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.
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.