Why so many blank threads lately?

Why do people post threads that just contain a title and nothing else??? WHATS THE POINT????

Its becoming more regular, you click on a thread to find the thread is just the question asked in the title. Really getting fed up of it to be honest

If you are going to make a thread at least put a bit of effort into it...typing a question into the thread title then publishing it, doesnt constitute a thread!



Heres one that prompted me to make this thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

To be honest what is more to be said? he is asking a single question. It is short and sweet and we can understand what he is saying....

reply to post by loves a conspiricy


pickles are good imo. However I do not like beets. I hope this helps you! cheers!

hmmm..and so you choose to rant against this ..by using the same tactic..one word thread title?

Some people let the little things bother them way too much..

reply to post by gabby2011

Lol owned

Originally posted by gabby2011
hmmm..and so you choose to rant against this ..by using the same tactic..one word thread title?

Some people let the little things bother them way too much..

LOL.......i didnt say it was about the title did i?? You clearly didnt understand the text underneath the title

You open a thread...to find it blank...nothing in it...this has nothing to do with titles

reply to post by loves a conspiricy


Methinks you just had your question answered!

reply to post by loves a conspiricy


When I joined ATS this was in the T&C, and was definitely discouraged. And it still is. But it isn't easy for 72 moderators to keep up with all the minimal threads, and police everyone too.

Use the alert button when you see threads like that. It helps the mods find problems without having to look for them.

reply to post by boymonkey74


Read the T&C. Minimal threads are not allowed. You have to put text with them. Explain the topic, give your own opinion. Go look at a thread by Slayer69, Zorgon, Muzzleflash, any moderator, and several other of the members we have here that put thought and time into a thread.

reply to post by Klassified


Yea i alert quite a bit to be honest I alerted mods to the one i linked....

Its just annoying seeing this "spam"/"trolling" all of the time nowadays.

You think "ooh that looks like it could be worth a look" to find it empty....its getting to the point where when i see a join date ending 2011 il just ignore them. Lots of trolls and kids joined in 2011.

Originally posted by boymonkey74
To be honest what is more to be said? he is asking a single question. It is short and sweet and we can understand what he is saying....

Firstly, it's in the T&C's that it shouldn't be done and, secondly, this is a discussion forum where people are encouraged to put their point of view forward on a subject, after researching it, and invite polite debate and discussion regarding all aspects of that subject.

If someone wants to just ask a question then I suggest that they go to www.answers.com

reply to post by loves a conspiricy


I think the majority of those blank threads are mere accidents to be honest. If you come across those threads often, try browsing elsewhere for a while and then come back to the thread, often you'll then see content in the opening post or a message from the person who originally posted it to say sorry for pressing enter before they're done, or something to that effect even. I know I've seen that happen countless times now.

Those that aren't accidents however, like the thread you highlighted in your OP for example (Edit: Which upon returning to it now has a great deal of content in the opening post thus proving my above point), then yeah I agree with you, they are annoying, add nothing and need to be stopped. Maybe It's because I've been around a while now (If you can count 2 years as "a while" that is), I'm not sure, but it does seem like less and less people are taking the time out to actually try and create something decent now and that's a big shame really because the quality of threads here is, and has been for a while, a real plus point and I hope it continues. It has to really. The members make this site what it is after all and if people start to get lazy and refuse to even try then this site will go downhill fast.

Sure, It's all good providing a question for other members to debate over, but at the very least the person asking the question should take the time out to explain what their current position is, why they've chosen to ask the question in the first place or just anything else like this really. Not a question and that's is. That type of posting add's nothing to the website and it looks like nothing but an attempt to gain more stats as opposed to actually trying to learn something.

Just my 2 cents worth..

reply to post by loves a conspiricy

Why do people post threads that just contain a title and nothing else??? WHATS THE POINT????

Maybe, just maybe, it's because it's a race to post the story first or, *gasp* have your thread closed/removed for double posting. since it's a race, people often create the thread, click submit, then immediately start editing to include the information they wanted to present, first.

Your provided link is a perfect example, that thread has a HUGE OP, you probably just hopped in before he was done editing.

reply to post by Rising Against

Those that aren't accidents however, like the thread you highlighted in your OP for example, then yeah I agree with you, they are annoying, add nothing and need to be stopped.

I agree, but if you follow his link you'll see a huge text filled OP.

What I believe is happening you can relate to, you provide some incredibly details threads on various topics like JFK and such. With that, you sometimes have to create the thread, then edit in the content later. sometimes people pop in and disrupt the thread before you are done.

