On the naming of posts (aka: good thread titles) (aka: why should I read your post?)

[Arcy]

Hi all,

With the increase in traffic it is hard to keep up with all new posts. If you want people (by which I mean "me" ) to read your posts it is helpful to give it a descriptive title.

The title is the advertisement for the post. Give it personality!

Intrigue us! Tantalize us! Tickle our curiosity!

Let us know what the post is about, so we can know if it is something we're interested in (or so that you can make us interested!).

Bonus points for puns, poetry, and obscure literary references I'll always read a post whose title makes me smile. (Your mileage may vary)

Please don't pick a title that is so generic that we can't tell it apart from all of the other posts. If somebody else might use the same title, it's probably too generic (and if somebody else has used it, then it definitely is too generic!)

Examples of bad titles:
"Pattern request" (we already knew that: it's in the pattern requests board)
"Looking for a pattern" (ditto)
"My stuff" (I hope so! I wouldn't expect you to post pictures of MY work)
"Help please" (help with what?)
"New pattern" (we already know that: it's in the new patterns board. What is it?)

Examples of good titles:
"Custom pattern request: portrait of my kids" (Pattern Requests)
"Looking for a pattern: cute slug" (Pattern Requests)
"Portrait of my pet slug" (Bragging)
"Excessive vibration!" (Tools and blades)

A few recent example of good, descriptive titles:
"Golden Retriever Inlay Coasters" (KathyRo)
"Lost blade tension on saw" (JRP)
"request for car patterns" (elcaminogal)
"Wildlife of Glacier National Park WIP" (Dick Miraglia)

A few examples of good and intriguing titles:
why, any of mine of course!
"Beautiful Failure" (azbison)
'"Clown" - W.I.P - juggling a segmentation exercise' (jim_mex)
"Getting rid of the fuzzies.......again" (Plaquerd)
"the Circus Parade" (Carter Johnson)
"TroutBuilt Truck" (Trout)


Thanks!

--Rob
Any resemblance between my "bad" examples and actual posts is purely a coincidence. I was not attempting or intending to pick on any particular posts.

[greatdane2]

You forgot "naked" and "sex"

[Gill]

Originally Posted by Arcy

On the naming of posts (aka: good thread titles) (aka: why should I read your post?)

Concise thread titles help too!



Gill

[JohnB]

G'day Rob,
Excellent point.

Occasionally you come up with a beaut. LOL

Having a unique name for a thread also lets you know if you've read it or not.

Alan, Reasonably sized threads are good, huuuuuuuuuuuuuge ones aint

[sawdustus]

Good post Alan. A catchy title is worth a thousand pictures. Or is it the other way around, and if so how do we post pictures in the title?

george

[minowevie]

Rob, good Idea, but for me, I try to read them all. I am always surprized to what the content is. I think all threads are worth looking at. just like this one. it is in my 4th page. and I didn't see it till now. your friend Evie