 [ADMIN] Minor posting changes |
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 Apr 27 2006, 03:07 AM
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#1
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Prime Runner  Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51  |
Hey folks,
I have quickly hacked out the "Topic Description" item from posts, in an attempt to make the posting screen less confusing and to encourage better topic titles -- and to discourage the practice of making a "funny" topic title that only makes sense if you read the description. Let me know if you experience any problems with the changes. |
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Apr 27 2006, 06:26 AM
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#2
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Meh. I liked that second line. It's handy for longer topic titles. Perhaps you could just fix the currently seemingly defunct "guidlines" page and amend it to read "please make the topic relevant to your post".
Also, re: "only if you read the description", it's right under the title. How could you not read it if you're already reading something that's literally two mm north? My $.02. |
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Apr 27 2006, 06:45 AM
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#3
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 16,950 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
I'd like to cast my vote against this (not that it's a democracy)—the topic description, if used properly, provides valuable information that won't fit or should not go in a title.
~J |
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Apr 27 2006, 06:45 AM
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#4
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
The board guidelines at http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?act=boardrules appear to work fine for me, and do include the line "Use descriptive Topics and research your post." They do need some other touching up, though. The "Guidelines" link near the top right appears to work correctly for me. Are there other instances of it not working correctly? |
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Apr 27 2006, 06:52 AM
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#5
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
I think the "if used properly" is the big thing here, and scanning recent threads, I don't think the description is being used in ways that add much clarity. Since very few boards use the description/secondary topic, few people seem accustomed to using it for useful info. I'm trying to make the forums easier to use by reducing the number of tools that people have to use, with the theory that they can use 1 tool well instead of 2 of them half-assed. We'll see if it works; if it's a failure, we'll try something else. |
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Apr 27 2006, 12:30 PM
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#6
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
Two half-assed tools are better than one full-assed tool. After all, if one half-assed tool breaks down, you've still got the other half ass to work with.
I like the topic description line, personally. It's handy for when I run out of space on the main topic name. |
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Apr 27 2006, 02:09 PM
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#7
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
i liked it too, i occassionly used it for some witty remark, but i feel my topics generally gave a good idea of what was going to be going on inisde.
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Apr 27 2006, 03:20 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 7-February 03 Member No.: 4,025 |
Seriously, why do you want to discourage humour?
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Apr 27 2006, 04:03 PM
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#9
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
It's not so much an attempt to discourage humour, but to encourage good topic titles, which help make searching/referring to old posts more useful, and to help make Dumpshock less intimidating to new posters.
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Apr 27 2006, 04:06 PM
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#10
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
I thought Dumpshock's whole "thing" was the big and scary intimidating snobbish elitism? I worked hard to break into where I am, and now all of a sudden the road behind me is being paved with carebear stares and fluffy cotton candy?
*cries* |
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Apr 27 2006, 04:07 PM
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#11
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Incertum est quo loco te mors expectet; Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,546 Joined: 24-October 03 From: DeeCee, U.S. Member No.: 5,760 |
My only complaint is the basic topic title is always too short for me to properly explain what I'm talking about. If you're going to reduce it to one line, can you at least make it one long line?
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Apr 27 2006, 04:28 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 7-February 03 Member No.: 4,025 |
gotcha
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Apr 27 2006, 04:31 PM
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#13
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Dude, I think I ruined that. Yay me!!! |
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Apr 27 2006, 04:48 PM
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#14
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
I think it's a bad idea, it won't solve the problem. Instead of having 2 lines to explain themselves, people now only have 1. That doesn't make things clearer.
People who don't use descriptive titles aren't going to start doing so because there is now less info fields to fill in. |
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Apr 27 2006, 05:08 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 313 Joined: 26-February 02 From: UCAS Member No.: 1,015 |
I too enjoy the description field. It allows for an aside that can very often make a difference between me reading a topic or ignoring it. The forum has so many threads on very similar topics that the additional field gives authors the opportunity to hint at why their thread is unique.
Any chance you will reconsider? |
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Apr 27 2006, 09:24 PM
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#16
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Shooting Target Group: Validating Posts: 1,618 Joined: 29-January 03 From: Montevideo, Uruguay. Member No.: 3,992 |
I like the previous format. Two-lines titles are so much better.
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Apr 27 2006, 10:28 PM
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#17
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
Well, why not just make the amount of room we have for topic headings longer, then?
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Apr 27 2006, 10:33 PM
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#18
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
Bah, who cares? An informative title will get more views, and there's plenty of room for everything else in the post itself.
Either way is fine with me. |
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Apr 28 2006, 01:01 AM
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#19
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
I like the "Nonfiction Impulse Buy" format of the threads; there's the novelty, then the explanation. And is it okay for me to start a "Fanpro and dumpshock conspiracy theories thread?"
I have one that I'm seriously considering. The geriatrics thread appeared on the exact same day as this announcement; that is way too much of a coincidence. I'm thinking that the thread was deliberately set up by the admins as a straw man to support the change. Thoughts? |
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Apr 28 2006, 01:16 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 8-April 06 From: My dorm room Member No.: 8,438 |
I think you stopped taking your meds again.
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Apr 28 2006, 01:17 AM
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#21
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
THERE ARE NO COINKIDINKS!!!!
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Apr 28 2006, 01:24 AM
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#22
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Right... but there is cause-effect. :silly:
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Apr 28 2006, 01:26 AM
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#23
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Hume would disagree; cause and effect could only be determined by one thing happening after another multiple times, and at best, this is an educated guess. This has not happened multiple times. :D
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Apr 28 2006, 01:26 AM
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#24
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Adam:
The links I was attempting to use to access the rules and guidlines are the ones in the "Welcome" sticky. They lead to a 404 not found. I'll also toss my name in the "taking away the description line won't make emo's thread titles any clearer" hat. ;) |
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Apr 28 2006, 01:27 AM
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#25
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Dude, that's not the problem with my threads. The problem with my threads is my threads. The titles, on the other hand, are very clear.
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 31st May 2023 - 12:44 AM |
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