Okay DUers...I need a tutorial

[rhiannon55]

What does it take to get people to view, and maybe even respond, to a thread? I posted this a little while ago and it's sinking like a stone:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x201358

Is the subject line boring? Or is the essay boring? Did I post in the wrong forum? Maybe it's too long... :shrug:

If it wasn't my thousandth post I wouldn't be so whiny.

Feedback would be helpful....

[Katherine Brengle]

1. I have no idea...

I've had like one hot post ever on DU, and that was like a year ago lol.

Yours was a little long - I will admit to often clicking out if I go in and the post is really long, I'm just ADD like that though.

[rhiannon55]

10. Thanks Katherine

It's funny, I often do the same thing with long posts--and then I go and write a long one myself...

[ray of light]

2. just depends on the day or hour or mood.

you never can tell.

[mainegreen]

3. Kittens. Or something divisive.

If most people will agree with you, you wont generate many responses.

Why not start a thread on lobsters? That'll get them going!

[rhiannon55]

23. What should the lobsters be doing?

Having hot monkey sex with kittens? Maybe THAT would get everyone's attention! :bounce:

[mainegreen]

30. I'm pretty sure a thread about that would get responses.

I'm just not sure what kind!
:rofl:

[Runcible Spoon]

4. hmm some suggestions for thread titles:

"Live newsfeed: Anna Nicole!"
"Why are Xtians/Jews/Atheists/Muslims/Purple Pandas Exalted/Marginalized on DU/in America??!!"
"Candidate X Can/Can't Win"
Anything about rape, the future of our kids, demographic analysis of DU will get flames :evilgrin: People want a quick sound bite, not read a thoughtful, well-reasoned post. You might want to put something controversial in the title OR something like "you know what I love/what pisses me off" cuz then people are wondering "hmm, what's that". Just things I've noticed.

[KoKo]

16. LOL's.....that's a good one.....

:D

[fasttense]

21. Not tot mention, (of course I'll mention it) if you post on spanking

it will get so many responses that moderators will have to move it.

[rhiannon55]

24. LOL

:spank:

[Runcible Spoon]

39. oh yah I forgot about Cat Wars, Kids in Restaurant Wars, Rude Driver Wars....

Japanese Whaling Wars, Hunting Wars, Smoking Ban Wars...hmm what else...

[SoCalDem]

5. It's hard to say what will "do" it.

Sometimes a subject line that says nothing more than "oops..delete" will catch fire and get hundreds of hits, while a heartfelt essay that took a long time gets "zippo".. been there done that..

My advice is to start a journal page and start saving the "good ones" there, so you don;t lose them, and later when someone else's thread about what you wrote, shows up, you can repost your essay within that thread..

At least with the "views" thing, you can see that some people are at least reading it..even if they don;t post :hug:

[peace13]

11. Quick question...

where is the 'views thing'? I am not Amish but could be if I tried. Peace Kim

[SoCalDem]

17. It's the far right column..after replies

:)

[peace13]

20. Thanks! : ) n/t

[rhiannon55]

38. Thanks for your excellent advice, SoCalDem

I have a journal page, but I keep forgetting to save posts there. Thanks to both you and Will, I have saved this one in my journal.

And you're right about the Views column; it's interesting to see how many people are at least checking out the post. I should have waited before whining: in the last hour or so, my "neglected" post has bounced right onto the greatest page. WooHoo!

:woohoo:

[greyl]

6. Well, "Our Young People are Dying for Corporate Profits" may have been

a better subject. :)

[k_jerome]

7. change your username...

certain users get 5 rec's no matter what they post. i see eloquent and compelling posts sink like a rock all the time. keep up the good work...people are reading.

[SoCalDem]

8. meeeee-ow

:)

[TransitJohn]

9. You are so right.

eom

[Hissyspit]

12. DU is like eBay in the sense that it doesn't necessarily function very rationally...

so don't take it personally. That chaos is part of the appeal and part of what you have to deal with even when it is not appealling.

Two items put up on eBay at similar times can end up with VERY different outcomes and there doesn't necessarily seem to be any logic to it. Same thing with threads here.

For instance, I put up a thread a few weeks about about an impeachment resolution the state house in New Mexico would be considering the next day. It got a few recommendations and then disappeared. I figured maybe it was not as important as I thought it was. A couple of days later someone else posted the same info and it ended up being the most recommeneded post of the day with 50 or so recommmendations and on the DU home page. Go figure. Admittedly, I may have not put a very good subject line on it. These things are also affected by what time of day you post and in which forum you post.

