Hey folks, I wanted to bounce something off of ya'll.

 

While going through the forums and reading some of the wonderfully awesome content, something I see frequently are titles to the topics that have nothing to do with the topic, or at least not to the observer. For me, it gets a tad frustrating as I wish I could determine a topic by the title, frankly if it's even anything I want to open and read.

 

For example, and I am not picking on anyone here! These are my own made up examples.

 

A topic title "The Best Thing in My Shop" is a title for a topic about a new Miter Saw that someone purchased and they absolutely love the saw.

Instead the topic could be titled "My New Makita LS1508F Miter Saw".

 

The first example I used I have no idea what that topic is about or if I even want to read it.

While the second example tells me what that topic is about and I have developed an interest in reading it purely by the title name.

 

Here's another one.

A title "Another Project" for a topic about a cabinet someone is making, and this is supposed to be an announcement of their embarking on that project.

In its place, a more appropriate topic title would be, "Starting an Oak Wall Cabinet" or if you know you are going to create additional topics for the same project, the title could be "Oak Wall Cabinet Part 1".

 

I feel all of you who are not naming your topics to reflect the actual content of your topic, are doing yourself a disservice, I feel folks may just walk on by that topic looking for something with a title they can grab on too, with interest.

Also, by titling your topic appropriately we are able to see it appear in search results at a later date, our search engine love titles, it's the first thing it searches for when someone does a search for "oak cabinet".

 

Thanks for reading my friends!

 

 

I see your point and I am very guilty of this. 

 

One the other hand (I know, there are four fingers and a thumb), some of those titles peak my morbid curiosity and I can't help but click on them. Of course, the search engines don't have morbid curiosity.

 

I'll make sure I do better naming my posts. 

Thanks Lew, as I stated, not pointing fingers, but hey, since you pointed your own back at ya!

Thanks again Lew, just some food for thought.

Like Lew, a topic title doesn't matter to me. I'll click out of curiosity, if nothing else. Tags are much more precise.

6 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Like Lew, a topic title doesn't matter to me. I'll click out of curiosity, if nothing else. Tags are much more precise.

Some of my point though Gene, is that if we have appropriate topic titles it helps everyone and it helps our own search engine, remember search engines don't include tags, only the textual content of the topic including titles.

I am coming from a look into the future, and I am coming from our community being a helpful researchable database of content that everyone, members and non-members can easily peruse and get the information they need, quickly and efficiently. If you have to open a topic to find out what it's mainly about, then the efficiency goes out the window for those who just want to get the information they need.

 

But I also realize I cannot let my quest to make The Patriot Woodworker a resource for ideas, tips, lessons, etc etc, paramount, as we also need our members to feel free and have fun too.

All I am asking, is for folks to think about their title for a couple seconds, and make their title reflect the content of the topic. It's not a rule, just a suggestion.

 

I respect your point you made Gene, completely, thanks!

12 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Tags are much more precise

That's if you can get a good tag from the topic originator, some here are really bad at titling their topics, and using coherent tags, both at once!

I endeavor to make the title informative on the topic but also kinda catchy, something that's sparks one's curiosity.  

Actually, accidental learning is more my modus operandi. Serendipitous discovery isn't dependent on topic titles. But, my casually random approach to life isn't for everybody. My wife, chief among that majority. 

I’m afraid that if I don’t put SEX in the title no one will look at it. (Sorry, #1 thing my wife says about me is “ You’re not as funny as you think you are dear ” ). I will try to make the tags and titles clearer.

44 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

But, my casually random approach to life isn't for everybody.

I happen to love that about you Gene. We need more of that in our world.

5 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Like Lew, a topic title doesn't matter to me.

I never gave it much thought either...

6 hours ago, John Morris said:

A topic title "The Best Thing in My Shop" is a title for a topic about a new Miter Saw that someone purchased and they absolutely love the saw.

Instead the topic could be titled "My New Makita LS1508F Miter Saw"

I would be more prone to open the thread as originally tilled and pass by it because it is a Makita...  I have Bosch and Milwaukee..

I try to describe mine as best as I can.

Most of my projects are repurposed "Junk"  

4 hours ago, Artie said:

(Sorry, #1 thing my wife says about me is “ You’re not as funny as you think you are dear ” )

That's ok, Mine says i need to hire better writers.  

I pretty much look at all the threads just because they are there.  I don't need "Click Bait" in the title.

4 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

I pretty much look at all the threads just because they are there.

yes..

I wish I had the time to look at all the threads, sorry guys, but I don't. Just think about it is all I ask. Thanks folks.

I don't think I've seen much of it here, but have elsewhere :   "A question for you all"  "What would you guys do?"  "How to fix this?"  etc.

 

I'll be  more careful.

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

I don't think I've seen much of it here, but have elsewhere :   "A question for you all"  "What would you guys do?"  "How to fix this?"  etc.

One I have seen and always makes me chuckle, first table saw or first whatever tool.  Then how do you use it?

18 minutes ago, Woodbutcherbynight said:

One I have seen and always makes me chuckle, first table saw or first whatever tool.  Then how do you use it?

Well! How else was I gonna know what to do? I told you I once put the blade on backwards. I am what you call an intelligent moron, I don’t repeat my mistakes, I continuously think of new ones to make.