If you guys are like me, you probably belong to a couple different forums. Conversation in forums is not like that of verbal conversation. There are a different set of rules. Getting the most out of you post or thread is often tricky for people that are new to forums.
I’d like to make this thread a place where we can list out some of the things to help make a post or thread more successful.
rule #1. Don’t reply to the first person that posts in your thread unless they completely answer your question. Letting a few people reply first can open up new lines of conversation and be much more informative. A positive and thankful reply to the first person that posts in your thread can often deter other people from posting.
What are some things that you think can make or break a post?
Make up a good title. A thread called “help me plz” doesn’t tell us if we’ll be able to help the OP, but with a title like “my KH20 cranks keep coming loose and I don’t know why” we know his or her problem already and if we’ll be able to help.
The key to a perfect thread/post? Make someone think. If it’s not a (good, well thought out) question, or if it doesn’t bring that “aha” humor moment, or if it’s not insightful in some way, don’t post it.
I think you kill any thread with one bad post. A bad post, in my opinion, is one that doesn’t have very much to do about anything, or worse, strays from the topic at hand. It may not deter posting, but I’d still consider it thread-death when a peson posts a comment that causes a complete shift in subject. For example, putting a prejudiced comment in a thread that in some way explores diversity.
That’s really the only rule I think should always be followed. Alex, I really don’t see the need to make every post invoke an “aha” or variation thereof.
[THREAD=49093]I have [/THREAD] to a certain extent and explained my take on polls and their analyses. My contention is still that Raphael posted the [THREAD=35349]only true, valid, and analysed poll on RSU.[/THREAD]
I’m not saying it should be eureka-worthy, it should just contribute something to the discussion. If it’s actually contributing, it should be insightful or funny. I can’t really see any other way to put it.
I do. I hate seeing a thread that I’ve been reading at the top of a page and thinking “oh good, somebody else has something informative to say on this particular subject” just to open it and be slapped in the face with a “+1” or “I agree”.
I wouldn’t mind it if someone were to post “+1, because…” and then go on to explain why they agree or (for -1) disagree.
The best posts are the ones that are thought out, effectively put a point across and aren’t too long. One post that’s a 400 word essay by itself is often enough for me to lose interest in the whole thread because it takes too long to read.
