience... and i don't think people make these thread thinking how can i get the most responses with w proper thread title. they make the title to get someone there and then ask there question or state their problem.

like right now, I'm gonna start a thread in the safety valve. I'm sure it will be plenty descriptive enough..lol

 

Why stop there? Let's bring this to the next level. Thread titles eXtreme!

Wrong:
DVD Burner

Right:
DVD Burner Making Too Much Noise

eXtreme!:
I Bought A Sony DRXS70UR External Slim DVD Burner And Plugged It In And Now It Makes An Awkwardly Boisterous Noise Like A Rhino Scratching Its Horn Against A Chalkboard But Only When I Put In CD's Made By Companies That Are Currently Or Have Ever Been Owned By Time Warner And Sometimes When I Put In Bologna

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My serious two cents:
Cracking down on thread titles more than the mods do currently is unnecessary.

New users learn quickly that, in order to be helped, they need to be coherent as far as thread titles are concerned.