Life Is Too Short To Waste On Threads With Non-Descriptive Titles - Or Am I Just Old And Crabby?

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il.bill

il.bill

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I used to look at just about every thread in the half dozen areas of my specific interests on THR (as well as EVERY thread that included a post from rcmodel), but I find myself more and more passing by ones with relatively non-descriptive titles like 'Sale' or 'Help' with no real indication what it is about (although I suppose the one likely referred to some sort of sale and the other was asking for some kind of help).

A quick look in the Legal Forum and one can immediately have an idea about the topic addressed in practically every thread, but not so much in many of the other Forums.

Maybe I am getting to be a crabby and selfish old jerk, but if the OP cannot take the time to add a little info in the Title, I do not feel it is worth my time to bother with reading it and just go on to the next thread. I realize that the vast majority of times my input is basically useless, so the OP is not really missing anything from my lack of participation, but it seems somehow rude to expect the members to take the time to open each thread with no idea of its focus.

I had a tough day at work today and am feeling somewhat sorry for myself, so I apologize for being selfish about my time, but I think folks could get a lot more help if they would use something more than a vague title.

Is it just me?
 
shuvelrider said:
Have a double helping of cheese and go to bed, start over in the morning with a fresh outlook. Your letting the small things bother you, life is too short to police the internet forums. That's the job for the "moderators".
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I guess that is what I needed to hear - thanks!

I like your point - Life IS too short to spend it 'policing' the internet forums.

No one actually forces me to read anything. Two cheddar cheese sticks and I am off to shower and bed.
 
Few people are good writers. Of the good writers, fewer yet are good at writing headlines. I don’t usually read threads where it’s not clear what I’m going to read.

Your title was clear. Thanks. :)
 
il.bill said:
Yikes! My piddly complaint may have given THR the hiccups. I am seeing double postings all over!
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Something going on with the forum-Just hit 'post reply' once, not twice like Wisco and bikerdoc did.....

You do know you can hover on the thread title and read a little bit, right? That's usually enough for me to decide whether to click or not...
 
Looking for a car as the last one just blew the motor - and the same problem. Posters won't list the engine, mileage, clear title, etc. The problem is that there are a bunch of semi literate people out there who can't or don't know how to communicate to the standard that older generations were trained to accomplish.

Look at book and magazine sales over the last ten to fifteen years. We have the production capability to produce them inexpensively - but fewer authors and even fewer who will read them. Tie in the dependence on social media and character limits, we get things like the P320 drop safety issue, which was blown far out of proportion and still rippling thru the forums. Quite a few were reacting as if it had never happened before, and would not accept the difficulties involved.

What we are approaching is a time when forum users are actually incapable of using a forum. And we are seeing that in the numbers, too.
 
Tirod said:
What we are approaching is a time when forum users are actually incapable of using a forum. And we are seeing that in the numbers, too.
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This would be even funnier if it wasn't so true.

I see posts that are all but impossible to read. Sometimes it's organization, sometimes punctuation, but the end result is the same ; gobbledygook.

Turns out that the essays we were forced to write in grade school had a purpose after all. Beyond tormenting young minds, I mean.

I want to learn, and I want to help, but my inability to comprehend the posts are impinging on the processes.
 
I think a little perspective may be in order. If, at the end of the day the biggest problem I had was a thread with a non-descriptive title, I'm calling that a good day, looking up and saying a quick thank you.
 
I think, at times, people post short "help" titles because they really are not sure what they have going. Usually doesn't bother me if they are posted in the correct sub forum.
 
il.bill said:
Is it just me?
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Nope. If the OP titles their thread, "Hey guys. . ." or "quick question" then I have to assume the rest of the post will be as thoughtlessly composed as the title.

Words do not make the man, but they do proclaim him.
 
il.bill said:
I used to look at just about every thread in the half dozen areas of my specific interests on THR (as well as EVERY thread that included a post from rcmodel), but I find myself more and more passing by ones with relatively non-descriptive titles like 'Sale' or 'Help' with no real indication what it is about (although I suppose the one likely referred to some sort of sale and the other was asking for some kind of help).

A quick look in the Legal Forum and one can immediately have an idea about the topic addressed in practically every thread, but not so much in many of the other Forums.

Maybe I am getting to be a crabby and selfish old jerk, but if the OP cannot take the time to add a little info in the Title, I do not feel it is worth my time to bother with reading it and just go on to the next thread. I realize that the vast majority of times my input is basically useless, so the OP is not really missing anything from my lack of participation, but it seems somehow rude to expect the members to take the time to open each thread with no idea of its focus.

