Why don't some members write appropriate titles/headings?

[M.M.A.A.]

Hello Everyone

I noticed some members in several sections of forums on MTS that start threads with titles like "Do you..." or "Just wondering..." or "A Question". Now I may seem picky, but it started to annoy me as I have to see what the subject is and are those members trying to push people into viewing their threads?

Believe me, I think there's more than one thread that have titles "Do you..."

Shouldn't a thread title be specific and precise?

Your thoughts... :report:

[mustluvcatz]

Personally I think thread titles should be descriptive. But that doesn't bother me so much here- if you hover over a post you do get to see part of it. Where it really bugs me is in forums where you DON'T get that little preview. "WCIF?". Where can you find what? I really don't want to have to click on your thread to see what you're looking for.

[M.M.A.A.]

Personally I think thread titles should be descriptive.

That's the word I was looking for.

[Ive]

Annoyed as I hate it when people do that :(

Think there should be some semi enforced rule on all forums that tile actually says what the thread contains.

[whiterider]

Well, we have that rule - especially in forums like Help, where people tend to just title the thread "Help please", or, even worse, "hlep!!!!11one". Of course, many people don't bother to read the posting gudelines. I have to admit, too, that we often let it go - greeting a confused newbie who's perhaps not sure if they're posting in the right place and manner, with "Your thread title is crap!", isn't exactly a warm welcome.

We do try to encourage people to use descriptive thread titles nonetheless, and you guys are welcome to point out that descriptive titles are best when someone forgets and a mod doesn't comment - just so long as it's all polite. :)

[Ive]

Yea I agree. My annoyance isn't directed at newbies, been there done that and all.

Are we able to change the thread titles after the thread have been created or does a mod have to do it?

[M.M.A.A.]

Yea I agree. My annoyance isn't directed at newbies, been there done that and all.

Are we able to change the thread titles after the thread have been created or does a mod have to do it?

Yes, you can edit your title if you edit your first post if you were the one who started the thread.

[whiterider]

It might take a few minutes for the new title to show up in the thread listing, since we cache all that stuff to speed up page loading.

[Ive]

Nice :) just wondered if I was ever to point it out to someone, they can actually correct it if they like.

[Inge Jones]

What I do when I get time is try to suggest in a friendly way what a better title might have been. Sometimes the person just can't think how to formulate a title, and they find the suggestion helpful for the future.

[Dreamydre]

I have to admit I was guilty of doing this when I first become a member back in '08 :lol: I quickly picked up on being more descriptive with my posts. Someone above said something about members posting in the WCIF thread with the simple title "WCIF", rather than posting what their looking for in the title, but the issue I think, is when you're looking for more than one item, surely you couldn't put everything you're looking for in the title.

Going off of what Whiterider said, I just suggest in a friendly matter being more descriptive with their titles as it'll be easier to get more help :)

[CatOfEvilGenius]

I too try to politely suggest descriptive titles for "PLEAZ HLEP MEEEE!!!!111!!!1" threads. Actually had one person, who was definitely not a newbie, say "well, you looked at my thread, so the title did its job". Ugh. No, I looked at your thread despite the title. Wouldn't mind if there was some more mod fish slapping going on, provided it wasn't too much work for the mods.

http://www.timdrussell.com/images/pythonstills9467916/fish%20slapping%20dance.jpg

[M.M.A.A.]

Here is another example: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=475037.

[Inge Jones]

Well they have a point, as long as there are people who will happily open the ... titled threads and help, there will continue to be ... threads. In a way, they end up getting the help that is better suited to them. A ... thread tends to indicate the user is very young and inexperienced. The very people who would avoid helping someone who posts a ... thread would be probably the older or more advanced modders/creators, because they subliminally recognise the question is going to be fairly basic. These people would probably reply in a way that was too advanced for the OP, so in a way it's almost a short hand for saying "I'd prefer help from someone who is only just ahead of where I am myself".