It’s certainly possible. And, I would say, desirable. But when the question has come up before, it’s been clear that some shipmates like the enigmatic thread titles.
I get where you're coming from, and my own sense of personal efficiency would prefer a tidy meta-summary for every thread title.
But, considering the well-worn demographic that actually frequent these boards, it's not exactly the same as a psychologically-calculated effort to "go viral". It's more likely an inside joke to peers to see whom they can mislead in spirit of playful camaraderie. Or am I oversimplifying?
I doubt there’s typically any intent to actually mislead. (And when there is, it is, as you say, playful, I think.)
I think it’s often more that people creating threads think of the thread title in the context of the OP they’re writing at the same time on the same webpage, and they don’t think about how the title will or won’t be understood when separated from that context and instead appearing in a list of thread titles.
I don’t really see anything remotely click-baitish about it.
Sorry for the double-post, but ironically, I think that the title of this thread illustrates the issue. If you read just the thread title it reads like a question “What is this thread?” It’s not clear that it refers to the thread in Ecclesiantics entitled “What is this?” Nor does the OP specifically refer to that thread. Both the thread title and the OP rely on an assumed familiarity with what the writer had in mind.
Now I don’t for a second think @Caissa was trying to be enigmatic, much less misleading. But anticipating how the title might be read when appearing on a list of thread titles might have led to something more clear, like “Re: The ‘What is this’ thread.”
Or, given, what the OP actually identifies as the concern that prompted the thread to start with, perhaps the title really should have been “Should thread titles reflect the topic of the thread?”
In other words, while I agree it would be good if thread titles reflected what the thread is about, it’s really easy to unintentionally write titles that don’t meet that standard.
The Ship can be playful, quirky and annoying, often all at the same time. It works for me. And I like the 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt not make any more commandments".
The "What is this Thread?" started out asking about what is The Messy Church movement. Then it moved over to is it canonical and what is proper liturgy. The Title made sense when it was talking about the Messy Church, now not so much.
Is clicking on the op to see what it is about really such a massive burden ?
It's more a mild irritant that I've clicked on it several times because my lack of interest in the topic means it doesn't stick in my mind. I put that down more to my irritability than anything else, though!
Is clicking on the op to see what it is about really such a massive burden ?
It's more a mild irritant that I've clicked on it several times because my lack of interest in the topic means it doesn't stick in my mind. I put that down more to my irritability than anything else, though!
Yes, I think that’s the issue—when the title gives no clue as to the topic, it becomes easy to forget what the topic is.
Had italics been used as in the following which might be a line from a 1950s Hollywood B-movie then the title may have carried a different tone: 'Say, what is this?'
Or, 'What is this?'
As it stands, I didn't get that impression though.
Is clicking on the op to see what it is about really such a massive burden ?
It's more a mild irritant that I've clicked on it several times because my lack of interest in the topic means it doesn't stick in my mind. I put that down more to my irritability than anything else, though!
Yes, I think that’s the issue—when the title gives no clue as to the topic, it becomes easy to forget what the topic is.
And yes, it’s at most a very mild annoyance.
But why mildly annoy people at all? Is it too much to ask for a little courtesy?
I doubt most people mean to be annoying, so the question of why mildly annoy people doesn't really apply. Different people are annoyed by different personalities and different behaviours.
Had italics been used as in the following which might be a line from a 1950s Hollywood B-movie then the title may have carried a different tone: 'Say, what is this?'
Or, 'What is this?'
I may be wrong, but I don’t think italics can be used in thread titles.
And I agree with @fineline; I assume it’s quite rare that anyone intends to be annoying. And I’m guessing we’ve all written things that we thought made sense, only to learn to that others didn’t read what we wrote the way we anticipated.
Creativity in thread titles has always been a feature here. There was a period on the previous set of boards, probably about 20 years ago, where it seemed some Shipmates were in a competition for the shortest thread title. Some people here may remember Wood ... who came up with a single letter thread title that was still fairly clear what it was about (that title was "Q").
What are some examples (recent) of thread titles that do not do the job?
I think the OP was based on the idea that the title of a current thread in Ecclesiantics, “What is this?,” doesn’t do the job, as it doesn’t give any clue as to what “this” is. (As it turned out, “this” was “Messy Church.”)
I doubt most people mean to be annoying, so the question of why mildly annoy people doesn't really apply. Different people are annoyed by different personalities and different behaviours.