I had a tough day at work today and am feeling somewhat sorry for myself, so I apologize for being selfish about my time, but I think folks could get a lot more help if they would use something more than a vague title.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...
Nah Bill, it isn't just you..I find myself getting testy when I read articles, headlines, or subject lines in my email (advertisers) that are less than clear, try to be "cute" or, get you hooked into clicking onto something that then ends up sending a nasty surprise at your malware - thereby slowing your computer. It's a natural progression for us "old guys" just like I am no longer understanding with door to door salesman, religion peddlers or carnival barkers at the state fair. The old saying in the Army when I was an NCO was "Hard looks, straight talk, gets results"..and, they were right back then, and still right to this day. Anyway, keep on scrolling past those threads, and the next time you get to feeling like that after work, just pour a snort of Old Granddad or Wild Turkey - for medicinal purposes.
 
I also get just a little frustrated like the OP does. Usually, I just skip a thread with a vague title, and I am thinking I am probably not missing anything beneficial. Not much we can do about it other than just skip it.

bikerdoc said:
Read my sig lines. :)
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His signature line says, "HIT THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU FIND A PROBLEM". Well, a vague post title is not really a "problem", just something a little frustrating and unfortunate. Do moderators really want us to report that? And aren't the moderators reading entries before they become posts?
 
I agree with the OP. Usually I don't bother to even open the thread. It doesn't take much to put something in the title to give a reader an idea of what it is about. What is even more annoying than a lack of info is when the title is deliberately misleading, usually because the OP seems to think it shows how funny or clever he or she is. I'm always tempted to then add a totally irrelevant comment to those thread. But what really annoys me are the ones where I try to read the posting, but just can't figure out what the person was trying to express. Either their writing skills are beyond illiterate or their thinking is more than a bit messed up, but in either event their posting adds nothing to the discussion. And finally, since we are talking about what gripes us, are the useless posts that add absolutely nothing to the discussion with comments limited to "I agree" , or "+1" or similar posts.
 
ilbill, I'm with you --- old & crabby
(at least some days!)

Some are click-bait, some are poorly written. Some days I can be entertained by them, some days they make me grouchy. Still, I'm glad THR is here.
 
Hooda Thunkit said:
This would be even funnier if it wasn't so true.

I see posts that are all but impossible to read. Sometimes it's organization, sometimes punctuation, but the end result is the same ; gobbledygook.

Turns out that the essays we were forced to write in grade school had a purpose after all. Beyond tormenting young minds, I mean.

I want to learn, and I want to help, but my inability to comprehend the posts are impinging on the processes.
Click to expand...

I started college when I was 36 years old, graduated 5 years later. While I majored in IT, I learned the most from the English and writing classes. It is amazing what 16 years in a semi do to your writing skills.
 
Kindergarten through 6th grade I went to a private Christian School that drilled writing, phonetics and basic arithmetic. When I switched to public school in 7th grade it seemed no one even knew what cursive was much less how to write it, and needed a calculator for basic math. And I'm only 35.

I like to think my threads and posts are pretty articulate most of the time, being able to think about and edit what one is about to say certainly is beneficial.

I'm not a bad conversationalist, but it's kind of hard to delete in real time, and folks might get the wrong impression taking an exuberant amount of time to respond. ;)
 
When you let the small things in life get to you, that is a sure sign of becoming old and crabby. Life is to precious to let the insignificant get the best of me. Just take a triple shot of whatever libation you enjoy with a big big order of bacon, everybody loves bacon, even the vegetarians...(but they won't admit it.)
 
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Sam1911 said:
Wait, what? You think the staff here reads and approves threads or posts before they become public? I assure you nothing could be further from the truth!
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Thanks Sam, I did not know that. And believe me, I am VERY thankful for what you mods do!
 
il.bill said:
Is it just me?
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You should have made that your title. :D:thumbup:

In answer to your question, yes, vague titles annoy me, as well as poorly written posts. However the last time I found myself getting irritated with THR in general, I realized I was spending way too much time here. So I took a break for about a week or ten days.

It helped a lot.
 
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Thanks Sam, I did not know that.
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No problem. There are some kinds of online reply/response/comments venues where your posts have to be approved before they appear to the public. But that's not something we can do here, or have either the desire, nor usually any reason, to do. 99% of the things our members post are perfectly acceptable.
We've got a fantastic membership here!

And believe me, I am VERY thankful for what you mods do!
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Thanks. We really appreciate the members. There would be no heart in any of us to do the occasional unpleasant bit of mopping up we do if it wasn't for all of the wonderful folks who appreciate this place for what it is and what it's supposed to be.
 
il.bill wrote:
Maybe I am getting to be a crabby and selfish old jerk, but if the OP cannot take the time to add a little info in the Title, I do not feel it is worth my time to bother with reading it...
Click to expand...

Yeah, you are old and crabby.

But your point is well taken. I don't always make my titles specific to the topic, but I do try to make them interesting so that they entice people to at least have a peek. :D
 
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