I believe the thread the OP mentioned is a case similar to that or the "race" mentality that "I must be FIRST to post this regardless".

The "right" thing to do, is not create the thread until it's done. If that's impossible, do exactly what you do, open it, leave a note in the title or OP explaining that more content is coming please do not post yet.

Though those cases are the minority, I have noticed plenty of empty threads too, just not the one the OP linked, it's full.

Heck, I've even done it, posted a story about the US officials demanding the ability to declare the entire earth as a "battlefield" including inside the US. I posted the story, excerpt, then accidentally opened the thread before I actually posted my comment on the article. I of course went right back in and started adding the content, but someone had immediately "alerted" the mods (honestly, within seconds of the thread appearing) and I was handed a point reduction.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters

I agree, but if you follow his link you'll see a huge text filled OP.

Aha, I just saw your above post and have already edited mine.

Thanks for pointing it out btw, I would've completely missed it otherwise.

I believe the thread the OP mentioned is a case similar to that or the "race" mentality that "I must be FIRST to post this regardless".

I agree, there is a "race mentality" and I think that is a big problem here. Especially with news stories because yes, it is a race. The first thread posted, as opposed to the thread which maybe has that little bit more content/information relating to the news story being discussed, is the one which stays on the board for everyone else to see, which is an obvious flaw really. It really should be the best/most informative thread which remains, not the first.

Not to forget that if there is a big news story that suddenly came up then It's well known we're to expect thread after thread to be posted about it on the board, this, once again, due to members wanting to be given credit for being the first one to post it. I really think that it has almost nothing to do with people wanting to share a story because they feel It's important or because It's something others might find interesting, instead, as has been mentioned, It's becoming a race to be the poster who manages to post the next big, popular thread around here. And that's not what we're supposed to be about. It's about the story, not ourselves.

Again, just my 2 cents worth. But maybe this is an issue the staff at ATS should consider looking into at some point? I'm sure It's an issue a lot of members would like to see addressed at some point after all and I'm certainly sure that members wouldn't miss for a second the "race mentality" that obviously exists.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


A great point Phishy, and one I hadn't considered. Maybe the OP of these types of threads should put an "Under Construction" sign up until they're finished editing.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


I think you will find the OP went offline for some time.

My guess is....a mod messaged the OP and told them to add some content (as id alerted them), rather than them editing and re-editing the thread.

I would hardly call that a massive OP....a few external links, a couple of pictures and 5 lines of their own content.

P.s Why are people starring Gabby's post??? Gabby clearly didnt read my OP

reply to post by loves a conspiricy

P.s Why are people starring Gabby's post??? Gabby clearly didnt read my OP

Nice try..you edited your first title of this thread from one word.."why???" ..to what it is now..

It was clear why I said what I did.. and now you've changed it ..to make it appear that you didn't do the very same thing you were ranting against..

I'm not the only one who saw the first title..called..simply "why???" ... and I'm sorry you have to resort to deviousness to try and make it look differently.

Can you at least admit the original title of your thread was one word only?

and can you not see how that relates to my post and makes total sense?..Clearly i can understand what you posted..just seemed odd that you would use the exact same method you are ranting against originally.

Originally posted by gabby2011
reply to post by loves a conspiricy

 

P.s Why are people starring Gabby's post??? Gabby clearly didnt read my OP

Nice try..you edited your first title of this thread from one word.."why???" ..to what it is now..

It was clear why I said what I did.. and now you've changed it ..to make it appear that you didn't do the very same thing you were ranting against..

I'm not the only one who saw the first title..called..simply "why???" ... and I'm sorry you have to resort to deviousness to try and make it look differently..

LOL i changed the title....because "Why???" didnt really explain the thread.

The OP was not blank when you commented...it never was. What you see in the OP was what was originally authored..the only thing changed was the title, and the link to the thread i was ranting about :p

So let me explain as you clearly didnt understand.....

The rant was about BLANK threads...not 1 word titles. You missed the point completely, or never bothered reading the whole OP

I dont see how having "why?" as a title is the same has having a blank thread???????? So no...i wasnt doing the same thing as i was ranting about otherwise the thread would have had just a title, and nothing else

reply to post by gabby2011

Yup I saw him just title the thread just "Why????" and now he has changed it, but because he has now changed it star for both

quote..
I dont see how having "why?" as a title is the same has having a blank thread???????? So no...i wasnt doing the same thing as i was ranting about otherwise the thread would have had just a title, and nothing else

Well at least when people clicked on the other fellas thread we knew what it was about...I clicked on yours having no idea what the thread was about so.....which is worse?