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Underground > Policy & Help >

Starting A Thread With Almost No Information

Matthew Fluxington

14:00 / 08.09.03

What should we do with threads started with a bare minimum of information?

For example, someone just started a thread in Music with simply the url of a Yahoo News story about the death of Warren Zevon. (The poster didn't even bother to put an html link.) To make matters worse, the title of the thread only hinted that Zevon had died, and the abstract seemed to be more like the body of a post rather than a description of what the thread. So it seems that the poster was either attempting to be clever, or just very dumb.

Anyway, what should we do with these posts/threads? Should moderators just clean up the mess and write a topic-starting post? Should we make the topic-starter do that?

Personally, I think we should just immediately delete threads like this. If there is not enough information to start a proper thread, and it is clear that the thread starter has no knowledge of or regard for Barbelith's ettiquette rules, they should be forced to learn. It should be accepted that if one wants to start a thread, they actually have to more than just post a link and run away.

14:17 / 08.09.03

I have, previously, dealt with a similar situation by putting in moderation requests to post the abstract as the body of the post. In this case I'd leave the URL there in the post body, add the HTML coding, and a brief topic abstract. I think the job of moderator is a constructive one and am inclined to be helpful where possible - but then, I don't have to deal with many moderation requests.

In this case, however, there are several threads in the Music and the Conversation about Warren Zevon, so you may be more inclined to move for deletion and let the topic starter know why.

Probably another thing that should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

20:39 / 08.09.03

Funny. I think I just posted to the thread in question.

I imagine some tinkering was done since your complaint was made, Flux, since the link is now active. I agree that it's a little sloppy, but not really that big a deal. It does mention that Zevon has passed away in the thread topic, and there are plenty of ambiguous thread titles throughout the board that don't get picked on that probably should before this one. Yeah, the poster just links to a story and then copies the entire thing without commentary, but it is a news item. Maybe bjacques just wants us to know the news and draw our own thoughts on the matter.

To be honest, if the rules governing thread titles and topic abstracts are as strict as you say, then I have most likely been in violation of them myself without knowing about it, and I must confess to not understanding them still. I have no idea whether that makes me clever or dumb.

The real reason I'm posting to this thread is because it has happened before where something has been deleted due solely to the thread starter (notwithstanding threads that are deleted because they were started by trolls, or other reasons that are not simply the result of a single moderator being slightly annoyed). This doesn't just affect that particular poster, but also all the others after that individual who may have spent considerable time and thought crafting a valid response. Just what lesson are these people being forced to learn? Are they guilty by association?

20:43 / 08.09.03

I'd say its pretty much up to the individual moderator if he wants to ask a poster to improve his initial post or do it for them. But as kit kat suggests, the task is to be constructive, I don't think deleting ill-formed posts is the way to go.

Matthew Fluxington

11:34 / 09.09.03

It does mention that Zevon has passed away in the thread topic

Yeah, but that's only there because I put it there. There was absolutely no mention of Zevon's death save for the sideways obscrure reference in the title.