TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Appeal for descriptive subject lines

Given the way forums and internet communications work in general, I know this may come across as negative - or even as an attack on specific posters. Instead, I hope you will take it as a polite suggestion to make life easier...

I'd like to suggest that posters try and come up with a subject line that clearly (as much as possible) describes the question or topic they are posting about. When I browse these forums, I don't click on every post. I scan the subject lines to see if it might be something I'm interested in or a question I could answer. That works fine until I come to a post with a subject like "Do you know...".

Now I have to decide if I want to take the time to actually find out what the question is. Of course my curiosity gets the best of me and I click - only to find that the rest of the question is say, "...the shortest route to OB from Marigot?" I don't know/care so I click back.

The next day, I see that post again. And, since my memory is that of a goldfish, I can't remember whether this vague post was the one asking about sailing charter companies or the one about the route to OB. I click, and find that no, it's the one about driving to OB. Ugh. Click back. All of this could be avoided if the subject were simply "Shortest route to OB from Marigot?" or something similar.

BTW, I make this same kind of appeal on many of the forums I browse because it's a common occurrence. I get it. Sometimes it's hard to boil your complicated question into a descriptive subject and it seems simpler to basically say "Hey, I've got a complicated question". If you think about it though, what you are really saying is "Hey, guess what this post is about".

Again, I hope no one takes offense at this suggestion. There's really no way to make it without sounding negative, which is not my intent. I just want to urge posters to take an extra second and think about describing their post so readers can more easily determine what it's about.

It is a great suggestion but I honestly think a lot of people post without giving much thought to the subject line. Even the subject line you have chosen in this post may not get all the everyone's attention either as they might think subject lines for what? In fact I wasn't going to click on it but decided to anyway as I am always curious.
Thanks for your suggestion and hopefully the subject lines will improve.

Don't worry about offending. No matter what you post it will offend someone.

No negativity or offense taken, I'm sure.

And beyond what the others have said, Tim, you can post the most descriptive lead-ins in the world, and often times someone will post a generalization in regard to what you've posted, and before you know it, the thread has taken on an entirely different meaning than what it was started as and has developed a brand new life of its own.

To me that's part of the fun of reading everyone's everything. You just never know when a reasonably innocuous post about a Frenchside beach will have you flying off to Saba or Anguilla, or a question about an Italian restaurant in Simpson Bay can easily strike a memory with someone and before you know it, you're at a neighborhood Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs, or in whatever direction someone else's mind might take you.

I'm thinking you're getting my drift..... We high-jack threads all the time, rarely intentionally but it happens often and there is no disrespect intended to the OP or his post but it happens routinely.<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

As I have said before, these threads can be just like that old party laugh getter where someone whispers a story in the ear of the person next to them and that person to the next and so on down the line. When the person at the end tells it to everyone, it bears little resemblance to the original.

True. I'm offended. However, the problem is I don't know remember what offended me.

All in all - I think the subject lines are well done. We need another thread about rental cars.

it is obvious that your not retired!....chill out...grab a glass of wine and an enjoy " all " posts....who cares if the odd one is off topic.....sip of wine , and move on.

Heck, the only way you can get through some of these posts is with a glass (or 2) of wine in hand!

Thanks, well put. There are just some subjects that I'm not interested in, or I'm not knowledgeable about, so why waste my time? AND, I am retired@
Now, can we have some respect on hijacking threads? If you have another question or topic, start a new thread!

Agreed - threads will be hijacked regardless of the subject line and I'm not lobbying to try and put an end to that part of forum discussions. That's what makes a forum more interesting than just Googling everything. But a descriptive, more unique than "Just wondering...", subject acts as a better mnemonic to help you remember what's inside even if it does.

Yes, if one sees a thread with a subject that doesn't immediately interest them and they skip it, they run the risk of missing the resulting drift inside. That's a decision everyone has to make on lots of things.:-)

Tim,

Your suggestion would certainly make searches easier down the road and.........

Not saying you're wrong but Tomatoes, towmahtows; potatoes, powtahtoes!! Whatever makes you happy and works for you! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

I understand where you're coming from, and I do sometimes edit the title of people's posts, to more clearly indicate what the actual question is. I personally think that SOMETIMES people think that MORE people will read the thread if the title is ambiguous. And sometimes people are just in a rush and post anything--not necessarily just with regard to the title of the post. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Highjacking threads is a whole nother issue, which there is no resolution for, but often quite interesting discussions evolve out of it..

Well, if we are going with whatever makes *me* happy, it's going to take me a little while to compile the full list. I don't know if I should make specific assignments for each of you or just let you pick. We'll figure it out.

Please check back in a few days. I'll post it in a new topic with a subject line along the lines of "How to make Tom (not Tim) Happy".

Everyone on board with this?

Subject line?

Are we supposed to have subject lines?

I didn't have any wine open, but after two gin & tonics, all of these posts seem wonderfull.