Extreme nightmare from hades!!!!

[matthew]

(I'm posting as a user, not as staff.)

I don't know about anyone else, but I get tired of posts with inflammatory or dramatic titles like this one has. Maybe it's because I've traveled all over the world and seen what real nightmares are made of but I just can't believe that the frustrations we may face trying to get our computers to do what we want them to do really qualifies for such extreme language as is often used in support requests.

I wanted to give some specific examples, but I don't desire to offend anybody so I won't. My hope is to maybe educate those willing to listen. You will get more help if you give a specific title in your thread without all the dramatic desperation.

Made up examples:

Bad title: I'm going to SCREAM!!! Save me!
Good title: enabling mp3 playback on Ubuntu 6.06 i386 install

Bad: This software bites! I can't believe it doesn't have my favorite stuff installed by default! You suck!
Good: installing gcc compiler and needed accessories

Bad: My ATI card is trying to KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 and fglrx driver installation

Bad: That's it! I'm taking my hardware and going to $OS_of_choice
Good: Ubuntu didn't work for me. Here's why.

Phew. I feel better.

Next time perhaps I'll discuss how to give all the details necessary in your post so that you can actually be helped...oh, wait! I just did.

[John.Michael.Kane]

matthew very well said. although most of us who help out around here have been able to see past the inflammatory or dramatic titles, and just offer to help with the question or problem at hand. it would be nice not to see so many threads start with x y z but i don't think we will see that. the best we can do is see past the bad thread title.


just my thoughts..

[Jucato]

I think one of the reasons why people tend to create such "expressive" titles is
to be noticed. I think I've seen quite a few threads were the OP explicity says that he made the title as such because he noticed that titles with normal (but more descriptive) titles tend to be neglected or ignored. They somehow feel that making their titles more unconventional, unique, or sensational would get them noticed (just like in journalism?). And in some ways, they're right. The fact that you get a bit annoyed only proves that you noticed the threads, went in and discovered what the real subject of the thread is.

Of course, that doesn't make things easier for those of us who continually monitor threads in order to help people.

Actually, I'm out of ideas on how to address this "issue". I'm split between the effectivity of making "noticeable" titles and the efficiency of making informative/descriptive titles.

[xtacocorex]

Matthew, this needed to be said and I'm glad you did. I've noticed this trend increase the last couple of days/weeks and I find it annoying.

Half the time, I think they're trolling, so I avoid them and if I do try to help, most of those times, they OP seems reluctant to take the advice given so I don't bother throwing out advice.

Another gripe of mine is using shortcut words or blatently misspelled words. How can anyone help a person if their post is similiar to the following?

U n33d g1v3 help 4 mp3.

(This is an example, not text I've found on the forums)

[fuscia]

i prefer the dramatic ones and i agree with fenyx on the point of dramatic titles being more easily noticed. i'm far more likely to open "my mother-in-law's more fun" vs. "can someone suggest some good linux games?", or, "someone pull this knife out of my eye" vs. "how do i disable system sounds?"

[Biltong (Dee)]

U n33d g1v3 help 4 mp3 .....huh?
Lazy people the world over. So sad.

[matthew]

"my mother-in-law's more fun"
"someone pull this knife out of my eye"You never fail to make me laugh. Where do you come up with such amusingly twisted examples? Wait! Don't tell me. I don't want to know, that would spoil the mystery. :)

[xtacocorex]

U n33d g1v3 help 4 mp3 .....huh?
Lazy people the world over. So sad.

I took the thread out of context with that rant in my post, sorry for that.

I've noticed a couple of threads here that have text like that mixed with regular English and it's very difficult to read.

I will add, that I do open overly dramatic titles in the Cafe, mainly because it's the area of the forum for random activity.

[T700]

Agree 100%. Years in the military and years more as a paramedic give me a certain perspective on URGENT and I'M DYING HERE, that tends not to include sound cards not working and confusion with sudo versus gksudo.

Paul

[fuscia]

You never fail to make me laugh. Where do you come up with such amusingly twisted examples? Wait! Don't tell me. I don't want to know, that would spoil the mystery. :)

i'm naturally disturbed. thank you for the compliment.

[lapsey]

ne 1 got crack 4 linux