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Topic abstracts - doing my nut

Spatula Clarke

10:24 / 05.12.02

Hokay. When a thread starts without a topic abstract, the following happens:

1) Somebody points out the lack of an abstract.
2) Somebody else kicks off because they see person 1's complaint as a bit anal.
3) Thread go boom.

Now, if I try to post a new thread without giving it a title, I get returned to the post entry screen with the message "Please enter a subject." Could we have a similar thing happen if no abstract is added - the thread doesn't go through until the abstract field is filled in? It'd save a lot of fannying about.

w1rebaby

17:40 / 05.12.02

Good idea.

Something else that would help - put the box for entering the topic abstract above the box for entering the meat of the post. I think the problem is that people concentrate so much on getting the post right that once that's done they forget to scroll down.

Maybe put "required" by it.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

19:01 / 05.12.02

DAMN good fucking idea.

I'd also like it if you could see the abstract while reading a thread you're not necessarily gonna post to. I think that could also sort out a lot of "off-topic" issues. If someone's read through about five or six pages before they post, then possibly the abstract may not have any effect on the passionate post they're about to go with. Whereas if they saw the abstract AT THE START, they may have mentally composed it a little better.

Tezcatlipoca

20:42 / 05.12.02

I absolutely with Stoatie on seeing the abstract whilst reading the post. Several times I've gone to reply to a post and written nothing, purely to get at the abstract.

I'm not convinced that putting the abstract box first will help, but the suggestion that you shouldn't be allowed to start a topic unless the abstract is filled is very sensible, and, I'm guessing since it already exists for the main text of the topic, not that hard to implement.

Spatula Clarke

22:36 / 05.12.02

Y'know, I've always suspected that the mysterious 'column 2' was intended to house topic abstracts. It'd be a handy place to put them, for the reasons Herr Stoat's mentioned.

Saint Keggers

02:16 / 06.12.02

I always thought the Column 2 was because my browser was screwing up.
And yes, something must be done about the blatant disregard of the topic abstract.

bio k9

08:26 / 06.12.02

1) Somebody points out the lack of an abstract.
2) Somebody else kicks off because they see person 1's complaint as a bit anal.
3) Thread go boom.

This does happen a lot. Maybe people should try sending PMs to the person that started the topic instead of clogging the thread. Despite best intentions, forcing people to write topic abstracts is going to get you abstracts that read: "Heres your fucking abstract. Happy now?"

pointless and uncalled for

11:42 / 07.12.02

Agreed, abstract bitching is just threadrot of a poor nature. On top of that, I see no critical reason for abstracts in a majority of the Conversation threads. Although this is entirely dependant on the way that I use and view this site in general and mostly will be a differing opinion to those that are different to me.

Eloi Tsabaoth

15:24 / 07.12.02

I think topic abstracts are actually more necessary in The Conversation, as threads there are more likely to have obscure titles that don't relate to the content, and so need abstracts to aid searches.

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