It doesn't have to be intentional, if you make NOT ANNOYING intentional. Just stopping and thinking, "Is this potentially annoying?" And it shouldn't take much reflection to know that thread titles that don't give any hint of the contents are mildly annoying.
Annoyance is not a good topic to dwell on. Too apt to move from Might this annoy some people to how annoying some things/people are to you. And before you know it you are deep in what Jane Austen calls 'the pleasures of resentment'.
Better to breathe deeply and extend loving kindness to all humankind. The ungrateful bastards.
I doubt most people mean to be annoying, so the question of why mildly annoy people doesn't really apply. Different people are annoyed by different personalities and different behaviours.
It doesn't have to be intentional, if you make NOT ANNOYING intentional. Just stopping and thinking, "Is this potentially annoying?" And it shouldn't take much reflection to know that thread titles that don't give any hint of the contents are mildly annoying.
Do you stop and ask that each time you post, mousethief, and adjust how you post accordingly? Lots of people find all caps annoying, for instance, and see it as shouting/aggressive, and I'm sure you know that, and yet you've used them here.
If we all had to second guess everything we post because of some people potentially finding it annoying, I expect a lot of us would stop posting altogether. I'm sure many of us, yourself included, know we can be annoying to some, and equally we all find some people annoying. And ironically, being easily annoyed can also be annoying. And freely venting your annoyance may even also be seen as 'rude and self-indulgent.'
The title of that thread didn't annoy me (other things annoy me, but not that). If you think the person was being an inconsiderate by posting it, why not simply talk to them about it directly, tell them you found it difficult?
Comments
But, considering the well-worn demographic that actually frequent these boards, it's not exactly the same as a psychologically-calculated effort to "go viral". It's more likely an inside joke to peers to see whom they can mislead in spirit of playful camaraderie. Or am I oversimplifying?
I think it’s often more that people creating threads think of the thread title in the context of the OP they’re writing at the same time on the same webpage, and they don’t think about how the title will or won’t be understood when separated from that context and instead appearing in a list of thread titles.
I don’t really see anything remotely click-baitish about it.
Now I don’t for a second think @Caissa was trying to be enigmatic, much less misleading. But anticipating how the title might be read when appearing on a list of thread titles might have led to something more clear, like “Re: The ‘What is this’ thread.”
Or, given, what the OP actually identifies as the concern that prompted the thread to start with, perhaps the title really should have been “Should thread titles reflect the topic of the thread?”
In other words, while I agree it would be good if thread titles reflected what the thread is about, it’s really easy to unintentionally write titles that don’t meet that standard.
My apologies again to Caissa and anyone else who was confused, upset, annoyed, etc.
It's more a mild irritant that I've clicked on it several times because my lack of interest in the topic means it doesn't stick in my mind. I put that down more to my irritability than anything else, though!
And yes, it’s at most a very mild annoyance.
Had italics been used as in the following which might be a line from a 1950s Hollywood B-movie then the title may have carried a different tone: 'Say, what is this?'
Or, 'What is this?'
As it stands, I didn't get that impression though.
But why mildly annoy people at all? Is it too much to ask for a little courtesy?
As Barry Norman’s grandmother once said: if everyone liked the same thing, they’d all’ve been after your grandfather.
(Crosspost)
And I agree with @fineline; I assume it’s quite rare that anyone intends to be annoying. And I’m guessing we’ve all written things that we thought made sense, only to learn to that others didn’t read what we wrote the way we anticipated.
It doesn't have to be intentional, if you make NOT ANNOYING intentional. Just stopping and thinking, "Is this potentially annoying?" And it shouldn't take much reflection to know that thread titles that don't give any hint of the contents are mildly annoying.
Better to breathe deeply and extend loving kindness to all humankind. The ungrateful bastards.
Do you stop and ask that each time you post, mousethief, and adjust how you post accordingly? Lots of people find all caps annoying, for instance, and see it as shouting/aggressive, and I'm sure you know that, and yet you've used them here.
If we all had to second guess everything we post because of some people potentially finding it annoying, I expect a lot of us would stop posting altogether. I'm sure many of us, yourself included, know we can be annoying to some, and equally we all find some people annoying. And ironically, being easily annoyed can also be annoying. And freely venting your annoyance may even also be seen as 'rude and self-indulgent.'
The title of that thread didn't annoy me (other things annoy me, but not that). If you think the person was being an inconsiderate by posting it, why not simply talk to them about it directly, tell them you found it difficult?