Why the Topic Subject MUST reflect the content of the post?

[Administrator]

Edited by: Admin Sep 11, 07, 17:40 / #

Some forum members may be surprised or even annoyed by the fact we want them to follow some easy, but strict rules regarding creating new topic subjects.

Why creating a good topic title is so important? Aside from search engine or marketing aspects, there is one - perhaps the most important - reason: usability.

Imagine neither user has cared about what a good topic subject should be and create a subject what most of us would probably create without a second thought -- some very general and meaningless phrases, words, or statements.

Here are some examples:

1. User wants to find out about best restaurants in Warsaw. Their first topic idea: Question. Their second topic idea. Help please.

2. User wants to find out about average teaching salary in Poland. Their first topic idea: Salary? Their second topic idea: Teaching.

3. User wants to learn about popular food chain restaurants in Poland. Their first topic idea: Restaurants. Their second topic idea: Urgent.

4. User wants to know the English meaning of this phrase: "Jak sie masz?". Their first topic idea: Translation. Their second topic idea: Help please!

Now, if you look around and check the existing titles of the forum threads, you'll notice we try very hard to avoid such meaningless and repetitive topic subjects. It takes time and determination. Is it worth it? Hopefully it is appreciated by most of the members.

For those who don't appreciate it, below is a screen-shot of how an average forum thread page would look like if there were no topic title creation rules or moderation. Which of the listed subjects would you find most appealing and useful? Would you like to take your time to click on each link just to find out the discussion isn't really on something you have imagined it to be based on the topic title? Perhaps not...

PolishForums.com

Meaningless titles

Large

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 17:44 / #
Quoting: Admin que the bureaucrats :) have you finished your little moan now??? lol

FirestormThreads: 7 Posts: 511 Joined: Nov 29, 06	Sep 11, 07, 17:46 / #
Quoting: Admin Admin Agreed. That does look ugly. Lol

PolskaDollThreads: 44 Posts: 4,134 Joined: Jun 15, 07	Sep 11, 07, 17:50 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 tornado2007 Might seem like a moan but there is a point in it. If you were a new-comer looking to translate something like 'happy birthday my friend' and you clicked on the translation forum and were met with 27 titles all saying 'translation - please help' - would you bother searching through them all on the off chance you'd find one that would help you? I don't think you would and neither would I!

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 17:51 / #
Quoting: PolskaDoll would you bother searching through them all on the off chance you'd find one that would help you? I don't think you would and neither would I! probably not PD but the smell of red tape is in the air :) I get what your driving at though

PolskaDollThreads: 44 Posts: 4,134 Joined: Jun 15, 07	Sep 11, 07, 17:54 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 the smell of red tape is in the air No, just common sense... :)

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:03 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 red tape Tornado999, I didn't realise you were an anarchist! I agree with Admin on this one. If a topic doesn't have a title that relates to it, you don't know what's in it. If there are a lot of meaningless titles, you don't bother looking, and you might be missing out.

FirestormThreads: 7 Posts: 511 Joined: Nov 29, 06	Edited by: Firestorm Sep 11, 07, 18:03 / #
Quoting: PolskaDoll No, just common sense It is.. I have to agree that some kind of organization makes sense. I left one forum bc people were just posting crap randomly. Finding even past posts were a nightmare. Trawling through 32 pages of posts. Just to find a picture i was asked for depressed me. So i quit.. What the admins do. isnt an easy task. But a needed one.. Keep up the good work. Keep it clean. :))

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:06 / #
Quoting: osiol If a topic doesn't have a title that relates to it, you don't know what's in it. then click on it, its not difficult :) Quoting: osiol If there are a lot of meaningless titles, you don't bother looking, your loss, or in most cases not your loss :) They have time to complain about these little rules yet they don't throw people out for clearly abusing and swearing at other people. However there happy to delete my profile when my house mate uses it!!!! the word is 'CONSISTANCY' which i feel admin lack, some rules are musts and the ore serious ones are overlooked or pointed at the wrong people

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:08 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 then click on it, its not difficult How many randomly titled threads are you supposed to bother with? Why not call Polish Forums something like "I Need Some Help With Something Forums"?

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:10 / #
Quoting: osiol "I Need Some Help With Something Forums"? yeah why not??? lol :)

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:11 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 serious ones Just because some serious rules may be broken from time to time, it doesn't mean smaller rules should be allowed to be broken. It's like saying 'Some murderers don't get caught, so you can't complain about burglars!' Quoting: tornado2007 yeah why not Okay then, welcome to "Yeah Why Not Forums!"

PolskaDollThreads: 44 Posts: 4,134 Joined: Jun 15, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:13 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 then click on it, its not difficult :) But a waste of time, when something more straight to the point would be more helpful, wouldn't it?

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:13 / #
Quoting: osiol Just because some serious rules may be broken from time to time, it doesn't mean smaller rules should be allowed to be broken. It's like saying 'Some murderers don't get caught, so you can't complain about burglars!' no no no i don't mean that mate, yes all rules are important but they seem to point out the less important ones and complain about them. What about the people who are not even constructive and abusive, just bin them, they are breaking rules, whats the problem with that?? Quoting: osiol welcome to "Yeah Why Not Forums!" thank you very much

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:20 / #
Quoting: tornado2007 abusive I suppose this thread with Admin's little whinge about badly named threads is probably about as useful as if there was a whinge about abusiveness. The people who give threads the worst names are usually first or second time users, not regular forum members. The abusive ones will continue to be abusive.

tornado2007Threads: 20 Posts: 3,497 Joined: Jul 11, 07	Sep 11, 07, 18:28 / #
Quoting: osiol The abusive ones will continue to be abusive. exactly so stamp on it and banned them :) if there is a problem you don't just leave it.

HuegThreads: 1 Posts: 428 Joined: Apr 16, 07	Sep 13, 07, 16:31 / #
it doesn't mean smaller rules should be allowed to be broken. Rules are there for the guidance of the wise and for the blind obedience of fools.

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