So don't take it personally. Just keep posting and you will find an audience! I did read your essay and thought it was very good and recommended it.

And, yes, as Will said, start your journal.

[SoCalDem]

18. Hey.. I said it BEFORE Will

[Hissyspit]

25. Sorry! I didn't read the whole thread.

:P

[SoCalDem]

28. Catfight :)

[Hissyspit]

29. Ironic Cat/Llama Fight

[SoCalDem]

31. Aaaw.. the poor widdle wwama

Aren't llamas dreamy :loveya:

[Hissyspit]

33. He was born blind. Did you go to the website?

http://ywl.com/lewis_early_days.htm

[SoCalDem]

36. Aw.. Now I am really in love with Lewis..

Such a trouper :loveya:

[rhiannon55]

42. Is that a cat or a gremlin?

OMG. Wow! :wow:

[WilliamPitt]

13. Have you started a journal?

Put this up there. People will see it.

[rhiannon55]

35. Thanks, Will, for the great suggestion

...Done! ;)

[dogday]

14. Damn that's actually pretty good compared

to my sink like a stone posts.... I don't know but these post just somehow get past us...

[Uncle Joe]

15. One thing I might suggest,

respond to the individual posts on your thread when it starts to sink, thank them if nothing else, it also serves to kick up the reply count thus attracting more replies, after a while it starts to feed itself. This doesn't always work, sometimes I just get crickets, but if you love everyone else here regardless, it's all ok.:)

[rhiannon55]

27. Awww, Uncle Joe

That is so sweet: "but if you love everyone else here regardless, it's all ok." :loveya:

This attitude is what I like the most about DU. People may bicker and disagree sometimes, but a great amount of love and kindness shines through.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Yes, but don't let that get out,

I'm just semi-sweet, sometimes, I'm downright snarky.;-)

[rhiannon55]

34. With a user name like Uncle Joe

You're probably a lovable curmudgeon. :hug:

[SoCalDem]

37. I know what you mean.. I purposely "dis-remember" the name of whoever

"jumps" me on a thread./ I know that we probably agree on more than disagree, and I am not a grudge-holder.. and I have a bad memory for who wrote what :)

there may be people out there who hold grudges against me for things I have said, but I hold none personally...

[w8liftinglady]

19. I've been known to kick my own threads until people get a few beers in them :)

People tend to post more in the evenings-or that has been my experience..

[w8liftinglady]

22. here is my 100th post-I did most of the entries...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5591674&mesg_id=5591674

[Kurovski]

26. Put the "F" word in your header.

I've never tried it, but I notice that it can be quite the draw.

[treestar]

40. Tell a personal story

Like if you meet a right winger, and how you handled it, or just anything that annoys you.

That will bring out all the judgmental nellies to criticize you for doing what you did or say you should not be complaining about it, then you defend yourself and that adds to the posts, and people who would have done what you did or find the same thing annoying will defend you and get into arguments with the others.

:hi:

[rhiannon55]

41. HaHa! I've seen plenty of that on DU...

but then I've seen plenty of everything on DU. I love DU, warts and all... :hi:

[donheld]

43. It's in the luck of the draw little darlin'

forget those movies you saw.


Gosh, I don't have a clue what the magic is.

[Az]

44. The problem with this sort of forum

Is that threads that are controversal get a lot of attention for the simple reason people what to refute things they disagree with. But if you post a well written post that most agree with you will get little response beyond a few thumbs up or agrees. This sort of forum rewards disagreement and punishes agreement. That which most agree on will quickly drop out of the main page and disappear into obscurity. That which people argue about will forever remain kicked to the top.

There have been some changes that alter this dynamic a bit (ie recommendations). But even those cannot beat a anti-gun thread or a religion bash thread for sticking ability.

[rhiannon55]

45. Thank you all for your excellent advice

I used some of your suggestions (like replying to a number of the responses so the post would keep being kicked to the top), and posting the thread in my journal, and wa-la! My 1000th post is on the greatest page with a bunch of recs. Of course, waiting before whining might have been a good idea, but then THIS fun thread wouldn't have happened.

DUers are the coolest people! Hugs to you all!

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: