Make Thread/Never Return

I have been guilty of this more than a couple of times over... But my motives are pure, I think. I also assume that others might share those motives.

When I post an OP I prefer to abstain from commenting ( to the best of my ability ) for at least the first few pages so that an organic conversation might emerge, free from my own will and influence. Unfortunately few threads get past the first few pages these days... so sometimes it works out that no organic conversation manifests and I'm left with a one to three page thread that has died a natural death.

When this happens, every once in awhile I will post clarifying thoughts to try and revive it... but most of the time I simply allow it to remain dead - figuring that there must not be a community interest in the subject or in the way that I presented it.

I imagine that this same sort of logic probably applies to others as well - so it's an additional thing to consider... along side "hit and run" trollery and "posting for quantity in a pursuit to get as many flags as possible".

reply to post by DISRAELI

Originally posted by DISRAELI

I'm not sure that "Reply button not used" is a good excuse for not noticing a post.
I would have thought that an OP would be able to keep an eye on his own thread without needing that reminder.

I agree, but only if it is within a relatively short period of time after the thread was first posted. If someone posts a comment after the thread has been dead for 1 or more days, the OP is less likely to return to the thread.(unless they receive that notification).

Originally posted by DISRAELI

Starting a thread and then not looking in to see what happens is a little like fathering a child and then deserting the family.

Nah, it's more like sending those little 'starter babies' directly out into the world, without being in the presence of a woman, and then not going back the next day to check on them and see if they have dried up yet.

[color=828282](lmao. sorry, that may be stupid, but I don't care.
I crack me up sometimes, and that's all that really matters.lol)






reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

If I 'mother' my threads and really post a bit much, like replies to each? (I've done it before and not meaning to be sarcastic) the thread dies about half the time immediately after I've posted more than a couple times early on, especially on the first page. A double or triple back to back set is has almost been like shooting it dead right there, as I learned early on.

A 3 page thread wherein about 25 of the comments were posted by the OP......

I thought people did that as an attempt to make their thread appear important.
(Trying to push it further up the list of 'Active New Topics'.)

Originally posted by sled735

I don't know how to edit it into a new forum.

I don't know if you can edit it or not, but you could've just started a new thread in the 'Rant Forum', and then copied and pasted.(but that wouldn't have been funny, so this was the better choice for this time. )

Originally posted by sled735

I've been here awhile now. I know which buttons are which.

Just from your number of posts & register date, I figured you already knew about it, but ya never know..... It is possible that someone may not know about the notifications.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Inbox? Can you give more info?

reply to post by Hefficide


Yeah, I mean posting an OP, then never, ever, coming back to comment.

If it is a news story, I can see the OP only wanting to share the info. But, in threads where the OP asks for more info from the members, I think it is a courtesy to reply (at least once), even if it is only one post to the group of people as a whole who replied, thanking them for their posts.

That's just me. Maybe I like to know that my time in posting a response is worth it to the OP.

reply to post by Magister

Originally posted by Magister

Inbox? Can you give more info?

A Forewarning: It's actually pretty simple, but I may use the word 'Click' too many times, and make it sound much more difficult than it really is. lol



This→ www.abovetopsecret.com...
should take you directly to it.

At first, it will probably be on your 'PM(Private Message) Inbox'.

Then if you click on 'Replies', it will show a list of names, such as: 'BrokenCircles Replied'....

After clicking on one of the names, the Thread Title will pop up on the right.

Click that Thread Title Link and it will open up directly to the specific post that was a reply to you.


Personally, I have it bookmarked, so that's usually the first page I go to when I open ATS.

But you can get there by clicking 'Tools+' at the top(& towards the right) of this page.(or any page)

After clicking 'Tools+', another bar will drop down.

Then on the left side of that 2nd bar, click 'Messages'.




I think that makes sense.......

Originally posted by BrokenCircles
reply to post by Magister

 

Originally posted by Magister

Inbox? Can you give more info?

A Forewarning: It's actually pretty simple, but I may use the word 'Click' too many times, and make it sound much more difficult than it really is. lol



This→ www.abovetopsecret.com...
should take you directly to it.

At first, it will probably be on your 'PM(Private Message) Inbox'.

Then if you click on 'Replies', it will show a list of names, such as: 'BrokenCircles Replied'....

After clicking on one of the names, the Thread Title will pop up on the right.

Click that Thread Title Link and it will open up directly to the specific post that was a reply to you.

 

 

Personally, I have it bookmarked, so that's usually the first page I go to when I open ATS.

But you can get there by clicking 'Tools+' at the top(& towards the right) of this page.(or any page)

After clicking 'Tools+', another bar will drop down.

Then on the left side of that 2nd bar, click 'Messages'.




I think that makes sense.......

edit on 7/27/13 by BrokenCircles because: (no reason given)

Great! Thank you! I thought that was for replies to u2u messages.

Okay I have a few rules I use for my interaction regarding threads and posting, this is just for me I'm not suggesting anyone else follow these (sorry, it's a personal failing of mine to develop rules, taxonomies and the like for just about everything).

IF I am posting in response to the OP (original poster) reagarding his/her opening remarks - even if there were several distinct posts - I always use the "POST REPLY" button at the bottom of the thread.

IF I am posting in response to an individual post, regardless of who made the post - I always use the "REPLY TO" button.

One thing I recently discovered just this year (after being here several years) was the "Replies" area under "Messages" in the "Tools" section. I had struggled with keeping track of replies or responses to my posts until I found that tool. Now it's great to be able to easily find and Respond (or not depending on content) to folks that acknowledged something I posted.

When it comes to making threads, well, I've been around here a good while and very rarely am able to find a reason to post a thread. It is quite rare I find a news story before someone else has posted. It is incomprehensible for me to start a "Rant" and I'm not inclined to posting long-winded opinion pieces just for the personal edification of starting a new topic. There are MORE than enough new topics, subjects and posts for me to be able to interact with my fellow members without my having to add another new topic post to the fray.

It is rare I'm even AWARE of what forum I'm reading - I ALWAYS use the new topics firehose and read ALL the titles from ALL the forums (constantly amazed how folks will duplicate their threads across multiple forums). Every so often I have to go to RATS and catch up on the "really good stuff". On the one thread I started about the head of Google security going to work for the NSA, I didn't even get a full page of replies because of the "crappy" title in the actual news story, so I'm feeling "not good enough" to start my own threads but very thankful for the opportunity to contribute (hopefully in a meaningful way) to discussions initiated by better "news hounds" and researchers than myself.

ganjoa